(570) 947-1648
Larry Ditty
REALTOR®/Owner
What Home Buyers Want
Most homebuyers prefer newer homes with extra space, according
to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS’® (NAR) 2013
Profile of Buyers’ Home Feature Preferences. The survey, which
examined buyers who purchased a home between 2010 and 2012,
finds that the typical recently-purchased home was built in 1996 and
had 1,860 square feet. The typical buyer purchased a home with
three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Repeat buyers, buyers of
new homes, married couples, and families with children tend to
purchase larger homes, while first-time buyers and single women
were more likely to buy older homes.
Nearly two-thirds of buyers said central air conditioning was the
most important home feature, followed by a master walk-in closet,
desired by 39 percent of buyers. Some home features are so
sought-after that buyers were willing to spend more money to have
them. More than two-thirds of buyers (69 percent) who did not
purchase a home with central air conditioning said they were willing
to pay $2,520 more for a home with this feature, and the same
percentage of buyers said they would be willing to pay $1,840 more
for a home with new kitchen appliances.
Buyers placed the highest dollar value on waterfront properties and
homes that were less than five years old. They were willing to spend
the most money for a basement ($3,200) and an in-law suite
($2,920), while the highest percentage of buyers were willing to
spend more for a laundry room (63 percent) and a home office or
den (44 percent).
