10 Home Features Buyers Want but I Say, Some Home Builders Force These Features

I read an article in Realtor.org magazine entitled, "10 Home Features Buyers Want" as listed here:

1. Large kitchens with islands
2. Energy efficiency, including energy-efficient appliances, super insulation, and high-efficiency windows.
3. Home offices
4. Main-floor master suite
5. Outdoor living space
6. Ceiling fans
7. Soaking tub in the master suite and/or an oversize shower with a seating area
8. Stone and brick exteriors rather than stucco or vinyl
9. Community walking paths and playgrounds
10. Two-car garages, but three-car garages are even more desirable

Recently, I toured several new home communities in my area. I found that some builders 'force' these features into a new home just for the sake of bringing in potential buyers.

One new home kitchen I toured had an island but there was about a 1/2 inch clearance when I opened the dishwasher. The appliance door was 'butt-up" to the island itself in the open position. To me, the island was a last minute addition to the kitchen. There just was not enough room to accommodate this feature.

Another home I viewed had an oversized shower but the seating area was just a stump of a seat that would most likely be suitable as a shelf for bottles of shampoo and conditioners.

Another new home community I viewed boasted, "Over 50% of the community is devoted to nature preserves, lakes and trails." Although, collectively, this statement is true, the trail that is referenced in the description is just a sidewalk around the back of the common ground which anyone could briskly cover in under 3 minutes. A trail denotes something that is continuous whereas this 'trail' ended abruptly at the public sidewalk.

This same community boasts a 'sport court'. In my mind, a sport court is a basketball or tennis court. Well, this area is just a paved space suitable for really nothing at all. It does not have a basketball hoop or a tennis net. [Further, I suspect that the HOA members must pay for its upkeep even though the area itself is not even useable space.]

I just do not appreciate vague advertising. If builders want to sell homes, sell them with clear, thoughtful and correct descriptions.