Homebuyers considering Thanksgiving hosting plans when buying next home

A growing number of potential homebuyers are factoring in Thanksgiving as they search for their next home.

More than half (52%) of U.S. adults said finding a home where they can host the big feast has played a role in their search, according to a recent Realtor.com survey.

Sixty percent of Gen Z and 60% of millennials said that Thanksgiving entertainment factored into their housing decisions. That compares to the 47% of Gen X and 30% of Baby Boomers who factored in entertaining for the holiday.

One way to determine if the home was good for hosting was the size of the living room. The majority of respondents, over 90%, said a large family room and a big kitchen were the top factors to welcome guests. Only a fraction of respondents, about 12%, said chef-inspired amenities like double ovens were a “must-have” to host.

Extra bedrooms and bathrooms are less important, although nearly half of respondents said they would rather have a spare bedroom. About 45% said they would prefer an extra bathroom.

Respondents also noted that the ideal number of bathrooms scales with household size. One- and two-person households prefer two bathrooms, while those with three or more people seek three bathrooms.

Top features that will increase a buyer’s willingness to host, according to Realtor.com: 

1. Big kitchen – 92%
2. Large family room – 92%
3. Large dining room – 86%
4. Guest bathroom – 87%
5. Large outdoor space – 76%
6. Guest bedroom – 73%
7. Double oven – 61%

Realtor.com senior economist Joel Berner told FOX Business that the fact that “younger generations are so interested in hosting Thanksgiving and having a home that meets those needs speaks to the fundamental strength of home demand in the U.S.”

Home sales have been slow this year, but Berner said younger generations are still eager to own a home.

“It’s affordability that’s keeping these younger buyers out of the market, not apathy toward traditional homeownership,” he said. “As affordability improves, like it has started to with mortgage rates falling in recent months, expect sales to improve as well, because young Americans really do want a home of their own that they can host holidays in.”