Outdoor amenities topped Zillow search wish-lists for local buyers in 2024

Home Buying

In Maine, ‘farms’ cracked the top three, and, not surprisingly, buyers in every New England state want a garage.

By Eileen Woods

December 30, 2024 | 1:11 PM

2 minutes to read

For prospective buyers searching Zillow for a home to buy in Massachusetts, it seems that what’s on the outside counts.

Outdoor amenities topped the list of search terms for the state in 2024, according to a Dec. 20 analysis by Zillow. Home shoppers searched the most for “pool,” “yard,” “garage,” “lake,” and “loft.”

Perhaps the most ambitious search last year was from a Massachusetts home shopper looking for a property that offered both “ski and beach,” Zillow reported. Those amenities may be possible in Western and Central Massachusetts — if by “beach” you mean one by a fresh water such as Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in Webster, which is about a half-hour drive from Ski Ward Hill in Shrewsbury; Butternut Ski and Tubing Center in Greater Barrington and a listing a couple of miles away along Lake Buel; or Wachusett Mountain in Princeton and a home along the reservoir by the same name.

If you are looking for a “ski and beach” pairing by the ocean, you are either a cross-country skier or someone who needs a refresher on what “sea level” means.

Nationally, home-search trends had an eye toward variety. Ranch and ranch-style homes “led the way for their charm and single-story convenience,” while mid-century modern and modern homes also were popular,” according to Zillow.

These were the most-searched-for home attributes in 2024, according to Zillow:

• Ranch (ranch style)
• Lake
• Duplex (duplexes)
• Cabin (cabins)
• Farms
• Acreage
• Garage
• Loft
• Luxury
• Furnished

“Pool” was among the three most common searches in 38 states, while “garage” made the list in 48, Zillow reported.

In coastal California and Indiana, most shoppers were searching for places that “allow small dogs.”

Maine was the only state where “farms” made it into the top three. In fact, it was No. 1.

Here’s what home shoppers looking to buy in the other New England states prioritized:

Some searchers across the United States kicked custom up a notch:

“One Colorado home shopper looked for a ‘roller coaster,’ while another in Michigan was keen on a home with ‘laser tag,’” Zillow reported. “If the home shopper who searched all over the country for a ‘party barn’ found what they were looking for, their house could be the place to be in 2025.”

At least one shopper in 22 states wanted a “haunted” home.

As if this housing market weren’t scary enough.