Most homeowners start seriously thinking about resale when they decide to sell.
By then, some of the most important decisions affecting future marketability were made years earlier, when the property was purchased.
The street cannot be changed.
The lot cannot easily be changed.
Parking may be impossible to add.
A fundamental floor-plan problem may be expensive to correct.
And a highly unusual feature that one buyer loves may appeal to a considerably smaller audience when the property eventually returns to market.
For Anna Alemi, an award-recognized Ottawa real estate broker with nearly two decades of experience, resale is something worth considering before a buyer ever makes an offer.
But she makes an important distinction.
“I don’t believe people should buy a home for some imaginary future owner,” Alemi says. “You are the person who has to live there. But if you are unlikely to own it forever, I think you should understand the exit before you enter.”
No one can guarantee future resale value.
Markets change. Neighbourhoods evolve. Buyer preferences shift.
What buyers can do is understand which property characteristics may broaden or narrow the future buyer pool.
1. Location — Then Location Within the Location
“Location, location, location” is familiar advice.
Alemi takes it one step further.
A desirable neighbourhood does not automatically make every property within it equally desirable.
Where is the home inside the neighbourhood?
A quiet interior street can appeal differently from a major road.
Backing onto green space is different from backing onto commercial activity.
Proximity to schools, transit and shopping can create convenience, while being immediately beside certain amenities or infrastructure may create additional traffic, noise or privacy considerations.
Alemi evaluates location at three levels:
City → neighbourhood → individual property.
The third level is where meaningful differences between otherwise similar homes often appear.
2. A Floor Plan That Actually Works
Square footage is easy to advertise.
Functionality is what people experience every day.
Large homes can contain significant wasted or awkward space. Smaller properties can sometimes feel considerably more functional because their layouts work.
Buyers should consider how people actually move through the home.
Does the kitchen connect logically to the primary living areas?
Is storage available where it is needed?
Can normal furniture fit comfortably?
Are bedrooms positioned appropriately?
Does the floor plan accommodate everyday life?
An unusual layout is not automatically undesirable.
But the more specialized the layout becomes, the more specialized the future buyer may need to be.
3. Natural Light
Natural light can be difficult to quantify but remarkably easy for buyers to experience.
Window placement, orientation, neighbouring buildings, mature trees and exposure can all affect how a property feels.
Some lighting limitations can be improved.
Others are inherent to the home.
This is one reason two properties that appear nearly identical in listing data can generate very different reactions during showings.
4. Parking
A buyer may only need one parking space today.
The future buyer may need two.
Parking can have particular significance in neighbourhoods where vehicle ownership remains common or street parking is limited.
Buyers should understand exactly what the property includes: garage space, driveway parking, assigned condominium parking, visitor parking and available street parking.
They should also distinguish between parking that is owned, assigned, permitted or simply being used by the current occupant.
Those are not necessarily the same thing.
5. The Lot
Buyers can spend considerable time evaluating kitchens and relatively little time evaluating the land underneath the home.
Alemi thinks some of that attention should be reversed.
“A kitchen can be replaced,” she says. “The fundamental characteristics of the lot are much harder to change.”
Depending on the property, buyers may want to consider frontage, depth, privacy, slope, orientation, usable outdoor space, neighbouring uses and any known easements or constraints requiring further investigation.
The house can evolve.
The lot largely remains.
6. Condition — Especially the Expensive Components
Cosmetic imperfections are usually obvious.
The expensive issues may be less exciting to examine.
Roof.
Windows.
Heating and cooling systems.
Electrical.
Plumbing.
Foundation.
Drainage.
Building envelope.
A property requiring work can still be an excellent purchase. In some circumstances, it can create opportunity.
The more important questions are whether the buyer understands the condition, whether the work fits their finances and whether the contemplated price appropriately reflects what they are taking on.
Qualified inspectors and other appropriate professionals should be involved where necessary.
7. Renovation Versus Personalization
Homeowners should be able to make their homes reflect how they want to live.
But personalization and market improvement are not necessarily the same thing.
Removing useful rooms, eliminating storage, creating highly specialized spaces or choosing extremely specific finishes may be perfect for one owner while narrowing the future buyer pool.
None of those decisions is automatically wrong.
They simply involve a tradeoff.
Alemi describes the distinction this way:
“I love this” and “future buyers will pay more for this” are two completely different statements.
8. The Monthly Cost After the Mortgage
Future buyers will not evaluate a property solely by its sale price.
They will also evaluate the cost of owning it.
Property taxes.
Condominium fees.
Utilities.
Insurance.
Maintenance.
And other recurring expenses where applicable.
This can become particularly important with condominiums.
