Homeowners are spending more to spruce up their homes. They spent an average of $12,361 in discretionary funds on remodeling in 2017—the highest since 2006, according to the latest report by the Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
But which household projects can actually better their chances of selling their home one day?
“Any time a buyer can walk into a house and see it already has the features they want, that’s a huge bonus for the seller,” Anna Maria Mannarino, who runs a design firm in Holmdel, N.J., told realtor.com®. “If buyers feel they need to add key features or designs, they’re going to calculate how much it will cost and then lower their bid.”
Realtor.com®’s research team pinpointed home features that can help sell a home in the fastest time for the best price. They analyzed more than 1 million single-family listings on realtor.com® in February and identified the home features found in homes most often with the highest list prices and that went under contract most quickly.
The 10 most profitable home features for sellers banking on quick sales, according to realtor.com®, are:
- Chef’s kitchen/gourmet kitchen
- Theater room
- Home gym
- Three-car garage
- Solar panels
- Quartz counters
- Exterior lighting
- Tennis court
- Home office
- In-ground pool
Here are 5 more that didn’t make it to the list, but also help to sell a home:
- Mudroom
- Security system
- Fireplace
- Smart home features
- Walk-in closet
Related: How Homeowners Are Funding Home Renovations
Source: Realtor®Magazine.com