Upscale Amenities Can Be Decisive in Making a Sale

Think twice before you build that pool house or add a home theater.

Some of the most expensive amenities don’t always translate to a positive return on investment, or even a sale.

Modern bathrooms and kitchens with high-end appliances and granite counter tops are still tops when it comes to the features buyers are seeking.

Margie Moldenhauer of Re/Max Associates Inc. said she recently made a sale in which the homeowner had to bite the bullet on a plush pool house.

“It was a loss to the seller,” Moldenhauer said. “He didn’t get his money back on that. You can take it to an extreme. The pool house was nice, but it wasn’t the selling point.”

The same goes for home theaters, Moldenhauer said.

Upscale buyers may expect a pool at a high price point, but don’t necessarily want to spend extra for pool amenities like a guesthouse or outdoor kitchen.

The same buyers usually want a home with a media room, but that doesn’t mean they want a 100-inch drop down screen, movie theater stadium seating or a popcorn machine.

“Not every family finds that’s something they want to pay for,” said Moldenhauer, who ranked sixth on the Business Journal’s list of top realtors with 2007 sales of $24.3 million. “It’s not every family’s dream and it’s not always sellable.”

One Realtor called pools a “risk” when it comes to selling and another said buyers have a “love-hate” relationship with them.

“There are families that don’t want it,” said Cameron Torabi of Exit Pinnacle Realty. “They don’t want the upkeep, the maintenance and liability with your kids.”

Sean Morris of Walker & Associates Realtors Inc. said a builder he knows who sold his house called the pool the “decisive factor.” Morris said a pool is a much more appealing amenity in the summer when the water is sparkling.

Showing the same house in December with a tarp over it may only serve to remind a potential buyer of the work that comes with it.

Morris said he would “never” recommend a seller with a pool not show their home in the winter, but said such sellers should take photos of it during the summer to showcase its appeal.

“Have a photo album of it,” Morris said. “Take some shots at night and dress it up. Having that on file so people can flip through it helps them see what it looks like in the summer time.”

Residential appraiser Mike Brugger of Parrish Appraisals Inc. said square footage offers the biggest return and getting “dollar for dollar” return on any improvements is difficult. However, Brugger said, installing more expensive flooring like hardwood versus carpet is a crucial swing category in marketability.

“It might cost three or four times as much, but it would help it sell quicker,” he said.

He said home security systems and central vacuum can cost a lot but don’t offer much return and said some owners get caught up in the number of rooms without considering having the right number of bathrooms to support them.

Brugger said spec builders often don’t use the best quality windows or doors because they don’t offer much return when comparing a $150 window to a $300 one, and buyers usually can’t tell the difference although they are becoming “more savvy.”

One of the latest trends in upscale buying, Moldenhauer said, is a desire for a “bonus” room that can be used as a kids’ playroom or study.

“The best amenity is a family-friendly floor plan,” she said.