When it comes to selling a home, how fast it sells and how much you can get for it often depends on the home’s style and what region you live in.
Using data from the real estate website Zillow, Five Star Painting, a national painting contractor service, crunched the numbers and figured out which home styles sell the fastest in the United States.
Top of the list is the humble bungalow. It’s on the lower end of the price spectrum with an average price of $443,749, but it's the fastest style to sell with an average of 48 days on the market. Bungalow homes have smaller space with a wide front porch. The style, which features sloped roofs and open floor plans, was most popular in the early 20th century.
Of course, local real estate market conditions, job opportunities, taxes and inventory are also big factors that contribute to pricing and how quickly homes sell.
In Bergen County, New Jersey, just across the George Washington Bridge from Manhattan, real estate agent Megan Fox with Compass Real Estate notes the center-entrance colonial is the fastest to sell. Inventory has been low in her region, with very few homes on the market and frequent bidding wars.
Colonials “will sell quickly and generally for a higher price,” Fox said. “People generally like the bedrooms on the second floor and living space on the first floor.”
Homebuyers taking a pause with high interest rates, low inventory
Across the country, interest rates of over 7% and the fierce competition are concerning buyers.
A region’s popular architectural style is a factor that influences pricing, according to Five Star Painting. For example, in Birmingham, Alabama, the most expensive home style is colonial, while the priciest homes in San Francisco are ranches.
Meanwhile, in Kansas City, Missouri, the fastest-selling style is the bungalow; in Richmond, Virginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio, it’s the colonial. San Diego and Tampa, Florida, favor the bungalow. Miami and Las Vegas may currently disagree about which hockey team is best as the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers face off in the Stanley Cup final, but residents in both cities prefer the mid-century home style. Overall, Mediterranean-style homes are the most valuable, according to the research, with an average price of $884,745.
Mediterranean homes typically feature stucco exteriors, red tile roofs and large windows with courtyards or terraces. They are known for luxury and are inspired by the grand homes of Italy, Spain and Greece.
The 10 fastest-selling home styles in the U.S.
1. Bungalow (average of 48 days on Zillow)
2. Cape Cod (average of 48.4 days on Zillow)
3. Mid-century modern (average of 48.5 days on Zillow)
4. Ranch (average of 51 days on Zillow)
5. Contemporary (average of 53 days on Zillow)
6. Colonial (average of 56 days on Zillow)
7. Cottage (average of 57 days on Zillow)
8. Farmhouse (average of 60.4 days on Zillow)
9. Victorian (average of 60.4 days on Zillow)
10. Craftsman (average of 62 days on Zillow)
Source: Five Star Painting and Zillow
