Shower and Tub in Primary Bath Essential for First-Time Buyers
When it comes to bathroom features, a shower stall and tub in the primary bath tops the list for first-time home buyers, according to a recent NAHB study, What Home Buyers Really Want, 2021 Edition.
In fact, 72% of first-time buyers rated both a shower stall and tub in the primary bath as “essential” or “desirable,” followed closely by a linen closet, rated essential or desirable by 70%.
After the top two, 67% of first-time buyers rated a private toilet compartment essential or desirable, followed by 65% for a whirlpool tub.
Next comes a group of bathroom features rated essential or desirable by 62% of first-time buyers: a double vanity, multiple shower heads, a granite vanity and body spray panels.
NAHB senior economist Paul Emrath provides further analysis in this Eye on Housing blog post.
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