Is it worth it to pay extra for wellness features when buying a home?

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Published Date 1/31/2023

When the world experiences a pandemic it can change the way we think of just about everything — especially our homes. The Spanish Flu of 1918 found homeowners adding small washrooms at entries to their homes, where all who entered would shed their work clothing and scrub themselves. Bathrooms turned bright white, sporting tile lining walls and floors to keep the germs at bay. And people learned to cover their faces and wear gloves when venturing out.

COVID-19 taught us even more. Jennifer Kelly Geddes, in her Om in the Home piece for Realtor.com, recently explained how, in the “before times,” you probably didn’t think much about the importance of a mudroom for dropping bags and shedding shoes before entering the main house. The same goes for special antimicrobial surfaces or tech-driven details like touchless faucets.

Now health and wellness features have become top of mind in home design. And while it would be difficult to specify these features to be included in listings your Realtor shows you, you might consider these wellness amenities a bonus when you do find them, as many of them are here to stay. Geddes offers help sussing out which wellness bells and whistles are worth a second look when house hunting.

As we mentioned, germs and bacteria literally travel hand in hand in the bathroom, so touchless fixtures and lights can be appealing details to find in a home listing — also a wellness feature that’s worth snagging if you have kids, since you know their hand-washing isn’t consistent. Taps that shut off automatically when not in use save a ton of water as well. Should you pay more for the house that has them? Probably not. But what a nice extra.

Swimming pools can tack on about 7% in general. But if you want a pool and it happens to be the saltwater variety, it might be worth it to pay a bit more. “The benefits of this water type include a softer, less irritating feel on your skin and less redness in the eyes,” says Geddes. “Another huge plus: The need for chlorine and other harsh chemicals is eliminated, which means much less risk of accidental exposure to pets and kids (plus less chemical stink).” Not having to constantly shell out money for pool chemicals saves you money as well.

If a seller added a few extra thousand for what’s being billed as a “meditation zone” in the listing (an entire room dedicated to deep breathing or yoga), it might not be worth the upfront cash. Of course, if the rest of the house meets your every need, you can always convert the space into a TV room, home office, or extra bedroom.

Did you know copper and brass (which is a mix of copper and zinc), offer antimicrobial properties? “A copper sink in a bar area or half-bath or brass doorknobs in multiple rooms might up the price a tiny amount,” says Geddes. If it’s mentioned in the listing as a feature, it might not be worth the premium, however, since sealants and antibacterial/microbial sprays can offer the same protection and are more cost-effective.

When you find a home with a closed HVAC system, it might be a different story, however, since these systems can be a boon for folks with respiratory conditions like asthma and allergies. It’s only meaningful for those buyers whose needs are the same, however. Most of these systems are added with the original owner’s health issues in mind, but for some it can be an attractive wellness feature as well.

Realtor, TBWS

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