Building a new modular home gives you the opportunity to create a space around the way you want to live. From choosing a modern cabin, log cabin, or ADU to selecting your floor plan and finishes, you have plenty of ways to make your new home your own.
But with so many options, which features are actually worth including?
The right features can make everyday life easier, give family and friends more reasons to gather, and create a home you’ll enjoy for years to come. They can also add appeal if you eventually sell your home or plan to use it as a rental property.
As an experienced modular home builder, we’ve seen which features homeowners consistently ask for and enjoy. Here are 20 features worth considering as you plan your new home.
1. Mudroom
A mudroom is often one of the first spaces people see when they enter your home, so it’s a great opportunity to make a good first impression. Add cubbies, hooks, benches, and other storage to help keep clutter from taking over your entryway.
If you have kids, a mudroom gives them a dedicated drop zone for shoes, coats, backpacks, sports equipment, and everything else that tends to pile up near the door. If you have pets, you can keep leashes, toys, bags, towels, and other supplies there, too.
It’s one of those spaces that may seem simple, but it can make a big difference in keeping your home organized.
2. Large Pantry
A large pantry is a hugely desirable feature, especially if you want more storage without cluttering your kitchen.
It gives you a dedicated place for bulk food, small appliances, and other kitchen essentials that might otherwise take up cabinet or counter space.
And because you can see everything in one place, it’s easier to grab what you need while you’re cooking instead of searching through several different cabinets.
3. Smart Home Features
A smart home can take some of those small, repetitive daily tasks off your plate by automating them. With the right smart features, your home can adjust the temperature, turn lights on and off, monitor energy usage, lock the doors, and more.
You can keep things simple with a few smart devices or go further with features like a whole-home audio system.
If you’re not sure which ones are actually worth adding, check out our guide to smart home features worth the hype.
4. Attached Garage
While a detached garage can be easier to add later, an attached garage offers additional conveniences.
You can store your vehicle out of the weather and go straight from your car into your home without stepping out into the rain or snow.
If you live somewhere with colder winters, it can also mean fewer mornings spent scraping ice or defrosting your windshield. Beyond vehicle storage, an attached garage gives you connected space for bikes, outdoor equipment, tools, seasonal decorations, and anything else you’d rather keep out of the house.
With the right design choices, it can match your modular home and feel like a natural extension of it.
5. Child-Safe Features
If you have young children, there are child-safe features you can plan for while designing your home.
Some are simple to add later, while others may be worth thinking about from the start. Motion sensors can alert you if a child enters an area you want to keep off limits, such as a pool or hot tub.
TVs, heavy furniture, and appliances can be secured to help prevent tipping, while gates around pools, decks, and stairs can help prevent falls or access to unsafe areas. Non-slip stairs and built-in treads can also help make everyday spaces safer.
For more ideas, check out our guide to childproofing your home.
6. Outdoor Living & Gathering Space
A great outdoor space gives you another place to gather without adding more rooms to your home.
A deck, patio, porch, pavilion, or hardscaped area can create space for family dinners, entertaining friends, or simply relaxing outside at the end of the day.
It can also give you a starting point for some of the more exciting features on this list.
7. Hot Tub
A hot tub is a crowd favorite for a reason.
It gives friends and family a place to gather, relax, and spend time together, and because the water is heated, you can enjoy it throughout much of the year.
It’s also hard to beat having a spa-like place to unwind without leaving home. If you plan to use your modular home as a vacation rental, a hot tub can also be an amenity that helps your property stand out to potential guests.
Zook Cabins offers Strong Spas hot tubs that can be added to your outdoor space.
8. Sauna
A sauna can turn part of your outdoor space into a relaxing retreat right at home.
It gives you a dedicated place to slow down and unwind without leaving home. Like a hot tub, it’s also the kind of feature that can make a home feel a little more special than the average property. If you plan to use your home as a vacation rental, a sauna can also help create the experience guests are looking for when they get away.
Explore Zook Cabins’ outdoor saunas, or learn more about why saunas can be a great addition to a rental property.
9. Private Guest or Multigenerational Space
If you regularly host parents, in-laws, or friends, giving them their own space can make visits more comfortable for everyone. A private guest suite or separate living space gives guests a place to sleep, relax, and enjoy a little privacy while keeping them close to the rest of the household. Another option is an ADU, which is a smaller, separate home on the same property. Depending on local regulations, an ADU can be a great option for parents, adult children, long-term guests, or anyone who wants to stay nearby without sharing the main living space.
10. Covered or Screened-In Porch
A porch or patio already gives you more space to enjoy the outdoors, but screening it in can make that space even more comfortable. Screens help keep bugs out while still letting in fresh air, making it easier to enjoy meals, entertain friends, or relax outside. A more enclosed design can also provide additional protection from wind and weather, helping protect your outdoor furniture. The right design can help you enjoy the space more of the year, especially in milder climates.
11. Fireplaces
There’s something about a fireplace that naturally makes a home feel more inviting.
Beyond adding warmth on colder days, it can become a cozy focal point that changes the feel of the entire living room. You can also choose from wood burning, gas, or electric options based on the look and level of maintenance you want. Not sure which is right for your home?
Check out our guide to choosing the best fireplace for your modular home, th e answer may surprise you!
12. Walk-In Closet
A walk-in closet gives you plenty of room to keep your entire wardrobe organized in one place. With a mix of hanging space, shelves, and floor storage, there’s room for everything from clothes and shoes to hats, bags, and accessories.
