House Listings That Call Out This Design Style Sell for 10% More

And two more details that make a difference.
exterior of home with wood door

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

Forget baking cookies to make your house smell more welcoming—one of the best things you can do to help your real-estate chances may be rewording your listing. A new report from Zillow dives into how highlighting specific features impacts selling price. The verdict? Modern farmhouse style is associated with a 10.3 percent sale premium. Our respect to Chip and Jo

We already know there are certain logistical ways to beef up your home’s résumé: waiting to list until April, for example, or making sure keywords like granite countertops and hardwood floors are prominently included. So while you don’t need to undertake any costly renovations—the survey also shows that while there’s a clear positive correlation with price premiums and the words modern farmhouse, ROI on these features is unclear—if you already have a shiplap-filled space, flaunt it. You picked those rustic kitchen cabinets for a reason, right?

If not, maybe you can boast about some other custom details. Waterfall countertop callouts earned 9.4 percent more than the expected price—get in on the trend by opting for an unexpected material, like blue marble. Anyone with Moroccan tile (looking at you, Garance Doré) is in luck: The high-contrast geometric pattern is worth a 7.3 percent increase when spotlighted in a listing. You’ve already done the heavy lifting; all it takes is a strategic sales pitch. 

See more real-estate stories: Here’s Where People Are Actually Finding Their Forever Homes The Most Searched-For House This Week Is a Renovator’s Playground 5 Major Cities That Are Secret Hotbeds for Home Buyers

Elly Leavitt

Writer and Editor

Elly enjoys covering anything from travel to funky design (tubular furniture, anyone?) to the latest cultural trend. Her dream apartment would exist on the Upper West Side and include a plethora of mismatched antique chairs, ceramic vessels, and floor-to-ceiling bookcases—essential to her goal of becoming a poor man’s Nora Ephron. You can probably find her in line at Trader Joe’s. You will never find her at SoulCycle.