Sound Off: What room is the biggest selling point of a home?

A: Various rooms in a home can be of appeal depending on buyer needs, though remodeled kitchens have risen to the top of the wish list.

Beginning in 2020, as many began working, schooling and sheltering at home, cooking became tantamount. And what many found was that what once was an adequate kitchen, no longer met the three-meals-a-day production demands by its short order cooks. More counter space, storage, lighting, and better appliances became critical. This has fueled the fierce demand for houses in the city, as people shift into spaces that better serve their needs.

Other popular wish-list rooms are en suite baths, workout rooms, office spaces, and outdoor play areas. In absence of one of these, we have cleverly re-purposed room functions for higher use — placing a desk in the bedroom, a Peloton in front of the television, a workstation in the kitchen. We adapt.

As life evolves, it encourages us to re-evaluate our needs in finding our unique slice of the city.

Paul Ybarbo,

Sotheby’s International Realty, 415-640-7281, paul.ybarbo@sothebyshomes.com.

A: The kitchen is by far the most important room in the house, as it has become a main focus of modern family living. It’s become the hub of the home as entertaining becomes increasingly more informal, and combined, open kitchen/breakfast rooms are very popular now, along with large islands, where family and guests can gather while someone is cooking dinner.

A kitchen upgrade will dramatically increase a home’s value — and can be as simple as a paint job, or a complete overhaul.

When planning on selling, a few elements such as refinish/paint cabinets,...