Cottagecore, customization & quartzite: Zillow's 2026 home features that sell for more
Zillow (NYSE: Z) research finds buyers pay premiums for lifestyle-driven amenities and move-in-ready finishes.
Sentiment and the balance of points
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Rhea-AI Summary
Zillow (NYSE: Z) research finds buyers pay premiums for lifestyle-driven amenities and move-in-ready finishes. Features such as a private dock (+5.4%), quartzite countertops (+5.3%), and outdoor kitchens (+4.4%) correlate with higher sale prices. Turnkey homes sell ~2.9% higher while fixer-uppers sell ~14% less. Listings emphasizing customization, high-resolution photos, virtual tours and optimal timing (late May listing ~+1.7%) can help sellers capture these premiums.
Key takeaways: highlight sought features, avoid last-minute renovations, and leverage digital listing tools to maximize price.
Positive
- Dock feature linked to a 5.4% sale price premium
- Quartzite countertops associated with a 5.3% premium
- Outdoor kitchen correlated with a 4.4% boost
- Turnkey homes sell for about 2.9% more
- Listings with strong digital content tend to sell faster and for more
Negative
- Fixer-uppers sell for 14% less than expected
Details
News Market Reaction – Z
On Mar 24, the day this news came out, Z closed 1.09% above the previous close.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Mar 24 session.
Key Figures
- Dock premium
- 5.4% more
- Homes with a dock vs. expected sale price
- Quartzite premium
- 5.3% more
- Listings mentioning quartzite countertops vs. expected
- Customized home premium
- 3%+ more
- Customized, turnkey homes vs. similar homes
- Extra sale value
- $19,500
- Added value on a typical home at 5.4% premium
- "Cottage" listing premium
- 3.2% more
- Homes where listing mentions the word “cottage”
- Outdoor kitchen premium
- 4.4% more
- Homes featuring an outdoor kitchen
- Outdoor shower premium
- 4.3% more
- Homes mentioning an outdoor shower
- Fixer-upper discount
- 14% less
- Fixer-uppers vs. comparable non‑renovation listings
Historical Context
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Report on slowing rent growth and high concessions across U.S. rentals.
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Analysis showing late May listings selling for about 1.7% more nationally.
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Launch of Zillow Preview to surface pre‑market listings with partner brokerages.
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Data on rising share of unsold homes becoming rentals and market dynamics.
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Board authorization of an additional $1.25B in buybacks, expanding capital return.
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Today's buyers are paying a premium for personalized homes that feel like a retreat
- Cottage-inspired lifestyle features, such as docks and outdoor fireplaces, help homes sell for as much as
5.4% more. - Quartzite sells homes for more, compared to any other countertop material, including soapstone or marble.
- Customized, turnkey homes can sell for upward of
3% more than similar homes.
New Zillow® research finds that homes with lifestyle-driven amenities and move-in-ready finishes are selling for as much as
'I'm coming to the cottage'
The modern coastal aesthetic is heating up on-screen — and in real life.
Homes with a dock sell for
"Cottagecore taps into a desire for homes that feel like an escape from everyday life," said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert. "After years of busy schedules and screen time, buyers are drawn to spaces that encourage slowing down, where they can picture sunset dinners by the water or s'mores around the fire. Even if the home isn't actually a vacation property, buyers are willing to pay more for features that make everyday life feel like a getaway."
Quartzite steals the spotlight
In the kitchen, quartzite is the new star of the show. Homes that mention quartzite countertops sell for
This material feels elevated yet durable, which may explain its growing appeal. Buyers want kitchens that look beautiful in photos but can also handle real life.
Personal touches net higher prices
Once considered risky, personalization is now a selling point. Listings that highlight custom features sell for
Highly personal, purpose-built spaces are resonating, too. For example, a gourmet kitchen designed for the home chef adds a
No fixer-uppers, please
Today's buyers are also making one thing clear: They don't want a project. Turnkey homes sell for
"When affordability is tight, the last thing buyers want is another expensive project waiting for them," said Zillow Senior Economist Kara Ng. "Homes that are already updated and thoughtfully designed can command higher prices because buyers can roll those costs into their mortgage, rather than paying for expensive improvements after closing."
Takeaways for sellers
If your home already has one of these sought-after features, make sure it shines in the listing description. But there's no need to rush into renovations just before putting a home on the market. Sellers can often boost their sale price in simpler ways:
- List at the right moment. Timing can make a meaningful difference. Zillow's latest Best Time to List analysis shows that homes listed in late May sell for about
1.7% more, roughly$6,000 - Get strategic. Zillow Preview is a way to publicly introduce a home to buyers before it officially goes active on the market. It allows sellers and agents to use real-time buyer responses, such as shares, saves and tour requests, to refine the selling strategy before a listing goes live.
- Focus on digital first impressions. Today's buyers often fall in love online. Zillow research indicates that listings with high-resolution photography, virtual tours and interactive floor plans, which are all included in Zillow Showcase℠ listings, tend to sell faster and for more money.
About the research
Zillow analyzed more than 2 million homes listed for sale in 2025, looking for more than 600 common phrases used in listing descriptions. To understand how these phrases might affect a home's sale price, we first estimated what each home was likely to sell for based on factors like its location, size, type of home, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and when it was listed.
Next, we compared that estimate to the home's actual sale price. This helped us measure whether certain listing features or phrases were linked to a higher sale price than expected.
When we say a home "sold for more than expected," we mean it sold for more than similar homes with comparable characteristics. In this context, a "premium" simply means that a particular feature or phrase is associated with a higher sale price compared to similar homes without it, not that the home sold for more than its Zestimate or asking price.
About Zillow Group
Zillow Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make home a reality for more and more people.
As the most visited real estate app and website in
Zillow's ecosystem spans the entire home journey — from dreaming and shopping to renting, buying, selling and financing.
Zillow Group's affiliates, subsidiaries and brands include Zillow®, Zillow Premier Agent®, Zillow Home Loans®, Zillow Rentals®, Zillow® New Construction, Trulia®, StreetEasy®, Out East®, HotPads®, Follow Up Boss®, ShowingTime®, dotloop® and Zillow® Closing.
All marks herein are owned by MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). © 2026 MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cottagecore-customization--quartzite-zillows-2026-home-features-that-sell-for-more-302722915.html
SOURCE Zillow Group, Inc.
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