Unless you have an unlimited budget, purchasing your next home will require some compromise. It’s important to have healthy expectations, especially if you’re home searching with a partner. Look for properties that possess most of your preferred home features, but don’t expect to find them all—the perfect home could be one you weren’t expecting. 

The Bare Necessities 

A recent survey from porch.com had a surprising revelation: the number one home feature that shoppers prefer isn’t even inside the home— it’s the outdoor spaces. For these shoppers, there’s nothing like getting some fresh air while kicking back in the comfort of their own home. Nearly 34 percent of potential buyers identified decks and porches as their top priority. 

For interiors, renovated kitchens were found to be the most-desired feature. Many shoppers expressed a willingness to go over-budget on homes with new kitchens. 

Ask yourself: What home features would you go over budget for when buying a new home? Determining the answer ahead of time can help you zero in on your priorities.

Who Are You Selling To?

The porch.com survey is equally helpful to homeowners. You can be more effective in your sales pitches if you consider the survey’s findings on generational preferences. It reveals that Baby Boomers care about open floor plans, Gen X’ers love homes with hardwood floors, and Millennials focus on those aforementioned new kitchens. Your home might have all of these features, but now you know which talking points to focus on with each generation of buyers.

The Great Compromise

Perhaps the biggest hurdle to home buying is that it (usually) requires concessions from two people, not one. The pressures to concede have strained many relationships— but there’s no reason for you to fall victim to them. Remember, this is an exciting new chapter in your lives, and compromise is way more important to building a home than the “perfect” deck or kitchen. 

If you’re financially ready to purchase a home, we at Open Mortgage are always available to discuss your home ownership and financing needs. We’re just a call away. 

Until then, please do check out more of the survey’s fascinating findings.