Five home upgrades that put millennial buyers off

It should be fairly obvious that the millennial generations look at homes and lifestyles very differently to older generations. Despite perceptions that they don’t like owning things, they do actually desire financial stability and home ownership.

According to realtor.com they do however have rather different requirements when it comes to what they want from a home. Millennials often seek out properties that are move-in ready with room for customisation. They are also quite particular about what they don’t want, so think about these upgrades as they could turn millennials away from your property as fast as you can say “what’s your Wi-Fi password”.

1. Fixed floor plans and layouts
The traditional concept of how a house should be laid out in terms of a lounge, dining room and where bedrooms should be is outdated when it comes to millennials. They want modern, open spaces with free-flow and more emphasis on lifestyle versus stuffy old rooms full of things.

2. Formal dining room
While older generations cherished dinner time, millennials are a generation on-the-go and they have little interest in fancy dinner plates and silver tea sets. They want useful live-in spaces and a dining room which is not used is a waste of space.

3. Game rooms and memorabilia
Millennials don’t want to be defined by their possessions and do not want them showcased in a room. While into all things techno and gaming and living a digital existence, they don’t like stuffy bar rooms, but prefer a more modern media room with space for a large television and other media such as surround sound.

4. Plush carpeting
Millennials like it modern and bare and that includes floors. They have no use for stuffy old plush carpeting in the home but want trendy floors with statement rugs and furniture pieces. Screed floors, tiles and wooden flooring are more in keeping with their lifestyle trends. They also prefer more pet-friendly spaces, another reason why carpets just don’t do it for them.

5. Dramatic landscaping
While millennials care about the environment and have a fondness for indoor plants, they do not like over the top landscaped gardens with dramatic features, nor do they want massive lawns which require fertilizer and maintenance. They want a bit of green and a nice outdoor entertainment area with a swimming pool, but nothing more.