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Homebuyers Guide: What Buyers Want
These home features are the top asks from today's homebuyers.
by Kristen Hampshire | Jun. 15, 2020 | 12:00 PM
Open floor plans have topped homebuyers’ must-have list for so long that the request is hardly a trend — it’s an in-demand layout based on a lifestyle shift during the past decade, reflecting how we entertain and spend time at home. Also, buyers across the board are going for the cool-neutral color palette that includes shades of gray and clean white cabinets. Beyond these features, Bobby Heller and Jennifer Waters, agents with the Young Team at Keller Williams Greater Metropolitan in Pepper Pike, share what today’s buyers really want.
Multifunctional Mudrooms
The most appealing mudrooms include more than a drop spot for shoes and book bags. Buyers are going for mudrooms that include open lockers or compartments, one for each family member, and an adjoining half-bath and laundry room, Waters says. “Lockers in mudrooms have been a trend for a while, and now we are seeing even more of the half-baths off the mudroom, so people can come into the house, wash their hands, hang up their coats,” she says. “And, of course, having a first-floor laundry is desirable.”
A Dedicated Home Office
Heller expects more buyers to ask for a home office following the coronavirus stay-at-home orders. “That can mean having a home that has an office space or flex space that allows you to close the doors for privacy or open them up and connect to the home,” he says. Aesthetically, there is a move toward office spaces that blend with the rest of the home’s interior, possibly including sliding glass doors.
Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
Rather than carpeting finished basements, Heller sees more homeowners using luxury vinyl plank flooring that looks like hardwood, but is water- and scratch-resistant. Overall, buyers are showing a preference toward homes with hard flooring and area rugs versus wall-to-wall carpeting. “They might keep carpeting to the bedrooms, but use vinyl plank in the hallways because it holds up better and is more durable,” he says. Waters adds, “The technology they use to make the vinyl plank has advanced and it looks like real wood, not fake plastic stuff. I think we will see more of that than hardwood because of its functionality.”
Multifunctional Mudrooms
The most appealing mudrooms include more than a drop spot for shoes and book bags. Buyers are going for mudrooms that include open lockers or compartments, one for each family member, and an adjoining half-bath and laundry room, Waters says. “Lockers in mudrooms have been a trend for a while, and now we are seeing even more of the half-baths off the mudroom, so people can come into the house, wash their hands, hang up their coats,” she says. “And, of course, having a first-floor laundry is desirable.”
A Dedicated Home Office
Heller expects more buyers to ask for a home office following the coronavirus stay-at-home orders. “That can mean having a home that has an office space or flex space that allows you to close the doors for privacy or open them up and connect to the home,” he says. Aesthetically, there is a move toward office spaces that blend with the rest of the home’s interior, possibly including sliding glass doors.
Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
Rather than carpeting finished basements, Heller sees more homeowners using luxury vinyl plank flooring that looks like hardwood, but is water- and scratch-resistant. Overall, buyers are showing a preference toward homes with hard flooring and area rugs versus wall-to-wall carpeting. “They might keep carpeting to the bedrooms, but use vinyl plank in the hallways because it holds up better and is more durable,” he says. Waters adds, “The technology they use to make the vinyl plank has advanced and it looks like real wood, not fake plastic stuff. I think we will see more of that than hardwood because of its functionality.”
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