What amenities are US house hunters looking for? Hint: Wildfires may be behind a top pick

SALT LAKE CITY — More than a third of Americans in the market for a new home say indoor air quality is a top priority, a new survey found.

Finding a home with a "clean" interior environment ranked high in the survey for Redfin, an online real estate brokerage, that asked would-be buyers to choose the three most important features for a new property from among a list of 22 that included luxury items like heated floors.

Although security systems topped the list, with 38% of house hunters nationwide ranking that as their first, second or third choice, "high-end filtration" for air and water followed close behind, at 36%.

Views, the next most popular feature, trailed at 25% and was followed by smart home technology, 20%; backup power generation, 19%; a layout for entertaining, 17%; a covered outdoor patio, 17%; a gated community, 15%; and climate resistant upgrades, 14%.

The less popular choices included a swimming pool, at-home gym, pet-friendly features, unique architecture, outdoor kitchen, electric vehicle charging station, home theater, heated floors, access to golf and racquet sports and a wine cellar or whisky room.

The survey, conducted in May by the polling firm Ipsos, was fielded to a nationally representative sample of 4,000 U.S. residents, Redfin said, with roughly 1,000 planning to move within the next 12 months responding to the question about expected features.

Redfin previously reported the same survey found 22% of respondents were planning an out of state move for better weather, with 21% citing concerns about "natural disasters or climate risks in my previous area including heat, drought, flooding, fire, smoke or poor air quality."

The latest findings come amid what's already a difficult wildfire season, with Canadian wildfires smothering large portions of the Midwest and Northeast with toxic smoke in mid-July, while extreme conditions fuel blazes in other parts of the U.S., including Utah.

The interest in features like filtration systems that can remove smoke and other pollutants, Redfin said, underscores a broader trend toward creating a healthier indoor environment as a safeguard against the effects of extreme weather and environmental risks.

"As wildfire smoke becomes more common, filtered indoor air is becoming a must-have rather than a nice-to-have," Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather said. "Homebuyers are already looking for homes that can protect their families during smoke events."

Fairweather said she anticipates buyers will soon also want larger single family homes with space "where they can entertain themselves when smoke forces them inside" or condos that offer indoor amenity spaces like gyms.

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