As the San Diego housing market continues to improve, now is a great time to make a real estate investment. According to a May 2016 article by the San Diego Union-Tribune, the population of California grew by almost 1% last year. San Diego County grew .08% for a new total population of just over 3.2 million. More people in the market means more competition and if you are looking for a good home, now is the time to start. San Diego homes have proven to be a worthy investment, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

If you are in a position to acquire new real estate, we have some tips that you can’t ignore. Surprisingly, a recent Zillow report points out recent trends in the importance of home amenities that can impact the desirability and purchase price of San Diego Real Estate. Here is some of our own advice on amenities that should be at the top of any list:

7 Necessary California Home Amenities:

Freeway Access – Zillow shows that “freeway access” is 11 times more likely to appear in a California listing than any other state. Quick access to work and fun is important to homeowners. This can shorten your commute, save time, ease stress during your day and add value when selling your home.

A Great Laundry Room – A great laundry room is the perfect replacement for a traditional mud room. With surfing as a popular pastime in the area, a laundry room is a great place to enter your home and drop everything to keep sand from tracking throughout your house. Laundry rooms have become more than just the place where your washer and dryer stay. The best functioning laundry rooms are organized with plenty of shelving and storage for cleaning supplies, divided hampers to sort your clothes, counters to fold on and a place to hang those items you don’t want to put in your dryer.

Energy Efficiency – As homeowners are becoming more educated on energy efficiency, an energy conscious property is becoming more important in the home search. San Diego is a city that stands behind green practices. The city recently announced a huge plan, with almost $10 million being invested into water and energy efficient buildings and clean, renewable energy sources. From low-flow faucets and showers to solar panels, energy efficient amenities are very popular and add value to a home. In California alone, listings are 45 times more likely to see the phrase “drought-resistant landscaping” than the rest of the country.

Higher Ceilings – The majority of potential homeowners are looking for that airy feel in their house. While open floor plans help to accomplish this, taller ceilings help to increase a room’s perceived size. According to an article by Fast Company Design, people prefer high ceilings because it grabs our visual attention while also allowing us to feel less confined and free.The study also found that buyers are willing to pay extra for nine-foot ceilings, but actually would prefer 10 foot ceilings. Another trend homeowners enjoy are ceiling beams made of reclaimed wood or beautifully designed tray ceilings. The higher heights allow sunlight to move around the room and homeowners to enjoy more natural lighting.

Kitchen Space and Storage – With the recent trend of clean eating, residents in San Diego are eating healthier and a well-organized kitchen with lots of storage is a highly sought-after feature. Organized pantries are a great way to easily tell what food staples you have on hand and help you to waste less food. With a little bit of extra room you can create your own kitchen herb garden to keep fresh cooking herbs right at your fingertips. Having plenty of countertop space will allow you to keep small appliances, like juicers, scales and food processors, easy to reach and use on a daily basis.

Two Car Garage – Having a garage is high on the list of amenities that homeowners are looking for in San Diego. In a growing city that is full of people, homeowners are looking for a place to easily park their car at the end of day. A large garage provides homeowners not only a place to park their cars, but also a place to store household tools and outdoor equipment.

Energy-Star / Dual Pane Windows – Being on the coast with warmer temperatures, San Diego doesn’t have a big need for HVAC. However, it does get cooler during some winter nights and energy-star rated windows can help keep your house warm. As your home heats up during the day your Energy-Star rated windows will help hold that heat in overnight to keep you from needing to run a furnace. While energy-efficient windows will keep heat in, they will also help keep noise out, which is a benefit for those with houses in busy neighborhoods, such as downtown and Pacific Beach.

Check out Zillow’s ‘listing phrases’ research in the tool below:

If you are looking for a new home, or already have one and are thinking of remodeling, consider these amenities first. While it might not be possible to have all seven amenities in your home, pick one or two to start with and work from there. Each amenity that you are able to take advantage of will help improve value, enjoyment and functionality.

Author Bio: Evan Harris is the owner of SD Equity Partners, a hard money lender based out of San Diego California. Evan is an expert in property valuation and financial services for real estate. Evan and the SD Equity team are constantly identifying new trends in the housing market, both locally and across California as a whole.