Although you may plan to live in your Maryland or Virginia custom home for the rest of your life, plans sometimes change. Custom homes have tremendous personal value to the homeowner. Maybe you are building your dream French Country home with a stone fireplace or a Country Victorian with a lovely front porch. Custom homes can also have tremendous resale value if you ever needed to sell. However, it’s important to consider the features that many buyers will pay top dollar for in case you list your home in the future. According to an article by USA Today, there are certain interior features that raise the value of any home.
Cozying up to a fireplace
When renovating your home or having a custom home built, cozy up to the idea of a fireplace. According to USA Today’s research, 40 percent of the home buyers studied were willing to pay at least $1,400 extra for a fireplace. At Hopkins & Porter, a design-build firm, we have built several custom homes featuring rustic and modern fireplaces. Our Southern Farmhouse style home, for example, has two fireplaces. Some homes we have built feature see-through fireplaces.
Focusing on the kitchen
An eat-in kitchen area appeals to members of Generation X and younger baby boomers, according to the research. Thirty-percent of people in their mid-30s to mid-50s said eat-in kitchens were very important. They were willing to pay $1,770 extra to have an eat-in kitchen area. Depending on the layout of your home it may be simple to add an eat-in kitchen area. Many homes today have an open kitchen/family room. People also pay more for a kitchen island, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
Creating a sanctuary
According to the research, 49 percent of buyers were willing to spend an extra $2,030 on a home with an ensuite master bathroom. Custom homes that feature upgraded materials in the master bathroom are more valuable. One of Hopkins & Porter’s custom homes featured a large master suite with a library, dressing room and fireplace. A walk-in closet in the master bedroom is also a non-negotiable for most home buyers today, raising the value by at least $1,350.
Custom homes reflect the taste of the home owners, providing unique spaces to accommodate family member’s hobbies, activities and habits. Thinking about the resale value won’t tarnish the joy you feel in having the home of your dreams. It’s only prudent to think ahead. For more information on the custom homes we build in Washington, DC, Bethesda, Montgomery County, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia, please contact us.
