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rochesterrealestateblog.com http://www.rochesterrealestateblog.com/top-home-features-that-todays-home-buyers-want/
Top Home Features That Today’s Home Buyers Want
Top Home Features That Today’s Home Buyers Want
One of the most rewarding aspects
of owning a home is the ability to
add or remove home features
through home improvement projects
or remodeling projects. There are
many home improvement projects
that can have a positive impact on a
homes value as well as many home
improvement projects that should be
avoided due to the possibility of
negatively impacting the homes
value or the homes desirability.
There are certain home features that
today’s home buyer wants and is
willing to pay top dollar to obtain.
Even though some home buyers will
pay top dollar for certain home
features, one of the biggest
challenges that is faced when selling
a home is dealing with unrealistic
home buyers. Some home buyers
that are in the market to purchase a
home have a laundry list of home
features they want in their home but
are not willing to pay for them. This
can obviously be very frustrating for
home owners.
A homeowner who knows what home
features today’s home buyers want
will put themselves in a much better
position when it comes time to
complete their next home
improvement or remodeling project.
By knowing what today’s home
buyer is looking for when it comes to
home features can save a lot of
valuable time on the open real estate
market and can also lead to a higher
sale price.
So, what are some of the top home features that today’s home buyers want in a home? This article will analyze the
top home features that buyers are looking for in their new home as well as provide some excellent tips to help
improve your home features to appeal to today’s home buyers!

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Open Concept Floor Plans
The days of compartmentalized homes are gone. Most homes built prior to the early 1990’s had floor plans that were
choppy and compartmentalized. Most newly constructed homes are being built with open concept floor plans.
Today’s home buyers desire a floor plan that flows seamlessly from one room to another. Due to the fact that older
homes generally do not have open concept floor plans, many home buyers are electing to build a new home instead
of purchasing an existing home.
Why do today’s home buyers desire an open concept floor plan? Many millennial home buyers enjoy entertaining
friends and family. An open concept floor plan is a feature that allows a homeowner the ability to interact with their
guests even if they are in a different room. A compartmentalized home does not allow this. An open concept floor
plan is also very popular home feature with families with young children as an open concept allows the parents the
ability to watch their children even if they are not in the same room or area of the home.
An open concept floor plan in some homes may not be feasible, however, in some homes can be created with the
simple removal of a wall or two. If you’re planning a remodel or home improvement, consider improving the flow of
your floor plan since it is such a highly desired home feature with today’s home buyers.
Updated Kitchen
Most people who have any interest in real estate have heard that kitchens and baths sell homes. This is very true
since many of today’s home buyers are not interested in remodeling a kitchen or don’t have the capital to do so.
Some of today’s home buyers will elect to not even look at a home that has old counters, cabinets, or flooring. It’s
very easy to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a kitchen remodel project, however, it may not be necessary to
attract today’s home buyers. There are many ways to update a kitchen without breaking the piggy bank. Knowing
what the current trends are for kitchens is extremely important to keep in mind when completing any remodel or
update.
Low cost kitchen updates can reduce the amount of time a home takes to sell significantly and also potentially
increase the sale price. Low cost kitchen updates include:
Fresh Paint
Re-staining or Refinishing Kitchen Cabinetry
New Kitchen Cabinet Hardware
New Light Fixtures
New Plumbing Fixtures
New Sink
Updated Bath(s)
Just like the kitchen, the cost to update or remodel a bathroom can be very high. An updated bathroom is however,
one of the most desired home features for today’s home buyers.
One of the easiest ways to make a bathroom appeal to today’s home buyers is by freshly painting the bathroom(s)
with a bright and inviting color and also ensuring it is extremely clean. A very popular way sellers scare away
potential home buyers is with dirty and grimy bathrooms. Some home buyers will choose not to buy a home because
the bathroom is extremely dirty.
Similar to a kitchen, a bathroom remodel or update does not have to break the piggy bank to make it appealing to
today’s home buyers. There are many low cost ways to update a bath, including:

