A walk-in pantry is the most wanted kitchen feature, with 83 percent of home buyers reporting it is an essential/must have (32 percent) or desirable item (51 percent).  This data comes from NAHB’s recently released report, What Home Buyers Really Want (2019 Edition), which is based on a survey that asks recent and prospective home buyers (people who bought homes in the previous three years or are planning to do so in the next three years) about the features they want in their home and community, including in the kitchen.

To ascertain a better understanding of the most sought-after home and community features, NAHB asked home buyers to rate a comprehensive list using a four-tier scale of essential/must have, desirable, indifferent, or do not want. Figure 1 shows the kitchen features with the highest total combination of essential/must have and desirable shares.
 

Coming in a close second, a double sink side-by-side was rated as essential/must have or desirable by 81 percent of home buyers. In fact, 42 percent of home buyers rated it an essential/must have item in the kitchen, more than any other feature on the list. Three other kitchen features are wanted by at least three-fourths of home buyers: a table space for eating (78 percent), a central island (76 percent), and a granite/natural stone countertop (75 percent of home buyers).

Along with a walk-in pantry, two other kitchen storage features make the list:  pull-out shelves (73 percent) and special use storage (wine rack, etc.) (63 percent). Other items in the top ten include recessed lighting, rated essential/must have or desirable by 69 percent of home buyers, as well as drinking water filtration and customized backsplash, each rated essential/must have or desirable by 68 percent of home buyers.

To check out more kitchen features rated by home buyers, download the latest edition of What Home Buyers Really Want at BuilderBooks.com.

Source: "A Walk-in Pantry is the Most Wanted Kitchen Feature" Eye On Housing (March 14, 2019)  CARMEL FORD