What Are Home Buyers Looking for in 2018?

Home buyers in 2018 are facing a daunting seller’s market, but that doesn’t mean they’re willing to compromise on their must-haves for a new home. While the tried-and-true recommendations like a neutral paint palette, an island in the kitchen, and the smell of fresh cookies emanating through the house remain solid recommendations, there are some specific features that homebuyers have been looking for in 2018. Regardless of whether you’re rehabbing homes on the east coast or west, here are some simple, cost-effective renovations that you should consider this year:

Spa-Like Bathrooms

Ignoring the bathrooms is usually a big mistake when rehabbing houses. An old toilet or dingy mirror can be a major turnoff to a homebuyer who wants the bathroom to be their own personal spa getaway. Homebuyers are often intimidated by the idea of updating a bathroom, so while they may overlook bad paint colors or old windows, they rarely overlook outdated bathrooms.

Of course, you don’t want to take too big a bite out of your house flipping loans for one or two rooms, so avoid moving pipes or making other major changes, but simply replacing the cabinets, re-doing the tile, and replacing the toilet can have a huge impact.

A Laundry Room

The convenience of being able to do laundry at home is hard to overstate. Especially for young families, a laundry room can be among the top priorities. Getting a laundry room in doesn’t need to require any major remodeling. You can simply look for underutilized spaces like an extra linen closet or part of the garage where a compact, energy efficient washer and dryer can fit.

Energy Efficient Appliances

Speaking of energy efficiency, modern appliances that look clean and that won’t waste energy are a big plus for any homebuyer. Buyers tend to favor darker hues or metal surfaces in kitchen appliances so that they won’t show wear and grime. Likewise, if the home is in a hot area but doesn’t have air conditioning, adding a few simple, modern ceiling fans can help draw buyers in.

Open Floor Plans

This isn’t exactly groundbreaking news, but buyers still express a major preference for open floor plans. If there’s anyway to open up the kitchen to the main living area, do it. Along those same lines, finding space in the kitchen where families can sit down and eat together is an important feature in the current marketplace. Kitchens have become the focal point of homes, so it’s vital that these spaces be inviting, open, and full of light.

A Back Patio

In most cases, it doesn’t make sense to do much – if any – landscaping when rehabbing houses. There’s no point planting a garden that the owner will either neglect or replace with something they prefer. However, adding a back patio off of the home will make a lot of buyers happy, even if the rest of the yard is undeveloped. Particularly in warmer climates, a back patio feels like an important extension of the living space.

Hardwood Floors

For the most part, carpet is out. Buyers tend to prefer hardwood, which is easier to keep clean and looks more modern. The quality of wood that you lay down – whether you use vinyl or install a true hardwood floor – will depend on what part of the market you’re working in.

A New Garage Door

This is a simple update that can make the exterior of the home much more enticing. A new garage door is a like a facelift for a home.

Manufactured Stone Veneer

The same goes for manufactured stone veneers. Replacing the bottom third of exterior paneling with a manufactured stone veneer makes the home feel more craftsman and more upscale.