6 features that will make a home more expensive to buy, according to an expert

• Buying a house is a big investment.
• A real estate expert told Insider that certain features typically make a home cost more.
• Location, amenities, square footage, and newer additions can all add to the purchase cost.

Buying a home is a costly investment.

There's the obvious price tag of purchasing a place to live, but houses always come with surprising costs like repairs or down payments. But specific amenities can make homes more expensive to buy in the first place.

Insider spoke to an expert about the features that can make a house cost more on the market - from location to appliances - as well as about how potential buyers can save money as they search for their dream house.

You're going to pay more for the things that set a home apart

Insider spoke to Nichole Holmes, a Tennessee real estate agent and the co-host of Netflix's "Marriage or Mortgage," which follows couples who have to choose between buying a house or throwing a wedding, about the most common parts of a home that will make it a pricier buy.

She said features that make a house larger - like more square footage, bonus rooms, or extra bedrooms - will all make the price tag higher.

Holmes also told Insider that the location, updated appliances, and new technology, like alarm systems, will also make a house cost more.

Sometimes these additional amenities can be less expensive, but they're usually costly when the real estate market is doing well, as it has been during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It hasn't slowed down," Holmes told Insider of her own business. "The real estate industry has still been considered essential."

Working with a licensed real estate agent can help buyers save money in the long run

Although a home will likely cost you a lot of money, Holmes says there are ways to make the investment less expensive, and she often works with people who don't even realize how much they could really afford.

Holmes said that real estate agents can help you find a loan that makes sense for your situation.

"People just don't even know that they are set up to get great loans," she said.

A real estate agent can also help you save money by guiding you through the contract process.

"The easy part is finding the house and falling in love with it," Holmes said. "The hard part comes in after you signed that document saying that you want to put an offer in, and then to get it to the closing table, a lot of hiccups can happen."

"That's why the professionals are here, and it's well worth the commission that the seller pays to have the agent," she added.

Holmes also recommends couples save money before they start house shopping.

"You need to have been on the path and know that that's what you want to be doing," she said.

You can watch "Marriage or Mortgage," which premiered on Wednesday, on Netflix.