With a larger walk-in closet, you may even have enough space to keep seasonal clothing out year-round instead of constantly swapping out your wardrobe. It also gives you a place to keep things like laundry baskets out of the bedroom.
13. Game or Recreation Room
A game or recreation room gives family and friends a dedicated place to have fun without taking over the main living space. You could go with a classic game room featuring a pool table, arcade games, or a board game table. If video games are more your speed, you can set up a PC gaming setup or a TV with your favorite consoles. For families with younger kids, it can be as simple as a playroom with blocks, toys, books, and plenty of room to play.
14. Home Theater or Media Room
Bring the movie theater experience home with a large screen, theater-style seating, and maybe even a popcorn machine and shelves stocked with your favorite snacks.
If a dedicated theater isn’t your thing, this space could also serve as a second family room with a TV and comfortable couches.
Having 2 separate spaces to watch TV can come in handy when everyone wants to watch something different. One person can catch the game while the kids put on a movie, and no one has to fight over the remote.
15. Pool
I mean, who hasn’t wanted a pool at their house?
It gives you a place to cool down on hot summer days, play games with the kids, or invite friends over for a pool party.
Add some lounge chairs, tables, and other seating around it, and the poolside area can become another gathering space for your home.
16. Outdoor Heating
Pair outdoor heating with a patio, screened-in porch, deck, or poolside lounge area, and you can enjoy the space even when the temperature starts to drop.
It’s great for cozy nights spent watching the stars, reading a book, or simply staying outside longer without having to head indoors as soon as it gets chilly.
Depending on your space, you could add patio heaters, mounted heaters, or another outdoor heating option that fits the setup.
17. Outdoor Kitchens or Dining Areas
If you spend a lot of time by the pool or hot tub, an outdoor kitchen means you don’t have to dry off and head inside every time you want a snack or meal. It’s also great for entertaining on nice days. Friends and family can hang out, play yard games, and enjoy a meal without everyone going back and forth between the house and outdoor space. Add your kitchen under a pavilion, gazebo, or pergola with a grill, countertop space, storage, and a dining table, and you can create a true second cooking and dining area outside.
18. Outdoor Fire pit or Fireplace
A firepit or outdoor fireplace can quickly become the focal point of your outdoor space. Gather around a firepit on a chilly fall evening to roast marshmallows, drink hot cocoa, or spend time with friends and family. An outdoor fireplace can also be built into a screened-in porch, pavilion, patio, or other gathering space, giving you a warm, cozy place to settle in outside.
19. 2 Primary Suites
Why stop at one primary suite? Having two gives more than one person in the home a spacious bedroom with extras like a private bathroom and a walk-in closet. It can be especially useful for multigenerational households, frequent guests, or couples who prefer separate spaces without one person ending up with the smaller bedroom. It’s not a feature you see in every home, which is exactly what can make it stand out.
20. Large Kitchen Island With Seating
This may sound simple, but we’re not talking about an ordinary kitchen island. Make it large enough for plenty of seating, and it becomes more than a place to prep and cook meals. It can become a central gathering spot for breakfast, homework, games, or catching up at the end of the day. For families, an open kitchen with island seating can also make it easier to keep an eye on the kids while you cook. And when you’re entertaining, you can prep food without having to step away from the conversation.
What Makes a Home More Desirable?
You don’t need every feature on this list to create a desirable home. In fact, home buyer research from the National Association of Realtors shows that buyers prioritize a mix of practical features, storage, gathering spaces, and outdoor amenities. When deciding which ones are worth adding, think about what you want to get out of your home and ask yourself:
- Will you actually enjoy and use it? Choose features that make your home more comfortable, convenient, or fun for the way you live.
- Will it give people more reasons to gather? Think about features that make your home a place family and friends want to spend time.
- Could it appeal to a future buyer? Consider how useful or appealing the feature may be to someone else if you eventually sell.
- Could it make a rental more appealing to guests? Look for amenities that enhance the guest experience and give guests more to enjoy during their stay. Airbnb reports that guests often search for stays based on specific amenities, with pools and hot tubs among the most-searched features.
- Will it still make sense years from now? Think about how useful the feature will be as your household’s needs and lifestyle change.
Design a Home You’ll Still Love Years From Now
As you choose features, look beyond what sounds exciting today. Your home may need to work differently for you 5, 10, or 20 years from now.
A playroom might eventually become an office, guest room, or hobby space. Extra bedrooms and bathrooms can give you room for a growing family, grandchildren, parents, or overnight guests. Main-floor living may also become more convenient as you get older. In fact, AARP recommends considering future mobility when planning a home, including things like first-floor living and accessible bathrooms.
Think about your property as a whole, too. Even if a garage, ADU, pool, or larger outdoor living area isn’t part of your plans right now, considering what you may want later can help you plan your home and site with the future in mind.
Create a Home People Want to Spend Time In
You don’t need all 20 features to create a home you love. The goal is to choose the ones that fit the way you want to live. Maybe that means a walk-in pantry and mudroom that make everyday life easier, a large kitchen island where everyone gathers, or a hot tub, sauna, and firepit that make your house the place friends and family always want to visit.
At Zook Cabins, you can start with a modern cabin, log cabin, or ADU floor plan and make it your own with the features and amenities that matter to you. From attached garages and extra living spaces to pools, hot tubs, saunas, and outdoor gathering areas, you can create a home that goes beyond having everything you need and gives you a place you genuinely enjoy sharing with the people in your life.
