6 Home Features That Can Elevate the Value of Your Home (and How Much Homes With Them Can Cost)
Written by
Jennifer Taylor
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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All home upgrades don’t offer equal value. If you’re thinking about selling your house, it’s wise to choose improvements that make it more marketable to homebuyers.
This can vary, depending on where you live, but many improvements are coveted in just about every part of the U.S. Making these updates could increase your sale price, and even cause your home to sell faster than similar properties without these features.
Exactly how much these home enhancements will increase your property value will vary according to several factors, including your geographic location. To give you a general idea, GOBankingRates found single-family homes with these features in Fort Wayne, Indiana — where the average home value is $234,891.
Keep reading to discover six home features that can elevate the value of your home.
Large Kitchen Island
“Buyers love large islands for entertaining and to be used as an extra eating area,” said Lauren Reinhardt, a real estate broker at Allen Tate Companies. “For some of my clients, they make a kitchen feel more upscale or create a feeling that the space is larger than it actually is.”
Built in 2021, there’s a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a kitchen island in Fort Wayne for $269,900.
Walk-In Pantry
“Everyone wants extra storage, and a large, walk-in pantry is at the top of the list for many of my clients,” Reinhardt said. “Pantries can make it easier and quicker to find what you’re looking for compared to cabinets and drawers.”
You can get a brand new three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a walk-in pantry in Fort Wayne for $306,900.
Outdoor Entertaining Space
“Whether in the form of a patio or a deck, buyers want easy access to an outdoor space,” Reinhardt said.
And it’s even better if the outdoor space flows well into the indoor space. “If the transition from indoor to outdoor living is seamless, the value goes up,” she said. “Accordion and bifold doors are impressive to clients who love to have an easy indoor/outdoor flow.”
There’s a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a patio for sale in Fort Wayne for $289,000.
Composite Decking
“Buyers see the value in composite decking,” Reinhardt said. “It has longevity and doesn’t need to be stained, compared to pressure treated wood deck boards.”
A premium offering, you can get a four-bedroom, five-bathroom home with composite decking for $499,900 in Fort Wayne.
Newer Roof
“With insurance costs soaring, many states — Florida being one of them — won’t insure a home unless the roof is newer — within 10-15 years,” said Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO and broker at Echo Fine Properties.
He said the age of the roof is often the first thing buyers want to know, since many can’t afford this expense right after taking out a mortgage.
“But if a newer roof has been put on, the cost of the roof is basically in the mortgage,” he said. “While the roof isn’t as sexy as the kitchen, it does ‘feel good’ in the pocket.”
There’s a five-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Fort Wayne, priced at $384,900, that had its roof replaced in 2021.
Updated Primary Bath
“Any money put into good design for the primary bath gets a positive ROI,” Lichtenstein said.
This can mean something different for every space, but he noted that waterfall showers are a popular feature.
You can get a five-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a renovated primary bath in Fort Wayne for $389,900.
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