If you plan to sell your home in the coming months or have an investment property to offload, you may be looking at ways to improve the house, so it’s more appealing to buyers.
For anyone in this boat, it pays to consider not just older potential property purchasers but also the younger generations. After all, the millennial market is significant, and this age group is one of the critical demographics worth targeting in your sales plans. Here are some ways to design properties with this buyer type in mind.
Add Smart Home Tech
Smart home technology is snowballing, and millennials are undoubtedly keen purchasers of these kinds of gadgets. Wired devices can help people save power and reduce emissions, protecting the planet at the same time. With millennials very focused on sustainability, this is a plus. When you build or renovate a property, then, pay attention to how gadget-friendly the home is.
You could install internet-connected thermostats, ovens, fridges, doorbells, and garage and front doors. You might also choose smart light bulbs for around the house and smart security systems, among other things. In particular, though, even if you don’t include any specific smart home gadgets in the property, at least provide people with excellent Wi-Fi capabilities. Plus, wherever possible, enable access to ethernet cabling and install plenty of power points. If the latter have USB functionality in them, that’s even better.
Keep Design Pared Back
Another tip is to keep the design somewhat pared back and simple. Stick with more neutral colors and sleek styling rather than anything too outlandish or bright. Millennials can add splashes of their preferred colors in the accents and furniture pieces they bring with them.
You can use muted shades in your choice of wall colors, flooring, appliances, fixtures, cupboards, and shelving. You can still create a modern vibe, though. For example, check out https://www.hunterfan.com/collections/modern-ceiling-fans for examples of sophisticated-looking ceiling fans.
Make Sure Properties Aren’t Too High Maintenance
Next, keep in mind that millennials are busy and value spending their time catching up with family and friends, enjoying entertainment, exercising, and more. They don’t want homes that require heaps of housekeeping and maintenance and therefore search for properties that won’t require too many hours of upkeep every week.When designing a property for this younger target market, choose materials and products that are easy-care and wear well. Select flooring that can be easily mopped or vacuumed, finishes that don’t need repainting or oiling, and benchtops that don’t mark easily. Opt for easy-to-clean drapes and blinds and install self-cleaning appliances wherever possible.
Incorporate a Home Office
Millions of people have started working from home over the last year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, so a home office is a plus in any property now. However, millennials are especially likely to keep working from home long term since they enjoy flexible working arrangements.
In your properties, incorporate designated home office spaces with built-in storage for bonus points. These spaces should be as private and quiet as possible, with doors that close or at least partitions or some other separation if you can’t set up a completely separate room for a home office.
If you envisage one of the bedrooms or a basement, attic, or part of a garage as the work from home area, it’s best to stage this appropriately so potential buyers can visualize how they might be able to use the zone for their work hours. For instance, put a desk and some shelving in the room, plus a lamp and a bookcase.
Provide Handy Outdoor Space
Millennials want low-key properties that don’t require too much maintenance, as mentioned above, and they get much of their outdoor needs met at external amenities such as gyms, parks, and the like. However, they still want homes that have some manageable outdoor space. They need an area available for recreation, entertaining, and even work if they want a change of scenery for inspiration.
You could put in a small decked or paved area for seating and dining and some drought-friendly shrubs that don’t need too much taking care of. Many millennials have pets, too, so if you can ensure your property is securely fenced, that will make your property even more attractive.
Many people think that millennials are incredibly fussy buyers, but it’s more that they know what they want and expect quality in their homes. If you design your properties with all the above elements in mind, you should have no trouble attracting millennial buyers.
