These 10 Features Help Homes Sell for More Than Expected

Morgan Noll

A decked-out backyard can make a big difference in raising the sale price.

Selling your home at all is a feat, but selling it at a higher price than expected is a major victory worthy of celebration. So many factors—from paint colors to outdated appliances—can make your home harder to sell. But it should come as some consolation that there are some features that not only can make your home more desirable to buyers, but can even make your home sell for more than expected. In fact, Zillow found the top 10 home features—from outdoor showers to matte black details—that can make your home sell at a premium.

To get these results, Zillow analyzed 359 home features across nearly 1 million home sales in 2023. The biggest finding? Decked-out backyards can make homes a lot more desirable to buyers. According to Zillow’s research, outdoor TVs (the top feature on the list) can make homes sell for 3.1% more than expected. On an average U.S. home, that’s an extra $10,749 added to the sale price.

Overall, six of the top ten list items were all outdoor features, showing exactly how much home buyers value intentionally designed outdoor spaces. In addition to outdoor TVs, outdoor showers, bluestone patios, she sheds, pizza ovens, and outdoor kitchens also made the list. So, if you’re not sure which area of your home you should prioritize updating, it’s probably smart to look to your backyard.

However, your home upgrades should still be intentional; you shouldn’t just add all of these features if they don’t make sense for your particular home or location. As the Zillow report notes, some of these features are influential specifically because they relate to other features of the home. For example, an outdoor shower is usually desirable when a home has a pool or is close to a beach. Adding an outdoor shower to a home with no pool in a landlocked state may not have the same effect.

Top 10 Features That Sell a Home for More Than Expected

1. Outdoor TV (3.1% price premium)

2.  Soapstone (3% price premium)

3. Matte Black (2.9% price premium)

4. Outdoor Shower (2.6% price premium)

5. Beverage Center (2.4% price premium)

6. Bluestone Patio (2.3% price premium)

7. She Shed (2% price premium)

8. Pizza Oven (1.9% price premium)

9. Quartz (1.7% price premium)

10. Outdoor Kitchen (1.7% price premium)

Next to outdoor features, modern decor elements are the other standout trend from Zillow’s findings. The report notes that modern features—like matte black finishes—signal that a home is ether brand new or recently remodeled, contributing to higher sale premiums. Soapstone, second on the list, now outperforms quartz as the countertop material of choice, contributing to a 3% sale premium. Beverage centers are also a signifier of a freshly updated home, taking over as the modern alternative to a wine fridge, and contributing to a 2.4% sale premium.