Tips for Millenials on Home Improvement

As a designer, I normally help clients create an individual space that encompasses their own unique view. I have recently dipped my toe into the staging world and thus have expanded my own view on design.

A family in a single-family home can be expected to stay in the home approximately 13 years before moving out. With that in mind, making good choices which you as the home owner will enjoy, but will also appeal to the prospective buyer may be something to consider more. The largest segment that is in a position to buy a home are Millennials.

A Forbe’s report states, Millennials are the biggest group of home buyers in America, 32% of the market, according to a March 2015 report from the National Association of Realtors. Millennial homeowners are saddled with obstacles no previous generation has had to face, like an average student loan debt per borrower that is that’s both monstrous and unprecedented. They’re also less romantic about the whole process than their predecessors — buying before marriage, owning for shorter periods of time, and flipping with gusto and success.

STYLE AND NAME RECONITION
Most millennials have been working on their personal brands ever since they created their first AIM screen name, and now they’re juggling many social media accounts, brands are even more important. How does this translate to interior design? Investments in quality home products such as Graber for window coverings, Sherwin-Williams for paint, Arhus for furniture, BOSH for appliances.  Even IKEA is brand relatable to millennials.

DON’T FORGET THE TECH
The places where millennials choose to spend their money are very telling, the addition of a home work space speaks to the mobile millennial who is less confined by a corporate office or job. The emphasis on outdoor living and entertaining testifies to the importance of togetherness. And with the addition of smart home technology, millennial attitudes toward the home incorporate connectivity in every sense.

WHERE TO SPEND YOUR MONEY
Paint can instantly update a tired old space and make it look, feel, and smell like new I find that home improvement projects that make a house sell fastest is when you paint, update the flooring, replace light fixtures, tend to the yard, and add smart technology.

To get the biggest bang for your buck, stick with colors that have mass appeal so you attract as many potential buyers to your listing as possible. Warm neutrals like yellow or light gray are stylish and clean, signaling that the home is well cared for, or that previous owners had an eye for design that may translate to other areas within the house.

FLOORING
Nothing dates a home more than worn or outdated color carpet. More importantly, most families get acclimated to pet odor found in their carpet, having a prospective buyer get hit in the face with urine odor can nix the deal as soon as they open the front door.   According to the HomeGain 2012 Top Ten DIY Home Improvements, new carpet can bring you as much as 160% ROI (return on investment), while new flooring can bring you 110%.

SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY

Millennials are essentially always interacting with technology…except maybe while they’re asleep…so integrating tech into the home is of the utmost importance. You don’t have to digitize your entire home, but a few smart devices will go a long way.

Don’t feel alone, most of my clients felt the same way.  Many are experts at what they do; they know what they like but don’t have the time or people to accomplish their project. That’s my expertise, I have a successful track record of creating great spaces either with a complete remodel or by up grading their paint, flooring or window coverings.   Please let me be service to you and your dream.