‘There is something permanent, and something extremely profound, in owning a home.’ – Kenny Guinn
What house aspects top home buyers’ wish lists? What are some of their most common priorities? Let’s discover together the property must-haves for a large number of today’s prospective buyers.
Either that you are a real estate agent who is looking for ways to make your clients happier, a buyer who wants to learn about what to focus on when shopping for a place to stay, or a seller who wants to be one step ahead of its prospective buyers, this article will elucidate all your inquiries.
Making your house sparkle in your buyers’ eyes from the first minute they see it, is essential as the number of the competitors on the housing market is increasing. How can you do this? It’s easy – understand what future homeowners look for.
Even though, a buyer’s wish list can be endless and different from one buyer to another, there are, according to worldwide specialists, some common features that can be found in the majority of those looking for a new property.
So let’s unveil the main features that catch their eyes and more than that – what buyers are willing to pay extra for.
The wish list every home buyer has
Either that a house is bought for living purposes or just as plain investment, there are certain aspects that buyers always search for in a new property. Therefore, this research will give you enough clues where to make improvements or what to search for.
Will the house be easy to maintain? Does it require any additional investments? Or is it built with enough sustainable green materials? These are just some of the most common issues that buyers focus on. So, let’s take them all step by step.
- The size
There is no doubt that the size of the property is the main criteria of selection among buyers of all ages. In other words, it is useless if a property has only two bedrooms, when the buyer needs four.
However, if the buyer shows interest in the property and decides to visit it even though it doesn’t have the initial desired number or chambers, then voila this is the moment when compromise comes into play. It’s all about presentation and touring – if you succeed to impress him/her, then it’s all done! You’ve caught their attention for sure and the property is of interest.
So, whether we talk about compartmentalized spaces, traditional houses or open spaces, a fact is certain, there is a buyer out there for each type of house too.
- Curb appeal
Curb appeal matters! The better the impression the prospective buyers get after leaving, the bigger the chances they will buy it eventually. So do your best to provide a cozy and homely first impression. Polish the looks of the property before you put it on the market. This is why some may say – If the property is not ready for visitors, then for sure it is not ready to be sold either.
Furthermore, always have in mind – buyers nowadays consider a variety of properties before deciding upon a single one. Thus, in order to maximize the property’s chances you have to make it look stunning! The overall impression means more than you can think of! Is the image that the buyer will have after leaving your house.
- Privacy
Depending on the placement of your property, the level of privacy can be another decisive factor for a buyer. According to recent studies made on this topic, it has been agreed that ‘Privacy’ is one of the chapters that people are least expected to compromise on; it must fit their values and life principles too.
No two buyers are the same, therefore it is practically impossible to know in advance how to respond to the future owner’s life necessities, you just have to do your best and wait…
- Structure
- Spatial organization
Both the floor plan and the storage space also play an important role in deciding whether to buy a house or not. It has to satisfy the modern life necessities of the future owner.
Even though certain areas can be re-organized, in other situations, there is nothing you can do. Therefore, it is no doubt that presenting the property as neutral as possible, leaving the future owner plenty of space to imagine another reorganization of the space is highly advisable.
- The neighborhood
Studies show that the selection of the neighborhood is highly influenced by the age of the buyer. So, as some may search for nightlife areas, others will make their choice based on the amenities nearby.
Once the property has all the essentials that fit the personal preferences of the individual, the neighborhood can help to erase any doubts left.
- The commute to work
Time is one of those aspects of modern life that appear to shorten day by day, as a result, prospective homebuyers look for purchasing properties as near as possible to their job. And this is totally understandable – no one wants to spend most of their time commuting from work to home on a daily basis.
This has become such a burning issue that some buyers even convert this factor as one of their top priorities.
- Energy-efficient features
A property as close to perfection as possible is a forever dream that all buyers constantly search for and an eco-friendly property is one of them. The reasons? Well, energy prices continue to soar so more and more individuals get conscious of the importance of energy efficiency. Some of the key elements that influence costs are the type of the appliances, the quality of the windows and the home insulation.
Thus, it’s now obvious why some get to say that energy-efficiency goes hand in hand with personal health and happiness!
- Public amenities and transportation
Getting close to finding the right home, for some, means having different types of amenities nearby that are part of the individual’s lifestyle. Either that we talk about shopping malls, hospitals, business centers, gyms or spas, some are essential to fit the lifestyle of the new owner.
- Outdoor living
Another core issue when talking about changing homes is the outdoor living and the availability of opportunities to spend as much spare time outside. Some of the longstanding favorites are the recreational parks and the walkable neighborhoods.
- Parking space
The place people park their cars has become a huge problem for so many families nowadays. The type, the size and the placement of private garages influence how a future owner perceives a new property. Chances are home buyers’ checklists cannot be made without including such a necessity of modern life; if they have a car they surely need a garage.
5 Features buyers are willing to pay more!
People shop for homes taking into account hundreds of factors. However, as some are willing to compromise on certain aspects, there is also the opposite category of buyers who can and will pay more if a property has some of the following features. Can you guess which ones can be included in a Top 5? If not, we’ll give you some clues, here they are:
- Air conditioning
The type of the air conditioning has a lot to do with the final price of the house. The more modern it is the more buyers are willing to pay to have it. The latest models of air conditioning systems are in high demand for a significant number of potential buyers.
- Kitchen island
This is one of those small but effective features of a house that, as crazy as it might seem may persuade a buyer to actually purchase a property. If your house doesn’t have a kitchen island, then voila, you know a possible future investment. It’s in-vogue! For many families, it’s a convenient kitchen aspect that makes their lives easier.
- Stainless steel appliances
More and more buyers fall in love with stainless steel appliances, so chances are the buyer, you are looking for will appreciate this too. Note that having stainless steel appliances may be the feature that will help you persuade the buyer to make his/her final decision.
- Fireplace
Fireplaces, hot tubs, pools or other facilities can be included in the category of features people are willing to pay extra for. Improving standard’s living can always be a source of info when not knowing in what to invest.
- New kitchen appliances
The kitchen stands as one of the focus areas of the home. So selling a property with new kitchen appliances may turn out to be a smart idea indeed.
All in all, today’s buyer’s checklist includes all sorts of features that serve to improve the quality of life. Even though, each buyer has other priorities and requests, several common key elements can stand at least as a starting point.
The size of the house, the interior features, the neighborhood or the location of the house are just some of the most frequent factors that may affect a sale, however you can never know what requests your next visitor has. Making your property appeal to a larger category of buyers is therefore advisable!