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Updated Bathrooms Are A Top Home Feature That Today’s Home Buyers Want
New Vanity
New Medicine Cabinet
New Plumbing Fixtures
New Bathtub/Shower Surround
Updated Light Fixtures
Clean and Organized Linen
Closet(s)
First Floor Laundry Room
Many homeowners believe the
location of the laundry room is not
relevant when it comes time to sell a
home. The location of the laundry
room can have a major impact on
how fast a home sells and the
desirability of a home. In most
homes there are only a handful of
locations for a laundry room. The
basement, the first floor, and the
second floor are the three most
common areas.
Today’s home buyers ultimately
prefer the laundry room is located on
the first floor. First floor laundry is a
home feature that is extremely
desirable for older home buyers or
home buyers who may have difficulty
walking up or down stairs.
Most newly built homes will have a
first floor laundry room as a home
feature since it has become so
popular with today’s home buyers!
Outdoor Space
Today’s home buyers are not only
interested in the home features of
the interior but also what the exterior home features are in a home. Many sellers make the mistake of not paying
attention to the outdoor space of their home, which can be very costly. A very popular and relatively
inexpensive staging tip to help sell a home quicker for more money is to ensure the outdoor space is not neglected!
What are the outdoor home features that today’s home buyers desire? A few of the most popular home features
desired by today’s home buyers include attached decks, patios, and fenced yards. Other outdoor areas that
homeowners should pay attention to include:
Landscaping
Hardscaping

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“Green Thumb” Home Features Are Highly Desired By Today’s Home Buyers
Pools
Fire pits
Balcony
Gardens
Outdoor Kitchens
Home Technologies
Many of today’s home buyers are very “tech savvy,” especially millennial home buyers. There are many home
features that can be added to a home that are very technologically advanced. Home technologies can help increase
the “WOW” factor of a home.
What are some of the most popular home technology home features that today’s home buyers are looking for?
Programmable thermostats, such as a Nest, which can be controlled via a smart phone, tablet, or other mobile
device
Whole home speaker systems, such as Sonos
Key-less locks that can be accessed via Bluetooth
Timed irrigation systems
Today’s Home Buyers Want “Green Thumb” Home Features
“Going Green” is something that is
seen all over the place nowadays!
Today’s home buyers are
also desiring many home features
that could be considered as “going
green.” Whether it’s because a
home buyer wants to save on their
utility bills or because they are
concerned with protecting the
environment, it’s important to
understand what “green” home
features today’s home buyers are
looking for.
Energy Efficient Furnace & Air
Conditioning
Two of the most important features
within a home are a homes furnace
and a homes air conditioning, if
applicable. First and foremost, there
are many home buyers that will not
look at a home if it does not have
central air conditioning. Certain
types of HVAC systems don’t allow
for central air conditioning to be
installed, such as baseboard or
radiant. If able, installing a central

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air conditioning unit is a good idea as
it can increase the number of
potential home buyers who maybe
interested in the home.
A home feature that some of today’s
home buyers are looking for are the
efficiency levels of the furnace and
air conditioning. There are several
reasons why today’s home buyers
are looking for energy efficient
furnaces and air conditioning units.
The primary reason is the fact that
these home features can save a
buyer significant money per month
on utility bills.
Other reasons why this home
feature is so important to today’s
home buyers include:
Longer Life Expectancy
Quieter
Better For Environment
Superior Performance
Improved Health and Quality of
Life
Extra Insulation
Similar to energy efficient air
conditioning units and furnaces,
additional insulation can significantly
reduce utility bills, which is the
primary reason why today’s home
buyers desire this home feature.
The standards of home insulation
change fairly frequently, therefore, a
home built 60 years ago is likely to have very minimal insulation in comparison to a newly built home.
In addition to the reduced utility bills, other reasons to increase insulation in a home include exterior noise reduction
and a lower chance of ice damming. Ice damming can create significant damage to a home , especially in very cold
climates, such as Rochester, NY.
This past winter, while selling a home in Brighton, NY, a seller experienced significant ice damming damage to the
interior of their home. A contractor pointed out that this could have been avoided if there was additional insulation
added. As you can imagine, extra insulation is an even more desirable home feature for home buyers in colder
climates, due to the potential for ice damming damage.
Energy Efficient Appliances

