Pools, kitchens, bathrooms: What Long Islanders spend on popular items

Homebuyers' wish lists have always included updated and open kitchens, new bathrooms and large, organized storage spaces.

But in the last few years — especially since the pandemic kept people home for months or years — the demand for an outdoor living space with a personal touch has grown.

"I'm seeing people investing in their yards in ways they didn't before," said Keller Williams agent Gina Padro, reflecting on her 28 years in the industry.

Inside the home, buyers look for anything from en-suite bathrooms with spa-like features to additional living areas, gyms and game rooms. But the No. 1 thing experts say buyers look for is a kitchen that opens to a dining or family room.

Do it because you want to enjoy it for the time you're here.

— Keller Williams agent Gina Padro's advice to current and future homeowners considering renovations

"Everyone wants a bigger kitchen than what Levitt [& Sons] built in 1949," said Evan Lewitas, vice president of Centre Island Contracting Inc.

The current low-inventory market makes it difficult to find everything in one house, so many buyers are willing to make renovations. And sellers can make quick and inexpensive updates to attract buyers.

Padro's advice to current and future homeowners: "Do it because you want to enjoy it for the time you're here."

What's popular outside the house? Pools, kitchens, patios, pavilions

They're definitely putting a lot of thought into the outside.

— Peter Anthony Pietromonaco, owner of Peter Anthony Landscape Design and Build Specialists

Padro has seen a big increase in the installation of in-ground pools since the beginning of the pandemic, keeping pace with the increased demand Island-wide for patios, decks, outdoor kitchens and fire pits.

In years past, clients of Peter Anthony Landscape Design and Build Specialists mostly requested walkways, driveways, patios and small, round fire pits. Now, customers ask for outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, pavilions, pools and paver patios.

"They're definitely putting a lot of thought into the outside," said Peter Anthony Pietromonaco, 57, owner of the Bohemia-based company since 1989.

Pietromonaco's complete yard renovations include adding a patio and a pool. However, he said he hasn't had a client ask for a deep end in a pool in the last 18 months, and many pools installed by the contractors he works with are now smaller — 20-by-10 feet, instead of the large standard 20-by-40 of years ago.

While those projects have gotten smaller, they've also gotten pricier.

 Prices "went nuts," said Pietromonaco, adding he works with pool contractors.

A 20-by-40-foot pool that used to cost around $24,000 all-in before the pandemic now costs $55,000 to $60,000.

A 12-by-24-foot pool he's working on now — "it's still a decent size to splash around" — costs around $45,000 all-in.

A basic outdoor kitchen, which includes a 6-foot island with a grill, countertop and refrigerator, costs around $8,000, Pietromonaco said.

Expanding the size of the island and adding a bar can bring the price to about $15,000 or more; adding a pavilion with options for slide-down screens, ceiling fans and recessed lighting starts around $20,000.

While Centre Island Contracting Inc. does mostly home additions and remodeling, outdoor kitchens are now more popular with clients, said Lewitas, 53.

Clients want prep stations, outdoor cabinetry, grills, bars, gas, electric and running water, and prices can reach $500,000 for the grandest backyard makeover, according to Lewitas.

For some buyers, getting an outdoor space in which to entertain doesn't have to come with a capital improvement price tag.

For those on a lower budget "anything with a sink and a stove is an outdoor kitchen," Lewitas said, and that can cost several thousand dollars.

Lisa Ferraro, a real estate salesperson with Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty, has worked in the industry for 14 years and said improving an outdoor space — either to make it attractive to a buyer or to enjoy it yourself — can be done easily, in most cases.

Homeowners can make marked improvements with a small budget and a few hours at a home improvement store.

From power washing their patio and adding new cushions and furniture, to adding string lights to trees and fences and solar-powered lights to walkways, to adding a wood-burning fire pit, these simple additions can make the outdoor space attractive to a buyer.

