What house features do homebuyers look for? How to boost house price by £20k

Sellers who highlight certain features of their home at the right time of year could add tens of thousands of pounds to its value, according to research.

Zoopla asked 103 estate agents how much they would market homes with specific features for in winter versus other times of the year.

It found five in particular could add £20,000 to a property’s asking price over the colder months, when buyer demand can surge post-Christmas.

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The estate agents based their valuations on an average three-bed property on Zoopla’s website, with an asking price of £324,000.

The research showed homebuyers are swayed by the season, and more likely to put in a higher offer if they spot seasonal features at the right time of year.

So, if you’ve got any of the five below features in your home, make sure you’re advertising them on your listing if you’re eager to sell over the coming months.

We look at the cost of moving house in a separate article.

What winter house features are most popular among buyers?

A traditional wood-burning fireplace can bump up your asking price by 1.41% – equivalent to £4,568 for the average home, according to Zoopla.

Zoopla found 38% of homebuyers would be prepared to pay more for a home with a traditional fireplace.

Good-quality insulation is also seen as a major green flag in a home over winter, adding 1.4% more to the value of a property – or £4,536 to an asking price

Buyers are also keen on underfloor heating, which can be more energy-efficient than radiators, and willing to pay an extra £3,985 for the feature on average

Other energy efficiency measures like double glazing and greener boilers can add £3,402 to the asking price of a home.

Lastly, homes with the stereotypical countryside kitchen feature, an AGA-style range cooker, could get an extra £3,337 extra on their asking price.

Credit: Zoopla

How the number of photos of your home on a listing could boost its value

While having certain features could boost the amount you can get for your home, other factors can also help. For example, the number of photos used on the listing can have a major impact on your asking price.

Homes marketed online with a greater number of pictures can carry an average asking price of £80,000 more than those with fewer snaps, according to research by lettings and estate agent Benham and Reeves.

Benham and Reeves analysed for-sale online listings across England and assessed the average asking price of homes based on the number of photographs.

The research shows homes marketed with four photos or fewer carry an average asking price of £200,000, while those with five or more images are listed at an average of £280,000.

The disparity is biggest in the South West of England, where homes with fewer photos are priced at £155,495 on average versus £300,000 for properties with a greater number of pictures.

In the South East, North East and West Midlands, the gap in pricing ranges between 60% and 83%.

Marc von Grundherr, director of Benham and Reeves, said: “Marketing has always been of the utmost importance when it comes to attracting a buyer, but good marketing has grown all the more important, as the market has shifted to a buyer-led dynamic with an over supply of stock over the last year or so.

“In the digital age of selling a home, the photographs used to market your property are often the very first thing a buyer will see and, in many cases, they can determine whether a listing is even clicked on in the first place.”

Credit: Zoopla