If you want to sell your home quickly and for top dollar, it’s important to know exactly what buyers are looking for right now. Luckily, we’ve done the work for you and put together a list of home features and amenities buyers are craving in 2018. According to market research, two groups make up the majority of homebuyers: millennials and baby boomers. These two groups are famously at odds in what they want in general, but surprisingly, they seem to agree on what they’re looking for when it comes to real estate.
A Separate Laundry Room
Buyers want the convenience of having a separate space to do laundry-related chores. Having a laundry room makes washing, folding, and ironing clothes an easier task when everything you need is right there at arm’s reach. We’re willing to bet the majority of people don’t put their clean laundry away immediately. It’s nice to have a separate room where you can close the door and keep it out of the sight of last-minute guests.
Exterior Lighting
Curb appeal is obviously a big factor in the first impression your home makes on buyers. But now they want more than just the curb appeal—they want to illuminate it. What’s the point of having a beautifully manicured lawn or the perfect shade of red on the front door if it can’t be seen all the time? Besides allowing people to see your home’s beauty in the dark, exterior lighting is also a great safety feature.
A Walkable Neighborhood
This is a feature that has become desirable for generations across the board. While you can’t change the location of your house, it’s important to know this. Many buyers want to live in an area where they can walk or bike to grocery stores, restaurants, and other shopping and amenities. If this isn’t something that’s possible in your area, you might have to find other ways to up the ante and make your home seem more desirable than others that have slightly better locations.
Energy Efficiency
As we learn more about how the way we live every day affects our planet, more and more people are interested in conservation and reducing their carbon footprint. Being eco-friendly has become important to the modern homebuyer. They’re looking for Energy Star appliances and windows and ways they can leave a positive impact, like space for gardening and composting.
Patio or Other Outdoor Living Space
We’re lucky enough to live in a climate where outdoor entertaining is possible pretty much year round. Buyers in the Charleston market want a nice outdoor entertaining space, whether that’s a nice patio, a covered porch, or an expansive deck.
Wood Floors
Wood floors are simpler, cleaner, and more pleasing to the eye than much carpeting. They’re also easier to maintain and are more durable than carpet. Wall-to-wall carpeting tends to harbor allergens like dust, pollen, and pet hair, no matter how often you vacuum. Installing wood flooring may sound expensive, but there are options for every price point.
Garage Storage
As families grow and settle down in one spot, they end up accumulating a lot of stuff. Unlike attic or shed storage, garage storage is easily accessible, which is important when you need to store items that are used pretty often. Here in the Lowcountry, storage for outdoor items like beach chairs and boogie boards is a big plus. You need somewhere to keep them out of sight, but you also want to be able to access them quickly.
Ceiling Fans
Smart buyers know that ceiling fans help with cooling costs. They’re incredibly useful on those days when the house feels stuffy and needs cooling, but it’s not quite time to lower the thermostat. This is a small, inexpensive addition to any home.
