Selling a home often comes with plenty of stress. Even in a strong real estate market, the days before your home hits the market can feel overwhelming, filled with deep cleaning, last-minute repairs, and reviewing your budget—especially since preparing a home for sale usually requires spending money on updates that can help it sell for more. But what if one upgrade could help your home sell faster and potentially increase its selling price? Would it be worth the investment?
If your answer is yes, you’ll be interested in Zillow’s latest data that highlights the home features most likely to attract buyers, speed up a sale, and increase a home’s value. If your property already has one of these features, you’re in a great position. If not, there’s no need to rush into adding them just for the sale. Instead, think of them as enhancements that can give your listing a competitive edge.
If you don’t plan on staying in your current home forever and want to maximize its future value, consider investing in one of these three features. When it’s time to sell, your future self could benefit from the added appeal and potential return.
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Pergolas
Lauren Miller
In designer Parris McKenna’s backyard, a pergola covers the seating area and brings architectural interest.
Well-maintained outdoor features always add to your curb appeal, but pergolas in particular are really what excite prospective home buyers, according to Zillow. The real estate marketplace reports that home listings with pergolas sell more than three days faster and for 2.2 percent more than similar homes without.
“Buyers are craving functional outdoor living spaces that feel like a natural extension of their indoor square footage,” Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert, explains. “Pergolas create a shady, defined gathering spot that makes the backyard usable for more months of the year.”
Not only do these additions offer shade and architectural interest—like the one in designer Parris McKenna’s backyard above—but they can also help visually section out different backyard zones. A pergola can transform any basic patio or patch of grass into basically an open-air room.
Turf
Stephen Karlisch
This patch of green in the backyard of our 2021 Whole Home is AstroTurf, which allows for a low-maintenance surface to play bocce ball or cornhole.
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Turf, yet another outdoor feature, is the second-best element to have if you want your home to sell faster. According to Zillow’s findings, homes with turf sell more than two days faster than similar homes without, and they sell for 1.7 percent more. Prospective buyers like turf because they want an alfresco place to hang out at home, but lawn upkeep can be quite the burden.
“In a world where many homeowners are juggling busy schedules, drought restrictions, or simply don’t want to spend weekends mowing and watering, low-maintenance landscaping that stays picture-perfect year-round is a major selling point,” Pendleton says.
Open Shelving
Gieves Anderson
The open shelving in this NYC apartment, designed by Nina Garbiras, wraps around the corner for a more cohesive look.
Finally stepping inside the home, open shelving is another feature that’ll make your house sell faster—approximately two days faster and for 0.1 percent more than a similar home, reports Zillow.
Proper storage is an extremely important element within a home, and it’s surprisingly easy to mess up. But open shelving doesn’t just provide storage; it allows for an opportunity to bring more character to your space since everything is essentially on display. Shelves create a more custom feel (perfect for a rental home too) and don’t feel as heavy as bulky cabinets or armoires.
“That mix of function and personality helps homes with open shelving stand out online and can ultimately help them sell faster and for more,” Pendleton adds. It’s easier for a prospective buyer to imagine their own belongings in a home if they can actually see where they’d be displayed.