8 Features That Will Help a Home Hold Its Resale Value

If you’ve shopped for a home with me, you know I am always thinking about resale. I always look at any house with the thought in the back of my head, “When they call me in two, 10, or 25 years and want me to sell this house for them, what will the resale advantages and disadvantages be?”

Below are eight features that will help the typical home keep its resale value. This isn’t intended to be a list of what makes a perfect home — that’s subjective. What one client sees as a “perfect” home, another client might dismiss before they even walk in the front door. Instead, think of this as a list of things that will make it easier to sell your home whenever the time comes.

1.) One-story

This is an important one. Single-story homes are generally better for resale because they have a wider appeal. Some homebuyers have no interest (or cannot live) in two-story homes, tri-levels, etc. One-story homes, often called Ranchers, appeal to practically everyone.

2.) 3+-car garage

Another important feature. If you’re deciding between a two-car garage and a three-car garage I always suggest the three-car because that’s better for resale. People generally prefer the extra space that the bigger garage offers, no matter if they’re going to use it to store a third car or something else. Extra space, as you’ll see throughout this list, is a Good Thing when it comes to resale.

3.) Back patio that doesn’t face west

If you’re deciding between houses with back patios that point in different directions, I’m always going to suggest anything BUT the westward-facing patio. Here in the Tri-Cities, our summers get hot and the sun sets over a long period of time. That makes your patio HOT! For some people, it can be too hot in the summer between 4-8 PM to sit out and enjoy your back patio. It’s easier to resell a home when the back patio doesn’t directly face the setting sun.

4.) At least three bedrooms

If you have more than three bedrooms, then you have the luxury to convert one of them into an office. You can also connect it to the owner’s suite as a nursery or reading retreat, or whatever you need. But a home with fewer than three bedrooms is tougher to sell.

Bonus: It’s even better if you have at least three bedrooms on the same level. There are a lot of floor plans with the owner’s suite on the main floor, which is helpful because as an owner ages and becomes less mobile, they can stay in the home for longer. But, having the owner’s suite on one level and the other bedrooms on another level can cause buyers with small children to shy away since they may want to be on the same level with their children.

5.) A door to the owner’s bathroom

This is a little thing that can mean a lot: a door that closes between the owner’s bedroom and attached bath. (Like you see in the photo above.) If your partner is showering and getting ready at some ungodly hour, you don’t want the light from the bathroom shining in your face while you’re trying to sleep!

6.) Lots of inside storage

I once sold a house that was custom-built from the ground up and it wasn’t until the clients moved in that we realized the builder had left out linen closets, entry closets, and other places where you’d store things like your vacuum and extra bedding. The more spaces for storage, the better for your home’s resale value!

7.) Low-maintenance landscaping

Not everyone has a green thumb! While an amazing, flower-laden, garden-heavy backyard absolutely enhances curb appeal, it can prove to be overwhelming when some buyers think about maintaining it, so they chose something else. This also applies to a pool, which can be a lot of work. Pools are also a concern for some buyers with young children who don’t know how to swim yet.

8.) An access door in the garage

This is another little thing that can mean a lot. I’m talking about a door other than the primary overhead garage door that connects the garage to the outside. (They’re sometimes referred to as a “man door.”) This kind of door is helpful for easy access to the yard from the garage. Without a door like this, you would need to open and close the overhead garage door every time you want to go outside from the garage or go into the garage while you’re outside.

So there you go!

I certainly don’t expect my buyers to put resale value at the top of their wish list when they’re looking at homes, but it is important to understand what will help your home maintain its value whenever the time comes to put it back on the market. As always, if you have any questions about buying, selling, or other things that can affect your home’s resale value, get in touch below!