The Housing Muse: 13 home features buyers say they want most
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey
Talk up these features if your listings have them. House hunters call them “essential.”
Home buyers view space as a premium, but they don’t believe bigger is always better. In fact, they’re willing to take a smaller home as long as it has a few key features.
The average size of a newly constructed house has dropped to its lowest level in 13 years: 2,479 square feet, according to new research from the National Association of Home Builders. Twenty-six percent of builders say they plan to build even smaller in 2024, according to the research.
But while buyers are showing greater acceptance for a smaller home, they want it to be more personalized, Donald Ruthroff, founding principal at Design Story Spaces LLC, said during a recent press conference at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas at the end of February. “They want it to feel like it was made just for them and be significantly different than their neighbors’ homes,” he said.
Home buyers willing to take a smaller home say they could most do without having a separate home office (53%) or dining room (52%). But they’re not willing to sacrifice the size of the kitchen or closets, Rose Quint, NAHB’s assistant vice president of survey research, said at the press conference.
Buyers are prioritizing the following key features around the home, with 80% or more of surveyed home buyers rating the following property amenities as “essential” or “desirable,” according to NAHB’s “What Home Buyers Really Want” survey.
- Laundry room
- Patio
- Energy Star windows
- Exterior lighting
- Ceiling fan
- Garage storage
- Front porch
- Hardwood flooring
- Full bath on the main level
- Energy Star appliances
- Walk-in pantry
- Landscaping
- Table space in the kitchen
Buyers also appear to be placing more value on having a high-tech home. Over the last decade, the following technology-oriented home features have posted the most significant growth among home buyers, according to NAHB:
- Security cameras
- Wired home security system
- Programmable thermostat
- Multi-zone HVAC system
- Energy management system
- Video doorbell
Quint also identified these other home features as posting significant growth over the past 10 years and are increasingly resonating more with buyers, including:
- Quartz or engineered stone for kitchen countertops
- Lighting control system
- Outdoor fireplace
- Outdoor kitchen
- Built-in seating in the kitchen
- Exposed beams
Also, with the growth of multigenerational living, more home buyers prefer two primary bedroom suites rather than one: 55% of buyers said they preferred this layout, according to the survey.
Melissa Dittmann Tracey
ABOUT ME:
Melissa Dittmann Tracey is an award-winning journalist who covers the latest real estate news and trends. You can hear her weekly on the syndicated radio show and podcast, Real Estate Today, in her housing trends segment, “Hot or Not?” She is the creator of the Styled, Staged & Sold blog and a frequent contributor to Houselogic.com and REALTOR Magazine. She’s also the host of The Housing Muse podcast at http://www.housingmuse.com. Follow her on Instagram or X @housingmuse.
