Top Five Features Homeowners Regret Not Having
Whenever you purchase a home there are always going to be tradeoffs and choices that have to be made between what you want your home to look like and include as well as what you can affordable and is available. In most cases, there are going to be a few regrets.
A nation-wide survey which was commissioned by Erie Insurance found that while 53 percent of homeowners are happy with the features they chose for their home, another 47 percent regretted at least one feature. In the end, the survey found that homeowners were much more likely to regret not getting certain features than getting them.
A great example of this is hardwood floors. While 9 percent of homeowners surveyed said they wouldn’t get hardwood floors again, a much larger portion of homeowners (16 percent) said they regretted not getting hardwood floors. Granite countertops backed up that finding with 8 percent claiming they wouldn’t get granite again, while 18 percent said they regretted not putting in granite.
Despite some regrets, overall most homeowners were pleased with their homes and the features they choose. A whopping 95 percent said they liked or loved their home. In addition to home features, the survey also asked a few questions about homeowners insurance.
“We were pleased to see that the vast majority of people have very positive feelings about their homes, but we also learned that there are some knowledge gaps when it comes to how to best protect those homes if something goes wrong,” said Tina Burns, with Hrenko Insurance Agency, Inc in a recent Gant Daily article.
“For example, we recommend homeowners have what’s called ‘guaranteed replacement cost’ coverage, which would pay to replace a home regardless of what it would cost in today’s dollars. But the survey found that more than four in 10 homeowners don’t know whether their policy has this coverage or not.” “It’s important for homeowners to understand their policy and how it works with a covered claim. We get to know our customers so we can help them choose the coverages they need” said Burns in the article.
Reasons for regretting their choices varied among homeowners, ranging from feeling the feature was not worth the money spent to simply being tired of it or feeling that it was now outdated. The biggest feature homeowners regretted not getting was a walk-in pantry.
Here is a quick breakdown of the feature’s homeowners would not choose again:
- Hardwood flooring: 9.2%
- Granite countertops: 7.8%
- Stainless steel appliances: 7.6%
- Fireplace: 7.4%
- Deck: 7.2%
Surprisingly, some homeowners even regret getting features people might assume would be popular with everyone such as two sinks in the master bathroom. Apparently, four percent of homeowners regret dual sinks saying they don’t need or use them.
Green features turned out to be a thing that a number of people wish they would have gotten in their homes. As an example, tankless water heaters (16% wish they had one) and solar panels (15% wish they had them installed).
Here are the top five features homeowners regret not having:
- Walk-in pantry 30.2%
- Granite countertops 17.8%
- Kitchen island 16.8%
- Tankless water heater 16.4%
- Finished basement 16.2%