Top 10 sought-after home features
ZipRealty survey reveals must-haves, turnoffs
By Inman News, Tuesday, June 15, 2010.For real estate professionals trying to put their best foot forward, the results of a recent survey offer clues on how to make for-sale listings stand out.
In May, online brokerage ZipRealty asked about 1,000 house hunters who registered on its site what their "must-haves" and "deal breakers" were for their future home purchase. While the survey found that house-hunting men and women tend to have different priorities when searching for a home, their preferences do overlap in some ways.
Men and women's top 10 preferences were largely the same with two exceptions: having a view made it onto the men's list (and not the women's list), with 44.5 percent of men saying it was a high priority; and wood floors made it onto the women's list (and not the men's), with 40.9 percent of women ranking them highly.
More than a quarter, 27 percent, of all respondents ranked a "green," environmentally friendly home a high priority, the brokerage said.
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The home's location on a quiet or busy street is also important, the brokerage said, so if the house is on a quiet cul-de-sac that would appeal to families, mention it. Real estate professionals should highlight all of these must-have features in both the listing description and photos, the brokerage said.
And sellers should keep in mind not only what homebuyers want, but also what they don't want.
"The three biggest turnoffs when viewing a home in person are structural damage, bad odors, a busy street and an awkward floor plan. While searching online, lack of parking and few or no photos and low square footage are the biggest deal-breakers," the brokerage said.
Based on survey responses, the following are the top 10 most desired home features and the percentage of respondents who ranked the feature as high priority:
1. Garage or parking space: 86.8 percent.
2. Master suite: 78.9 percent.
3. Ample storage space: 72 percent.
4. Large or walk-in closets: 66.5 percent.
5. Guest bedroom: 66.4 percent.
6. Outdoor entertainment area: 64.3 percent.
7. Gourmet or updated kitchen: 60.6 percent.
8. Breakfast room or eat-in kitchen: 55.8 percent.
9. Large yard: 43.2 percent.
10. Wood floors: 40.8 percent.
Source: ZipRealty.
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Submitted by on June 27, 2010 - 12:15pm.
In the past 10 years, my experience with deal-breakers, associated with the features of a house, for buyers has been: #1 Master Bedroom suites, #2 Kitchens, #3 the Floor plan.
One of my listings is a very well-maintained, 18-year old, 5 br, 3.5 baths, all-brick home with approximately 4000 htd sq ft. Listed since November 2009. No offers.
Only a two car garage and no outside storage building, but NOT one complaint about that.
Main attributes:
-Located on a nicely landscaped, wooded, .62 acre, Golf course lot in a Golf course community
-Downstairs Master Bedroom suite
-Breakfast room flows into the kitchen
-Two of the five bedrooms are large enough to be game rooms, etc. 12' x 18' and 15' x 18'
(located upstairs)
-Extra large outdoor patio with BBQ gas line hook-up
-Lots of floored, walk-in general storage space
#1 DEAL KILLER based on feedback from showings and open houses:
MASTER BEDROOM 13' x 14', with only one wall open for furniture. Second wall is taken up entirely by a huge window. Third wall, taken up by a closet w/double bi-fold doors and the bedroom entrance door. Fourth wall, another double closet w/bi-fold doors and entrance door to master bath.
No walk-in closets at all. Not enough space in existing master closets.
Enlarging or remodeling this master suite would require expensive structural changes to be made.
MASTER BATH- Small, square shower (the type you buy out of a box from Home Depot) Large corner garden tub, no jets. Double-sized vanity cabinet with only one sink.
#2 DEAL KILLER
Kitchen needs remodeled. Appliances are new, but the rest of the kitchen is outdated.
This home will end up selling for much less than current comps per htd sq ft primarily due to an undesirable Master suite.