'Gourmet kitchen." "Oversize bedrooms." "Spa tub." The ad makes the home sound spectacular, but when you arrive, expectations don't match reality. These perplexing terms often found in ads sometimes confuse eager house hunters. Some feel downright misled.

"People come in and ask, and many are confused," said Frank Allen, senior sales counselor at Princeton Crossing, a Ryland Homes neighborhood in Tucker, when asked whether these terms always mean the same thing in every ad. "It's just different terminologies."

CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO/Special (ENLARGE)

An example of a designer solid surface countertop.

CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO/Special (ENLARGE)

An example of an open floor plan.

CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO/Special (ENLARGE)

The room in this home features site-finished hardwood floors.

CHRISTOPHER OQUENDO/Special (ENLARGE)

Example of an owner's suite (formerly called master's suite), with sitting area.

LOUIE FAVORITE/Staff (ENLARGE)

The latest status symbol for your house is garage doors that look like old-fashioned carriage house doors. They are showing up on upscale houses in neighborhoods all over town.

But while confusion or frustration among buyers can lose sales, a poorly written or understated ad can keep a home from ever seeing buyers come through the door.

"Buyers always say they don't want fluff in ads, but many times they overlook an ad that's not written well. They want the truth, but they want to know more than just the bare minimum," said Tisha Gay, director of marketing and public relations for Metro Brokers/GMAC Real Estate. She said sellers and their agents are becoming more sophisticated in how the ads are written.

Saying "great bathroom," doesn't tell buyers anything, but Gay said that if an ad points out the home's top qualities, something might be on a buyer's wish list or spark a desire to see the home.

"Depending on what words you choose, it can affect how much a house sells for and how much it takes to sell it," she said.

Sometimes you have to get a little passionate about a property to sell it, but the terms are often subjective, based on factors such as price and location, said Debra Baird, associate broker in the Buckhead office of Harry Norman, Realtors.

"An oversize master in a $200,000 house can be a lot different than an oversize master in a $1 million house," she said. "It's all relative."

To help you navigate the process, sales agents, marketing experts and executives with national builders helped us create a glossary of frequently found terms in new homes and resales.

Gourmet kitchen

Also called a chef's kitchen. A kitchen outfitted with these features: new stainless-steel appliances, built-in microwave, nicer finishes such as granite countertops, an island with a sink, and ample counter space. In the high-end range, buyers could see top-of-the-line appliances such as Viking, Thermador, Wolf and Sub-Zero, double ovens, a six- or eight-burner gas cooktop, vented range hood, two dishwashers, a warming drawer and accessories such as a pot filler.

"Our kitchens have evolved," said Veronica Perez, vice president of sales for Pulte Homes. "They're designed now to be much more ergonomic, much more chef friendly. The sink is in a better location to the fridge [which is] in a better location to your stove. If you're coming out of an older home, the kitchens are designed to flow better."

Spa tub

A jetted bathtub, typically found in the master bathroom. "How many times has anyone been to a spa and got in a tub that hasn't had jets?" Allen said. Pulte also uses the term for its tubs with jets, but Perez said that's not always the case for other builders, where they could only be referring to a tub larger than those in secondary bathrooms.

In-law suite

An area, frequently found on the main level or basement, with a bedroom with a closet and access to a full bath. Sales agents and marketing experts disagree on whether the bathroom should have private access or the suite should have features such as a sitting area and a separate entrance. Carol Flammer, owner of Flammer Relations, said it should have a separate living area with a full kitchen or at least a refrigerator, microwave and sink.

Carriage-style garage doors

Wood or metal doors made to resemble doors that swing out, such as those on a barn or carriage house. They often have a decorative design such as crisscross panels, wrought-iron hardware, and possibly glass inserts. These used to be only in high-end homes, but Flammer said they're now in homes priced $150,000s and up.

Solid surface countertops

Countertops that are solid all the way through, such as granite, marble, Corian, Silestone and Zodiaq quartz, Avonite, soapstone and butcher block. That's opposed to having laminate or ceramic tile, which sit on a wooden base.

Flex space

A space that could have a variety of uses, such as a theater room, study, office, exercise room, bedroom or playroom. It usually is unfinished, allowing the buyer to choose the purpose.

Open floor plan

A main floor setup where at least two of three rooms – the kitchen/breakfast area, dining room and keeping room/family room – aren't divided by a full wall. "I've only been in one house that's totally open when you walk in the front door and it's everything," Baird said. Half walls, columns, breakfast bars or other architectural elements are usually part of the plan, which defines the rooms and allows furniture to back up to a wall. This also could include areas such as the foyer and a sunroom, Gay said.

Tot lot

A small playground, with a new wooden or plastic swing set with a slide and ladder and possibly other climbing and riding equipment.

Updated systems

New heating and air conditioning units in resales. Also could refer to other electric wiring and plumbing in the home, and might apply to the security and computer network, Flammer said.

Owner's suite with sitting area

The first part is the new term for a master's suite, which Flammer said builders are using less of due to several factors, including the changing demographic makeup of a family. It would have room for a king-size bed and furniture, with approximately 14-by-18 dimensions, said Betty Harbourt, executive vice president, the Marketing Directors. Sitting area and sitting room are used interchangeably, Gay said. A sitting room means a small room off the master bedroom; a sitting area often means the room is large enough to have extra chairs or a chaise lounge. They could be separated by doors, architectural elements such as archways and alcoves, or by the configuration of the room, depending on the shape, Perez said. For an idea of the space, Baird estimates a sitting area would encompass 20 percent of the suite.

Site-finished hardwood floors

Unfinished hardwood floors that are nailed down to subflooring (instead of glued), sanded, stained and sealed at the home. Site-finished floors, which are more expensive, and pre-finished each have their benefits and drawbacks. "To me, they just make a house," Baird said of the site-finished sort. She said they allow the homeowner to judge how much sheen they want, and they can be refinished later. Large national builders such as Pulte and Ryland use pre-finished, citing the consistency of the staining and ease of replacing a piece that may need repair. "I can consistently deliver a beautiful floor. I don't run the risk of some guy walking across [them] or my stain not being just right or my polyurethane clouding," Perez said.

Designer trim and lighting packages

Trim and lighting that is beyond basic molding and globe lights, Gay said. For the trim, she said it could include taller baseboards or extra molding around the doors, windows, columns, ceilings sometimes with carved details or curves in the wood. Sometimes it refers to rooms with wainscoting, chair rails and coffered ceilings, Flammer said. The fixtures could include chandeliers, recessed can lights, under-cabinet lighting, ceiling fans and sconces in a variety of styles and finishes.

State-of-the-art fitness center

A community amenity with new cardio machines (such as treadmill, elliptical and Stair master), television, weight system, matted floors and mirrors. "State of the art means that you have invested in equipment that is more than just a jump rope and dumbbells," Perez said. "It doesn't always necessarily mean you are going to get in there and find a Bally's." Sometimes includes free weights, aerobics/yoga areas, sauna, changing area/showers and massage rooms. Some of the cardio machines will have their own TVs.

Oversize bedrooms

Secondary bedrooms larger than 10-by-10 or 10-by-12 with a walk-in closet. But for a home priced $500,000 and up, the dimensions would be greater, such as 12-by-12 or more. In addition to the bed, "they should be able to fit a chest, an armoire for a TV, maybe a chaise lounge where they can have a reading area," Baird said.

INS AND OUTS OF REAL ESTATE

A look at old and new ways to describe the same aspects of a home and other real estate terms.