Loyal readers will know that we editors at Country Living are simply obsessed with old houses. More than one of us has spent years (and, let’s be honest, not-insignificant amounts of money) restoring homes back to their former glory, so when the experts at real estate marketplace Zillow released a report this week that old-house features—think hand-hewn wood beams and arched doorways—can lead to more sales, we were definitely intrigued.
“Today’s shoppers are craving homes with personality,” says Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert. “Charming details like exposed beams, original brick, and vintage architectural elements tell a story and create an emotional connection the moment a shopper sees the listing. In a sea of cookie-cutter properties, that character helps a home stand out and drives more clicks, saves, and, ultimately, stronger buyer interest on Zillow.”
It’s little surprise that wood beams, a staple of contemporary farmhouse design, rack up the highest amount of interest, according to Zillow’s recently debuted “Zillow Buzz Index” (ZBI), bumping up daily views by 20 percent. Listings that mention exposed brick also experience a bump on the ZBI, with research indicating that brick features may also result in a 15 percent increase in buyer engagement.
Classic architectural features drawn from Victorian-era homes—think recently trending stained glass and intricate millwork—also rank high on the index, garnering 19 percent more interest than listings without those mentions and narrowly beating out homes with Tudor (14 percent) or midcentury (13 percent) architectural elements.
All this added engagement has real-world implications, according to Zillow. Its research shows homes that generate significant interest and surpass a threshold of 250 views per day typically sell within two weeks, and if a home passes more than 500 daily views, it’ll often sell above listing price. Additionally, sellers whose listings are saved more than five times a day typically accept an offer within a week.
So rejoice, old-house lovers! Those features we’ve been saying need to be preserved are finally getting the attention they deserve. It just goes to show that those sometimes-annoying quirks, like uneven floorboards or the hard-to-clean dentil molding, actually are worth the investment.
Anna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.
