Millennials represent the lion’s share of home buyers in this country. With many of these being first-time home buyers, a recent study called “What Home Buyers Really Want, 2021 Edition” from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) sought out to determine the most desired home and community features from these buyers. The study is based on a nationwide survey of 3,247 recent and prospective home buyers, including 541 who bought, or were about to buy, their first homes. Respondents were asked to rate over 200 home and community features using a four-tier scale. Below, we discuss the top 10 features that were rated as either “essential (must have)” or “desirable (nice to have)”.
10 home features most wanted by first-time home buyers
| Room | Essential (must have) | Desirable (nice to have) | Total % |
| Laundry room | 45% | 38% | 83% |
| Ceiling fan | 46% | 35% | 81% |
| Exterior lighting | 34% | 47% | 81% |
| Double kitchen sink | 38% | 42% | 80% |
| Hardwood flooring | 37% | 43% | 80% |
| Walk-in pantry | 34% | 46% | 80% |
| Drinking water filtration | 37% | 41% | 78% |
| Patio | 31% | 47% | 78% |
| Security cameras | 30% | 48% | 78% |
| Kitchen table space for eating | 35% | 42% | 77% |
Summary
Many of the most common features desired by first-time home buyers are the same as those desired by home buyers in general. Not surprisingly, a laundry room tops the list of most desired features for all home buyers. Interestingly, one noticeable difference between first-time home buyers and general home buyers was the desire for energy-efficient features such as “Energy Star” windows and appliances.
With first-time home buyers facing significant headwinds from inventory shortages and rising prices, it is important for home builders to note these preferences in order to build new homes accordingly.
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