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Is that a bathtub in your house or are you just glad to see me?

These days builders need to really be listening to buyers. If a buyer Portrait of young woman relaxing in bathtubtakes baths rather than showers then they really want a bathtub. And not just anywhere, in the master bedroom. And not just any tub, a DEEP tub. And if they are tall, a long one as well.

Granted, some high-density homes such as townhomes and condos just don't have the space for super-large luxurious bathrooms. But that is not excuse for a builder to skimp. It WILL make the difference of a sale or no sale. Deep bathtubs can be had for almost any space, confined or not. The buyer now has many more choices than they did a couple of years ago, and they often WILL hold out for a builder that “gets it”.

I still see shallow bathtubs in about half the new homes or homes remodeled to flip that are on put on the market. Strangely, it seems rare in a home where the homeowner remodeled with the intent to stay and utilize the bathroom themselves. That's because no one wants shallow tubs, but they are cheaper!

Builders need to make sure all the features and finishes are done in a way that are attractive to the buyer as well. It's a much more competitive market these days. For example, if they are going to include washer and dryer, they should make them good ones. Everyone wants side-by-side washer and dryers. But again with floorplan size restrictions mean that is not always possible. Even if builders are putting in stackers they need to be good ones. Buyers don't want to have to negotiate for the builder to remove the ones they've installed and credit them for a decent ones. They just want the builder to do the right thing. Front loaders are always better and water-conserving low-power consumption ones are hot with energy conscious people these days.

Most builders are catching on to this, especially in this slower market. And listing agents are definitely giving them the feedback. We hear it all the time from our buyers. And the trend of sales of townhomes and new construction single-family homes is clear – QUALITY HOMES SELL!