The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) home buyer preference survey asks people that bought homes the previous year about the importance of 75 home features and room types. The NAR recently release the results from home buyers of 2006 and the most 7 desired features were as follows.

1. Whether this trend is a sign of bigger cars or a need for more storage space is unknown, but 57% of people surveyed said an oversized garage with 2 or more spaces was the most important aspect of their purchasing decision.

2. Next up was air conditioning. Listed as very important by 75% of respondents, higher percentages were found in the South and Midwest where higher temperatures make life without AC unbearable.

3. An average of 53% of buyers preferred a walk-in closet in the master bedroom of their home. This rate was highest in the South with 66% of respondents saying that this was a very important feature of a potential home.

4. Hardwood floors have been gaining popularity since 2004, rising 7 percentage point in this year’s survey to see 28% of purchasers wanting them in their homes.

5. Another design element also rose 7 percentage points. Granite countertops have become more of a priority for home buyers in recent years as well with 23% citing this as a desired feature.

6. Although many companies offer free installation for most satellite or cable programs, a house that was already satellite or cable ready was listed as very important to 46% of buyers.

7. And even though buyers are looking for bigger bedrooms they want fewer of them. The average number of bedrooms has fallen from 4 to 3 over the past few years while the square footage of houses has risen by an average of 100 square feet.

Many buyers said in the survey that they were willing to pay extra to have any of the above features included in their purchased home. They were also willing to pay more for waterfront properties by a median of $4,760. The most popular rooms sought? The garage, living room and laundry room.