A lower purchase price combined with significantly higher monthly fees may compete differently from a more expensive unit with lower ongoing costs.
For Alemi, the relevant comparison is the complete ownership equation rather than the purchase price alone.
9. Flexibility
One characteristic Alemi increasingly values is adaptability.
Can rooms serve more than one purpose?
Could a lower level change as household needs evolve?
Is there useful work-from-home space?
Could different family configurations reasonably use the property?
A flexible home does not guarantee future appreciation.
But adaptability can potentially broaden the buyer pool because more people can imagine their lives working inside the property.
10. The Future Buyer Pool
This is where the analysis comes together.
Alemi asks buyers to consider:
How many different types of future buyers could reasonably want this property?
Not everyone.
No property appeals to everyone.
Consider a broadly functional home with practical parking, usable living space and a location that works for many households.
Then compare it with a highly customized property whose unusual layout and features serve a very specific lifestyle.
The second home may be extraordinary for exactly the right person.
But eventually finding that person may require more patience.
Uniqueness can create value when something is both scarce and desirable.
It can also reduce demand when it becomes too specific.
Understanding which situation applies matters.
This Does Not Mean Buyers Should Choose Boring Homes
There is an important counterargument.
Buying entirely for resale can produce poor decisions too.
A home is both an asset and somewhere someone actually lives.
A property on a busier road may offer significantly more home for the money.
A condominium with higher fees may include amenities or services the buyer genuinely values.
An unusual property may perfectly suit someone’s life.
A renovation project may provide an opportunity to create something better.
The goal is not finding a property with zero weaknesses.
Every property involves tradeoffs.
The objective is understanding those tradeoffs before deciding what they are worth.
Anna’s Perspective: Walk Through the Property Twice
Alemi describes her approach to buyer showings as mentally walking through the property twice.
The first time, she evaluates it for the buyer standing beside her.
Does it work for their life?
What compromises are they making?
Can they comfortably afford it?
What could improve their everyday experience?
Then she mentally walks through it again as though she were listing the same property years later.
“I ask myself what I would be excited to market, what I would have to explain, what could create buyer resistance, what we could change and what would be almost impossible to change,” Alemi says.
That second walkthrough can reveal issues that are easy to ignore when a buyer is emotionally attached to the property.
After nearly two decades in real estate, Alemi says she has seen features that captivated buyers during a purchase receive a very different response when those same homes eventually returned to market.
Her conclusion is not that buyers should avoid unusual properties.
It is that they should understand them.
“I don’t believe buyers should purchase solely for resale,” Alemi says. “I do believe they deserve to understand the exit before they enter.”
Anna Alemi’s Six-Question Resale Test
Before making an offer, Alemi recommends considering six questions.
1. Would you still want this property if prices remained relatively flat for several years?
This separates enjoyment of the home from assumptions about appreciation.
2. What are the three characteristics future buyers are most likely to appreciate?
Identify the property’s broad strengths.
3. What are the three characteristics most likely to create resistance?
Look for limitations as objectively as possible.
4. Which weaknesses can realistically be changed?
Cosmetic finishes and certain layouts may be adaptable.
5. Which weaknesses are effectively permanent?
Location, lot characteristics and certain structural limitations may be difficult or impossible to change.
6. Does the price appropriately reflect those tradeoffs?
A weakness does not necessarily make a property a bad purchase. The price should simply make sense in context.
The Bottom Line
A home should work for the person buying it first.
Resale comes second.
But second does not mean irrelevant.
Location, layout, natural light, parking, lot characteristics, condition, renovations, ownership costs and flexibility can all influence how future buyers respond.
Some characteristics can be changed.
Others cannot.
The better time to understand that difference is before buying, not when the For Sale sign goes up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a home easier to resell?
Properties with broadly useful layouts, desirable locations, practical parking, reasonable ownership costs, good condition and adaptable spaces may appeal to a wider future buyer pool. Resale performance cannot be guaranteed.
Should resale value determine which home I buy?
No. The home should first suit the buyer’s finances, lifestyle and expected ownership period. Future marketability is one additional consideration.
Are unusual homes harder to sell?
Sometimes. A unique property may appeal strongly to a smaller group of buyers. Whether that creates a premium or limitation depends on the property, location, price and future demand.
Does a finished basement improve resale value?
It can provide valuable usable space, but quality, functionality, ceiling height, permits where applicable and buyer preferences can affect how the market responds.
Can being on a busy road affect resale?
It can influence some buyers’ perceptions of traffic, noise, privacy and safety. The effect varies by property and should be considered alongside price and other characteristics.
Does natural light affect buyer demand?
It can influence how buyers perceive and experience a property, although there is no universal dollar adjustment that applies to every home.