Home Features That Millennial Home Buyers Love

Southern charm living is a dream, but when you’re ready to put your house on the market, you want to sell it in a New York minute. Your chances are better if you market to millennials. People between the age of 25 and 40 make up the largest demographic of homebuyers right now. 

When looking for the perfect house, young couples (and singles) want all the conveniences with little effort – something that’s in pristine, move-in condition. Before putting your house on the market, consider adding a few new features sure to bring buyers to the front door.

The Front Door   

Among the first things house buyers see is the front door … let it scream “southern!”  Southern front door styles vary with bright colors, sculpted wood and glass, French and New Orleans styles, and whatever else strikes your fancy. If replacing the front door isn’t an option, give it a coat of paint and hardware makeover. Place a welcome mat near the threshold.

The Great Outdoors

The average millennial works more than 50 hours a week. The last thing they want is a lot of fix-up work, especially for the front and back yards. Younger homeowners enjoy a garden, but only if it’s a low-maintenance garden that they don’t have to spend hours working on. A neat and pristine yard signals the landscaping is easy to care for. Before listing your house, make sure you take care of the groundwork.

• Mow the grass

• Weed the flower beds

• Trim shrubs and hedges

• Replace broken mailboxes and house numbers

• Power washing the driveway and sidewalks

• Fix cracks in asphalt and cement

Choose the right warm-season grass that will handle kids' play. Grow native plants like cardinal flowers, southern magnolias, American beautyberry, Carolina jessamine, and purple coneflowers. Native plants need little water or fertilizer and they’re pest and disease-resistant. Spice up the flowerbeds with ornamental grasses such as weeping sedge, bluestem, and the Japanese sweet flag. Window boxes, hanging baskets, and sun catchers add to the home’s curb appeal. 

Backyard Living

Rather than look for big houses, millennials let their living space spill into the backyard.  Enhance the intrinsic value of your home by showcasing its outdoor possibilities. Greenville’s pleasant climate makes it possible to use the backyard all year long.

Outdoor Kitchens, built-in barbecues, hot tubs, fire pits, pergolas, gazebos, decks, patios, pavers, swings, and rockers are a draw for millennial homebuyers. 

Privacy fencing is crucial, especially if they have a dog (or two or three). Before digging that first post, check with the city about fence permits and placement regulations.  

Xeriscaping in areas of the front or backyard involves rocks, landscaping, drought-tolerant plants, and hardscaping. The best part? After it’s established, xeriscaping is nearly maintenance-free.

Get Smart

With artificial Intelligence and a tap of your cell phone, you can control door locks, window shades, doorbells, swimming pool heaters, lighting, and just about everything else on your property.

• Lights

• Electric outlets

• Window blinds

• Awnings

• Smoke detectors

• Thermostats  

Smart technology is coming up with something new every year. How about an app-controlled sprinkler that lets you know when the lawn needs watering? Or a sensor that lets the dog out into a fenced yard? You may have lived without all these things, but today’s homebuyers think “smart is cool.”

Indoors -- the Kitchen  

Wide-open spaces and tap-of-the-phone technology are among the wants of today's millennial homebuyers. Large kitchens are the place to be for eating, socializing, and watching television. If you cannot tear out a wall to expand the kitchen, consider replacing countertops, upgrading cabinets, and installing energy-efficient appliances.  

Office Space

Formal dining rooms are history. But they make nice home office spaces. That’s a huge selling point with the majority of millennials who now work from home.  You can also set aside space in a loft or basement ... somewhere to work, pay bills, and socialize online. Set up a table with power strips for charging cell phones, tablets, and laptop computers. A strong Wi-Fi signal throughout the home is an absolute must. 

Read our blog on how to set up an office in a small place!

Bathrooms

Cleaning bathrooms is no fun, imagine trying to scrape off all the scum that’s built up over the years! Your buyer certainly doesn’t want to clean up after your mess (and you don’t either). Now’s the time to upgrade. Tear up old flooring and tile. Replace shower doors, showerheads, and rusted faucets. Toilet seats get worn out over time.   

Millennial homebuyers are mostly coming from condos and apartments where someone else does all the maintenance. Turn your house into the home of the day. Do the heavy repairs now so your home is move-in ready when the millennial homebuyers sign on the dotted line.

If you would like more suggestions on what you can do to get your house ready for sale, reach out to one of our agents!

Zach Edwards is a lifestyle and landscape and design writer. He has refurbished a number of older homes and commercial buildings with a focus on spaces for entertaining.