Going organic may boost the sales price of your home, according to a recent analysis by Zillow.
Homes with “nature-inspired” design choices associated with organic modernism can sell for as much as 3.5% more than anticipated, Zillow found. That could put an extra $12,500 in the pocket of someone selling the typical home in the U.S.
Zillow based its conclusion on an analysis of more than 350 keywords that appeared in a sampling of more than 2 million listings during 2024. Zillow compared the eventual sales price with its “Zestimate” prior to the home’s listing.
Organic modernism is an interior design trend that highlights wood, stone, clay and other natural materials. In a summary of the findings, Zillow’s home trends expert Amanda Pendleton says:
“Organic modernism is the new modern farmhouse. The contemporary look of homes today is characterized by natural stone, wood flooring and cabinetry, and textured walls. Buyers are seeking out and competing for homes with these raw but refined finishes, and that’s pushing up sale prices.”
Features that increase home sale prices
The top 20 features that sell a home for a higher price than expected are:
- Remodeled: 3.7% more than expected
- Soapstone: 3.5%
- Wet room: 3.3%
- White oak floor: 3.2%
- Teak: 3.1%
- Venetian plaster: 3%
- Outdoor shower: 2.8%
- Renovated: 2.7%
- New appliances: 2.7%
- Dock: 2.7%
- Quartz: 2.6%
- Herringbone floor: 2.6%
- Onyx: 2.3%
- ADU: 2.2%
- Walnut cabinets: 2.2%
- Outdoor kitchen: 2.2%
- Pot filler: 2.2%
- Bluestone (patio): 2.2%
- Cork floor: 2.1%
- Ice machine: 2%
Despite the movement toward organic modernism, listings mentioning that a home has been remodeled are most likely to get sellers the biggest bang for their buck.
Zillow notes that today’s buyers likely are willing to pay more for a renovated home because they want to avoid the rising cost of doing their own renovations.
In addition, Zillow reminds all potential sellers that its analysis did not look at the return on investment when adding any of the features on this list prior to selling. Rather, it says the features should be viewed as “signals” about a home’s perceived quality. According to Zillow:
“For example, an outdoor shower could signal that a home is near the beach or has a pool, and that may be what’s ultimately driving up the sale price.”
So before you remodel, be sure to check out “Expect to Lose Serious Money on These 5 Home Renovations.”
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