I do consultations every week, talking to home owners about how to best prepare their homes for sale in the current real estate market. But at the same time, I am talking to home buyers as well since most of these homeowners are also purchasing another home. In the course of conversation, we often discuss the features they love about their current home and what they are looking for in their new home.

Features That Home Buyers Want in 2010:

• Smaller, well designed homes that live large.  We want a “place” for everything. Networks for staying connected.  Built-ins for all of our electronics.  Spaces that are the right height for flat panel tvs and walls that are wired.

• Homes that are easy to maintain.  The cost of maintenance has gone through the roof – so the trek deck and composite siding are looking better and better.  Wood siding used to be a status symbol, now it represents thousands of dollars every few years for painting with the additional cost of replacing wood rot.

• Eat in kitchens that are connected to a comfortable family room for hanging out together. This is still a top five priority for most home buyers.

• Rooms that are well proportioned, rather than cavernous.  We actually want rooms that fit normal sized furniture.

• Granite and other premium counters are still high on wish lists; same with stainless appliances and undercabinet lighting.  French door refrigerators are attractive and the super sized front load washer/dryer combo that can steam a suit gets top billing:)  Energy efficient appliances are important to buyers.

• Front porches and other outdoor rooms extend our living space and encourage interaction with the neighbors and community.

• Lots of windows to bring in natural light.  We don’t like dark corners.

• Separate home office.  Many of us are working out of our homes at least one day a week and this trend is continuing to grow.

• A guest room with bath for extended family visits.  I have also seen a growing trend of younger families leaving the New York area and moving back to where they grew up to be closer to family.

• Vegetable gardens.  There is definitely a movement towards growing our own vegetables and more.  I’m surprised we haven’t seen goats and cows yet on our suburban lawns. Organic farms and Farmer’s Markets are popping up everywhere. I thought I heard a rooster the other morning in my neighborhood but no one has owned up to it yet:)

It is interesting to see how we have changed the criteria in our search for the perfect home – one that will serve us well as we transition into the next phase of the economy and our lives.  Which features do you want in your next house?