Westchester Realty

No matter if you're updating your living space, such as remodeling your kitchen or adding an extra bedroom, or renovating your home in hopes to increase its marketability and salability, you may be adding value to your home without knowing it. A study done by the National Association of Realtors® National Center for Real Estate Research calculated the "value added" contributions of dozens of home features and facilities. This sophisticated analysis provided estimates of how much homes with particular characteristics can be expected to sell for.

Here's what was found to increase the value of a home:


Houses with stucco and wood exteriors sell for about nine percent more than other medias;

Internal features that add the most value are a family room, a dining room, a whirlpool, and a security system;

fireplaces influence the selling price greatly, with each fireplace adding about 12 percent to the price tag;

each additional 1,000 square feet of living space increases the selling price by approximately 3.3 percent;

each additional bedroom adds about four percent to price;

bathrooms increase the selling price substantially, with each full bath adding about 24 percent;

central air conditioning adds about 12 percent to price;

high ceilings (9 feet and higher add about six percent to price);

a sitting area in the master bedroom increases price by eight percent;

a basement increases value by nine percent in some areas;

floors that are wood, tile, or a combination add the most value;

kitchen features that are most valued are a built-in refrigerator, a kitchen island, and a double oven;

a functional attic adds about two percent to price;

a garage adds about 13 percent to selling price;

an in-ground swimming pool adds about eight percent to the value;

exterior features that affect selling price most included a patio, a sprinkler system, a paddock, and a tennis court;

The study also found that a laundry room in the basement decreases the value of a home by two percent and houses with vinyl and aluminum siding exteriors were worth four percent less than other media.