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Even thought energy efficient appliances are more expensive than non energy efficient appliances, they are a home
feature that many home buyers look for. An energy efficient appliance, such as a refrigerator, may cost two times
more than a non energy efficient appliance, however, the can yield significant savings in utility bills and usage.
When shopping for appliances, keep an eye out for the “Energy Star” logo. Energy Star is a program run by the
Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect the climate
through superior energy efficiency. Any appliance that has the Energy Star logo is likely to be very efficient and also
highly desired by today’s buyers.
Energy efficient appliances are a very popular home feature with today’s home buyers but it’s also important to keep
in mind the look of the appliance. In addition to energy efficient appliances, many of today’s home buyers are looking
for stainless steel appliances. Stainless steel appliances are often more expensive than non stainless steel
appliances, but are so highly desired that it is normally worth the additional expense.
Energy Efficient Windows
A common concern for home buyers is the efficiency and condition of a homes windows. Windows that are in poor
condition or that are inoperable are one of the most common issues found during a home inspection. The cost to
replace windows in a home can be expensive, depending on the quality and efficiency level.
Today’s home buyers will pay more for a home due to the fact it has energy efficient windows as one of the home
features. In extreme climates, this can be even more important than the furnace or air conditioning efficiency since
the amount of air lost or gained through windows can be significant.
Final Thoughts
One of the best ways to make a home appeal to today’s home buyers is by knowing what home features they are
looking for. A home that has many of the above home features that buyers are looking for will sell faster than the
homes that are lacking the above home features.
While it may not make sense to remodel a kitchen for $30,000, it may make sense to tackle some of the low cost
projects such as a fresh coat of paint or new hardware on the cabinets. It’s important that if you’re unsure whether a
home feature is going to help sell your home or hurt the chances of your home selling, that you consult with a top
local real estate professional. They should be able to give you the proper advice and tips to making sure your home
has the home features that today’s home buyers want!
Other Top Home Selling Tips & Advice
How Can We Sweep A Home Buyer Off Their Feet? via Imagine Your House
10 Things To Expect From Your Real Estate Agent When Selling Your Home via Rochester’s Real Estate Blog
How To Sell A Home | Top Real Estate Resources For Home Selling via Bundlr
Things Every Seller Should Know About Today’s Home Buyers via Las Vegas Luxury Home Pro
If you’re selling a home in Rochester, NY, it’s critical you understand what kind of home features today’s home buyers
are looking for! If your Rochester, NY home has many of the above home features, your home should appeal to many
of the local home buyers who are in the market to purchase a home. If you’re unsure about whether you should add
or remove a home feature in your Rochester, NY home, contact me, and I’d be happy to share my expertise and
opinion with you.
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About the authors: The above article “Top Home Features That Today’s Home Buyers Want” was provided by the
Keith Hiscock Sold Team (Keith & Kyle Hiscock). With over 30 years combined experience, if you’re thinking
of selling or buying, we’d love to share our knowledge and expertise.
We service the following Greater Rochester NY areas: Irondequoit, Webster, Penfield, Pittsford, Fairport, Brighton,
Greece, Gates, Hilton, Brockport, Mendon, Henrietta, Perinton, Churchville, Scottsville, East Rochester, Rush,
Honeoye Falls, Chili, and Victor NY.
Visit our website at www.HiscockHomes.com.
© 2015, Kyle Hiscock. All rights reserved.