The Hot and the Not

Yesterday's 'Wow' Feature May Be Today's Dealbreaker

"You want something that in 10 years will still be desirable," says Theo Thompson, a private chef who had a house built for himself a year ago in Vienna. (Courtesy Of Theo Thompson)

Will those gleaming stainless appliances help sell your home? How about that spiral staircase?

Hmmm. Maybe hardwood floors, installed throughout the house, would be a better bet for resale value.

These are the kinds of questions that Chicago-based real estate broker Mark Nash, author of "1,001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home," posed to 5,000 real estate agents from around the country, receiving some 923 responses. What, he asked them, are the features that are turning for-sale signs into SOLD signs?

The results: Some old favorites, such as spiral staircases, are definitely out, the agents said. You know, the kind of stairs to which kids are magnetically drawn, just before they slip on the rungs and slither down and break their little heads? The kind that, for the same reason, intimidate the middle-aged? The kind that inspire terror in homeowners as they watch a tipsy guest with wine glass in hand stumbling toward them?

But other "old" features, such as old-fashioned plank floors, weathered and recycled woods, and wood paneling over kitchen appliances have more appeal than ever, the agents said. Storage space brings buyer buzz on the spot, and even enhances property values. Think linen closets, dressing areas, pantries, luggage rooms -- all the spaces historic houses had in abundance, even when they were short on closets.

Meanwhile, some relatively new features -- things that were hot just a few years ago -- are starting to feel dated, or are actually inciting a negative backlash at least among some buyers.

Stainless steel appliances, for example, now draw criticism because some models are hard to keep smudge-free. Glass-front cabinets lose their appeal to some neatness-challenged homeowners who have trouble keeping their dishes arrayed in tidy rows. Vessel-style sinks, the sleek bowl-shaped, above-counter bathroom sinks, are still a popular "wow" feature with some buyers, but some real estate agents say they are falling from fashion because they, too, are hard to keep clean.

But glass tiles in kitchens and baths add glisten and glow, at minimal cost, and are a definite yes.

Modern lifestyles, however, require some essential updating of homes. Having two home offices -- one for each half of the dual income required to pay for all this luxury -- is a major selling point, the survey found.

Knowing what is really hot, vs. what used to be hot but has gone cold, is key to understanding the real estate market today, real estate agents say. Although the inventory of unsold homes has dropped from its summer highs, the National Association of Realtors recently reported that there are 3.82 million existing homes for sale in the country, more than double the number on the market in early 2001, before the real estate boom began.

"When people have more choices, they become pickier," said Melinda Estridge, a real estate agent with Long & Foster's Bethesda Gateway office. "People love to move in and not have to hassle with contractors. . . . If a property is done, and updated, people respond to that very well."

The rise in prices in recent years also means that many purchasers are two-income families with little time to spare for overseeing renovation projects, so they want things to be perfect when they move in, said Bob Aronheim, an agent with Long & Foster's Fair Oaks office.