Understanding what’s popular among home buyers today can help homeowners make educated decisions about remodeling

If you’re a homeowner looking to maximize your return on investment, Zillow says to check out what today’s homebuyers are looking for before you begin any remodeling project. Certain home features, amenities, and design styles will pay you back big time when you’re ready to sell.

Zillow’s 2018 Home Features that Sell analysis looked at more than 100 listing items on homes sold between 2016 and 2017. The report shows that adding “solar panels” to your home is the most lucrative feature to advertise in listing descriptions, netting sellers as much as an extra 40%. For-sale listings mentioning keywords like “steam shower” can add up to 29% on the final bill of sale. Other popular features homebuyers are looking for today include “hardwood floors,” “heated floors,” “pizza ovens,” “professional appliances,” “sheds,” “meditation rooms,” “freestanding tubs,” “pet showers,” and more. In fact, “steam shower,” “professional appliances” and “pizza oven” came in first, second and third.

“While everyone has different style preferences, when it’s time to sell, being specific and strategic with your home’s listing description can have a big financial payoff,” says Jeremy Wacksman, Zillow’s chief marketing officer. “Homes with spa-inspired bathrooms, chef-like kitchen amenities, and certain craftsman or farmhouse features are very popular among today’s buyers. If you have these features in your home, try to highlight them in listing photos and descriptions as it may help catch a future buyer’s eye.”

These most desired features can also shave days off the sale time of a listing. Having and advertising a “garage studio” can cut 15 days off the sale time, while “dual flush features” can help high-end sellers enter into escrow 14 days quicker.

Next week, I’ll share some unique ways to integrate a dog shower into your home, so make sure to check back then. In fact, you can easily sign up to receive my blogs and never miss a vital piece of info! Just add your name and email address to the “Subscribe to Cristal’s Blog” form in the Blog section on my website’s homepage.

There’s a variety of reasons a home may sell faster or for more money than expected. That’s why I keep up to date on what’s popular among buyers and highlight what’s hot for each listing in my portfolio. If you’re listing your property and want to maximize your return on investment in Montecito, Hope Ranch or any of Santa Barbara’s upscale communities, let’s talk. Just give me a call at 805.886.9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com.