Home Features Buyers Want Right Now

That spare room on the main floor. The finished basement with a kitchenette and its own entrance. The bonus room you’ve been using for storage.

To you, it’s extra space. But to a growing pool of buyers, it’s the reason they’ll choose your house. It’s becoming more and more common for aging parents to move in with their adult children, and vice versa. More people have been searching for homes that have additional, somewhat separate living space to accommodate these living needs.

Millions of Families Are Living Multi-Generationally

Multi-generational living when 3 or more generations (e.g. grandma, parents, grandkids) live together in the same home. It’s becoming increasingly common. Data shows this type of household grew from 3.2 million to almost 4 million over a recent 10-year stretch, according to Realtor.com.

Each year, more people are shopping for a larger home that fits their combined needs.

While the appetite for this type of house is rising across the board, data from USAFacts shows multi-generational living is more common in some states than others. Depending on where you are, the pool of buyers looking for a house like yours could be even bigger than you’d think.

But the overall bottom line is: There’s a real market for larger homes with room for multiple generations under one roof, especially since affordability is still so tight. And if you own a house like that, it’s in demand.

Multi-Generational Houses Sell at a Premium

That eextra room carries real value with the right buyer. According to Realtor.com, in 2025 the median asking price for a multi-generational house was $709,000 – roughly 65% higher than the $429,900 median for a standard house.

Some of that is simply size. But compare multi-generational homes to regular homes with the same amount of square footage, and they still come out on top – $262 per square foot versus $215.

These Buyers Don’t Have Sticker Shock

Even with slightly higher price tags, these buyers aren’t flinching. Multi-generational houses drew 13.5% more online views than standard ones, and they still sold just as fast – in about 59 days – per the same Realtor.com report.

Hannah Jones, Senior Economic Research Analyst at Realtor.com, explains:

“The strong demand and steep premiums we are seeing in inventory-constrained markets point to a real mismatch between what buyers are looking for and what is actually available. For sellers in these markets, this type of home can be a significant asset.”

Bottom Line

Your house may fit criteria that many buyers have been searching for, but struggling to find. That’s what gets attention. And offers.