Surprising Home Features New Home Buyers Really Want

The Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2017 recently asked more than 13,000 households about all things home — including what features they want in their homes and neighborhoods. The results prove why it’s so important to showcase everything your homes and floor plans have to offer.

More than two-thirds (67 percent) of new construction buyers are repeat buyers, and they’re much more particular about what they want from their next home, spending nearly 4.8 months searching for it.

Here are the top 10 features that new home buyers really want.

1. For 71 percent of new construction buyers, a home must have the preferred number of bedrooms.

This trend is simple to explain. Generation X buyers (aged 38-52) often purchase suburban homes and are more likely to have children under the age of 18: 62 percent of them, compared to 53 percent of millennials (aged 18-37) and 16 percent of baby boomers (aged 53-72). This generation looks ahead to growing their family and puts a higher priority on the ability to accommodate it: 70 percent versus 62 percent of total buyers.

2. Air conditioning is a top-ranking requirement, too (71 percent). Fortunately, air conditioning is a standard amenity in most U.S. homes,¹ but for markets where it isn’t as common, such as in the West — which is experiencing a rising number of plus-65-degree days — air conditioning is increasingly sought by home buyers of all types and ages.

3. Nearly 2 out of 3 buyers (66 percent) require a home within their initial price range.

About a third of buyers (29 percent) find it difficult to save for a down payment and have to get creative: 20 percent get a gift or loan from family and friends, and nearly one-quarter (24 percent) combine two or more sources to scrape together a down payment.

4. Close to the same number of new construction buyers (65 percent) insist on their preferred number of bathrooms.

Again, with an eye on a growing household, buyers consider that extra bathroom (or two) no longer a luxury, but a necessity — especially when their children grow into teenagers.

5. A large number of buyers (65 percent) require the floor plan or layout they want.

6. More than half (57 percent) require their specific size or square footage. For likely the same reasons as requiring more bathrooms — the ability to comfortably grow their families — Generation X buyers have more demands about the size of their home than the average buyer (47 percent).

7. The same number of new construction buyers (57 percent) demand their favorite kitchen style.

8. Nearly the same number (56 percent) want private outdoor space, such as a patio or deck.

9. Only slightly fewer (54 percent) want their preferred finishes, such as flooring and cabinetry.

10. Exactly half (50 percent) want an energy-efficient home.

Today’s new construction home buyer is savvy and selective about what they want from their home. Now isn’t the time to hold back on showcasing everything your homes and communities offer. If you’ve got it, they want to see it.

For more insights on today’s new construction home buyer, check out this video, as well as the Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2017 — the largest-ever survey of U.S. home buyers, sellers, owners and renters.

To learn more about showcasing your homes on Zillow Group, visit our Builder Advertising Page, or give us a call at 877-419-0589.

1. U.S. Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 2015.