Posts Tagged ‘energy efficiency’

What Buyers Want In a Home

Posted on: August 15th, 2013 No Comments

Whether you’re a seller with an eye to the future or a buyer in need of a little direction, it helps to know what’s popular in today’s homes. Here, in no particular order, are some of the most highly regarded home features:

Energy efficiency – energy star rated appliances, energy efficient windows, highly rated insulation. Nine out of ten buyers would rather buy a home with energy-efficient features and permanently lower utility bills than one without those features that costs 2 percent to 3 percent less.
Programmable or “smart” thermostats and R38 insulation will get you points with buyers.
Home office – most buyers prefer to have a place dedicated to their laptops, printers, and work related items. Depending on the number of bedrooms, some will create a home office with built-in desks, shelving and cabinets.
Open floor plan – the kitchen, family room and dining room share one space where family members can see and talk to one another.
Kitchen island – more people are making the kitchen the focal point of their family and social lives. It also helps serve as the division between the kitchen and the living/dining space of an open floor plan.
Walk-in pantry – warehouse club memberships are wildly popular, and buyers need a place to store all that stuff.
Walk-in closets – consistently ranks first on most buyer studies.
Outdoor living space – whether it’s something as expansive as a wraparound porch or as simple as a stone paver patio, most people studied prefer having a usable outdoor space.