Home Features on Buyer's "Must Have" List

So, you're thinking about putting your home on the market.  Your home can sell quickly and for a premium price if you have some or all of these features that buyers are looking for.  It can mean the difference between your home selling with multiple offers driving up the selling price or getting no offers at all.  The statistics you see below are based on Remodeling magazines 2014 Cost Vs. Value Report.

1.  Separate Laundry Room

Percentage of buyers who want this feature:  93%

Source:  onekindesign.com

Potential buyers see a separate laundry room as an essential feature in their home.  In fact, 57% of buyers said they wouldn't purchase a home without one.  People want a place big enough to hold a full-sized washer and dryer, space to sort clothes, fold clothes, hang damp clothes to prevent wrinkling, as well as storage space to hold laundry and cleaning supplies.


2.  Exterior Lighting

Percentage of buyers who want this feature:  90%

Source:  mackdmc.com

Exterior lighting amps up the curb appeal of a home during the evening hours and helps with safety.  Exterior lighting is the most wanted outdoor feature and luckily it's relatively inexpensive to install at $100 to $250 per fixture.  Wall lanterns, landscape accent lighting and spotlights aimed at the front wall of the house are the most sought after lighting options.


3.  Energy Star-Qualified Windows

Percentage of buyers who want this feature:  89%

Source:  pella.com

If you want to impress buyers, replace your old windows with new fuel-efficient versions.  Energy efficient windows save a lot of money in the long term while usually improving the look of the home both inside and out.  Buyers will love knowing that they won't have to worry about windows for many years to come.


4.  Garage Storage Space

Percentage of buyers who want this feature: 86%

Source:  houzz.com

Growing families have lots of stuff going on, and lots of stuff to go with it.  Extra space in the garage is especially needed because it is very easily accessible by everyone, yet keeps the clutter out of your main living areas.  Be sure your storage space is easily accessible, very well organized and clean.


5.  Eat In Kitchen

Percentage of buyers who want this feature:  85%

Source:  diynetwork.com

Whether it's a kitchen table in the corner or stools pulled up to a counter, many buyers, especially those with children, want a sit-down space for eating and other tasks in the heart of the home, the kitchen.  Whether its eating breakfast together before work and school, a spot to do homework or catch up on emails, or a space to go over your day in the evening while dinner is getting prepared, families rate this as a high priority.

6.  Walk-In Kitchen Pantry

Percentage of buyers who want this feature: 85%

Source:  wonderfulengineering.com

One pantry can take the place of seven or more kitchen cabinets when it comes to storing food.  Pantries are also ideal places to store large appliances like mixers and food processors and bulky cleaning supplies like brooms and mops.  It's no wonder this miracle space is one that buyers really value.

This is all very well and good, you might be saying to yourself.  But what do buyers hate?

• Overgrown and unmaintained landscaping
• Over-the-top paint colors...in every room
• Popcorn-finished ceilings
• Wall-to-wall carpeting
• Shiny brass fixtures
• "Crystal" faucet handles
• Vanity strip lighting

Source:  Kiplinger.com and Michelle Schwake for Stafford Family Realtors