The No. 1 Home Feature Buyers Look For When Buying A New Home

With the national median cost of a new house well above $400,000, it's no surprise that many prefer renting over the idea of buying a home. The pressure is on for sellers needing to make their offering stand out, yet one of the most common mistakes they make is believing buyers are only interested in luxury fixtures like dramatic kitchen islands and designer lighting. But that's hardly the reality — research shows that buyers are more attracted to homes with practical features, particularly a dedicated laundry room.  

According to a 2021 survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), conducted among 3,247 recent and prospective home buyers, a dedicated laundry room was the most wanted feature, ahead of luxury additions like a walk-in pantry and hardwood floors. Assessing over 200+ home features, 87% of home buyers rated the laundry room as one of the most wanted features. More specifically, 38% considered it a desirable feature, and the other 45% categorized it as a must-have. A more recent version of the "What Home Buyers Really Want" survey confirmed the earlier data, showing that, in 2024, home buyers still rated a laundry room as the number one desired home feature.

Practical everyday features like laundry rooms and exterior lighting go a long way in winning over buyers, and the reasoning is simple. When looking at homes, buyers imagine themselves living in the space, considering their everyday routines and assessing how well the amenities fit their lifestyles. Adding those aspects that contribute to the average person's daily comfort and convenience not only raises the resale value of the property but also makes it more likely to be picked up off the market.  

A dedicated laundry room means no weekly visits to the laundromat, no extra fees, and no transporting huge loads of laundry. It's easy to see how, long term, doing laundry at home is cheaper than at the laundromat, but the cost of adding a laundry room out of pocket is incredibly steep. According to a 2026 cost breakdown from Angi, adding a laundry room ranges from $8,000 to $30,000. The actual price each homeowner pays will vary depending on the contractor used, the quality of materials, and the size of the laundry room. Typically, the average price of $15,000 will cover foundation and finishing costs, utilities, and possibly plumbing services. 

Remodeling an existing laundry room is almost as expensive. Home Advisor reports that the cost of a laundry room renovation is anywhere between $6,000 and $17,000 — covering appliance installation, labor, and finishes. When considering the average price of a new home, it makes perfect sense that buyers would rather buy homes that already have the addition.

The value of a laundry room is better seen in the long term. Resale value is one of the most important factors to consider, and adding a laundry room is one home upgrade that can increase resale value more than flashy redesigns. According to Angi, spending extra cash on a laundry room addition could yield a return on that investment of 60% to 70% of the total amount you spent on the renovation or addition. So, if you spent $20,000 to add a laundry room, you may get an increase in the property's value of $12,000 to $14,000.