Want to increase your home’s sales price? Add these features

Home sellers have been on autopilot for quite a while now. Simply by staking a For Sale sign on their lawns, the presumption is that they will fetch top dollar for their listed properties. And that has held true for a long spell.

But with mortgage interest rates rising and home affordability becoming a more significant challenge for prospective buyers, sellers today may want to think about spiffing up their domiciles a bit more to attract shoppers — especially if buyer demand begins to wane.

A recent study by Angi and Zillow reveals that implementing particular home features in specific rooms may increase your home’s sale price. Case in point: A pot filler could up your home’s value by 3.2%, while a double-sink vanity may amp your sales price by 2.35%. Adding an outdoor kitchen could boost your sale by 2.05% versus the 1.97% and 1.41% increases, respectively, that a new fireplace or en suite may bring.

These and other report findings caught Tyler Gaudet, a partner at Sprague & Curtis Real Estate in Augusta, Maine, by surprise.

“There were several items in the study that were surprising to me. I was taken aback that a garage only adds 1.5% and hardwood flooring 1.31% to a home’s sale price. According to this report, many small-ticket items like under-cabinet lighting and doublevanity sinks seem to add bigger values to a home, while some larger ticket items like garages add relatively smaller value,” he says.

Regardless of how you interpret that report’s results, the takeaway is clear to Tomas Satas, founder/CEO of Windy City HomeBuyer in Chicago.

“Adding key amenities to a home you intend to sell is important to consider because not only does it add to the sale price, but it also makes your home more desirable and will shorten the time to sale,” Satas says.

Andrew Westphal, a licensed associate real estate broker with Corcoran in New York City, agrees.

“Trends are hard to argue with, and there will be home features that buyers nowadays expect to see — amenities that will be noticed when they are omitted,” Westphal says. “If under-cabinet lighting is found in three of your competitor’s listings, why isn’t it found in yours? Buyers have a way of deducting the costs of future work from their offers. So, if you can maximize a room’s use, it might drive up your price considerably if you ease buyers into realizing that they won’t have to complete necessary work after the close.”

Even smaller-priced improvements can give a home a more upscale feel and often make a big difference in impressing home hunters.

“Double-vanity sinks are especially popular with couples because they give each person individual space to get ready and while both people are using the bathroom,” says Gaudet, a fan of this amenity.

Meanwhile, a pot filler can make your kitchen pop and appear more practical.

“As magazine-worthy kitchens with professional accessories and tools become more popular, today’s kitchens emulate industrial ones. Pot fillers are hip and very helpful, making the kitchen look like your favorite restaurant space,” Westphal says.

Ask Gaudet and he’ll tell you that virtually every abode can benefit from a fireplace.

“Fireplaces give a space a cozy, warm feeling. There’s something about a flame that gives a room a certain ambience that almost all buyers can appreciate, and they serve as a secondary source of heat during power outages in winter,” he explains.

Outdoor kitchens are a no-brainer, too.

“They are ideal for anyone who loves to cook and entertain outside. In my experience, outdoor kitchens are a huge selling point for a home,” Satas notes.

Just be careful not to over-improve a space thinking that you’ll get your money back dollar for dollar, cautions Jodi Dougherty, a real estate agent and director of broker development for Chicago-based Downtown Realty Company.

“Keep in mind that not all buyers will want your pot filler or steam room,” she says. “Although you may see the benefits of making an improvement, others may not and could be unwilling to price that feature into the home’s overall value.”