Every real estate market is different and in Maine, what’s important in a property sale is usually the practical features first.
A good construction, solid building with a garage for out of winter snow.
An efficient, dependable heating system trumps fancy smancy at day long. Maine is not a state where folks are out to impress others.
Not living beyond your means. Being showy, snobby is not how a typical Mainer rolls.
They don’t need attention, they need money in the bank to sleep nights. Pay bills during the day. To stay current and not lose their home.
So when listing a Maine property, what features in order are important in Northern sections of the state?
Affordable, being able to heat the place and neat, clean are a good place to start for most home buyers. The house if the roof is fairly new, the windows the kind that go up and down easily. Fit tightly. Seal out breezes.
The number of bedrooms fit the typical family size. Which I read is 1.6 kids. Those are a good starting place for the Maine house buyer. More Maine land always a hit. Greater space, acreage around the Maine home in the location close to work, schools and that will save gas for the essentials never go out of style.
When you live in a state not flush with lots of dispensable cash, the things of value become anything that saves opening the wallet wide. Saying ouch. Don’t get me wrong, granite counter tops, fireplaces, elegant beveled glass frosted glass front and side doors are small pleasures. So are recessed lighting on dimmer, refinished hardwood floors.
But the money invested by a seller for the third bathroom, the enclosed four season glass sun room and 
above and beyond fifty year guarantee metal roof that looks like shingles does not tip the scales.
Come back when it is time to list. Because the higher the price the thinner the buyers for the property home buyer.
And unless the improvements can show a savings in monthly spending for the new Maine home buyer, they are discounted. And appraisers see the same trend, tradition for conservative house purchaser patterns.
No one spends extra money for a zip code. There are no neighborhoods of Jones, blue bloods residents that are any better than others around them.
All that snarky is missing, gone, not happening.
Because we like the outdoors, enjoy the four seasons around the Maine house. Not spending all our time and money to create a castle.
Wanting some money left over at the end of the month to purchase a kayak, snow sled, ATV or camper. To enjoy the great outdoors of Maine.
So giant great rooms, dual feed sweeping staircases and areas not essential are not going to fetch a higher price by Northern Maine home buyers.
If the money was spend on a larger garage, shop that the new owner can use for his living great. If he can moonlight and the bigger space in outbuildings comes in handy for creating some extra cash burning the midnight oil, then that 
value translated into a higher purchase price justified.
So can space in the house with an efficient apartment set up or possible to be put in easily for a mother in law apartment. Families are close.
And joining forces to pool resources is another side benefit of living like the Waltons.
Three generations under one roof means the kids get some practical reinforcement from the grandparents of old fashioned values.
A few extra features or the ability to add them as the income grows and the accumulation stage winds down for the 18 to 34 year Maine home buyer is important. But overkill, the bigger count of bedrooms, bathrooms, out buildings, fireplaces, all are lost unless the particular buyer has a need for the extra abundance, supply.
Maine, common sense still practiced, used daily here. And money left over, living before are means causes extra funds to have a place on a Maine lake. Or being able to step out and buy something that is needed, not just wanted.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com | MOOERS REALTY 69 North St Houlton ME 04730
