Home Buyers Will Pay For Amenities

What do you consider when you look for a new home or decide to remodel the one you have now?

To get the most from resale or remodeling dollars, buyers, especially upscale buyers, find a "hook" very appealing. It’s a home feature that hints of a life-style that is different from what they had before.

Surveys show home buyers are willing to pay extra for open space in the home and a garden area. Some 52 percent of buyers in warm states wanted swimming pools.

Features of the community or subdivision are pivotal in home-buying decisions as well. The survey showed that more than half of buyers wanted close convenience stores, wilderness areas, community recreation centers, easy walks to parks, a close shopping center and exercise/fitness centers.

Forty to 50 percent of buyers wanted nearby restaurants, libraries, tennis courts, golf courses and churches. Nearby teen centers were the wish of 36 percent of buyers.

People are not only wanting a bigger house, they are looking outside. They want many things to be within easy reach.