Outdoor living spaces are so popular that many homeowners have added space heaters to extend the season into fall and even winter, Ferraro said.

People want to experience their outside space, which might be as simple as sitting on a patio or a porch swing with warm lighting and colorful plantings.

"It makes a world of difference, and it makes it feel special," Ferraro said. "The exterior is equally important now, and it never was."

Popular inside features: Kitchens, bathrooms, suites

A home is an emotional purchase; it's where people see their life unfolding and they want it to be beautiful; they want it to be a retreat. Don't we all want a little luxury?

— Lisa Ferraro, of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty

High-end buyers in the Hamptons and other pricey areas look for a lifestyle, said Jack Pearson, a licensed real estate broker at Compass.

"They want a five-star experience," said Pearson, who, for the last for the last 25 years, has been selling mostly vacation homes, now priced from $1.5 million to $20 million. Buyers in that price range want high-end appliances, waterworks fixtures in the bathrooms, a pool, sometimes a gym and, in many cases, home offices.

The few homes on the market rarely have everything they want, so buyers are willing to make renovations that create an escape.

"What the pandemic defined for many is that they need a safe haven, and a house and a yard provides a safe haven," he said.

Homeowners create those havens with updated kitchens that are open to living and dining areas, en-suite bathrooms added to each bedroom, multiple living areas like family and game rooms and luxurious outdoor spaces.

"I think what everyone wants is the most they can get in their budget," said Pearson.

David Sharbani, president of Manhasset-based Elite Kitchen & Bath/Express Contracting, said almost all his kitchen and bathroom projects include fully gutting the existing room, which costs from $50,000 to $400,000 for a kitchen, depending on factors like increasing the square footage of the kitchen, or relocating it to a different part of the house.

Sharbani and Lewitas said many of their kitchen renovation projects include removing walls to create an open concept.

That type of project — gutting the kitchen to the studs, reinsulating, rewiring, adding new floors, counters, appliances, fixtures and lighting — costs a minimum of $50,000 up to infinity "because you can do anything," Lewitas said, including relocating stairs, raising ceilings and making other major improvements.

As vice president of his company, Lewitas has seen clients buy a $1 million to $2 million house and spend another $500,000 on renovations.

"The more expensive the house, the less of a marginal decision it is to throw hundreds of thousands of dollars at it," he said.

Faced with a minimum $50,000 price tag for a kitchen renovation, Ferraro advises owners to make more modest updates to most kitchens, like painting aging cabinets, replacing hardware, countertops and backsplash.

"It's a costly endeavor and it doesn't always have to be done."

Having a kitchen that opens to a dining room or family room is the No. 1 thing buyers look for, followed by the primary bedroom being a sanctuary with walk-in closets and spa-like bathrooms, Ferraro said.

Outside the kitchen, most of Sharbani's clients want primary suite upgrades, with walk-in closets and lavish en-suite bathrooms, with the latter costing between $35,000 and $150,000.

For those with a much smaller budget, retiling the bathroom could cost around $12,000, while simply replacing the toilet and sink/vanity can cost $3,000.

Like Sharbani, Lewitas said a reputable licensed construction company gutting a small 5-foot-by-8-foot bathroom will cost a pretty penny, a minimum of $18,000 to $20,000, with more expensive fixtures driving that price up thousands more.

But even buyers with more modest budgets want forms of those things, Ferraro said.

Other features that appeal to buyers include smart-home systems for heating, cooling and security, whole-house water filters, hardwood floors and of course, lots of storage.

Many clients still ask for a home office, so having an extra bedroom, finished basement or other space that can be used as an office is a big plus, Ferraro said.

Absent an additional bedroom or extra space, Ferraro reminded sellers of what may seem obvious: add a fresh coat of paint, remove clutter and keep your house clean.

"A home is an emotional purchase. It's where people see their life unfolding, and they want it to be beautiful; they want it to be a retreat," Ferraro said. "Don't we all want a little luxury?"