Bigger IS Better!

Oversized Garages

a Must-Have for Many Homebuyers

Oversized garages with two or more parking spaces are a must-have feature for many homebuyers, even during times of elevated gasoline prices, according to a report released by the National Association of REALTORS.

According to the "Profile of Buyers' Home Feature Preferences," 57 percent of recent buyers considered a large garage very important to a home - that's 16 percentage points higher than the last time the question was posed in the 2004 survey.

Of the buyers who purchased homes without an oversized garage, 56 percent of them said they would have paid more for the feature. Only six percent said the same in 2004.
And while homes are getting bigger, they have fewer bedrooms, the study found. The size of the typical home purchased in 2006 increased by about 100 square feet, compared with 2004, but the median number of bedrooms dropped from four to three.

Other features considered "very important" by many homebuyers included:

* Air conditioning (ranked "very important" by three out of four buyers)
* A walk-in master bedroom closet (53% of buyers)
* Hardwood floors (28% of buyers)
* Granite countertops (23% of buyers)
* Cable or satellite TV-ready (46% of buyers)