According to Realtor.com’s 2020 Housing Market Predictions, millennials or those born between 1981 and 1996 are going to buy the most houses during the year 2020. So, it’s a good idea to target your listings to millennial homebuyers. However, you may not be able to sell homes to millennials with the same old staging ideas. You need to understand what they expect from their future homes and stage your properties accordingly.
To make it easier, I am sharing some home staging ideas as per the millennial home buying trends that will help you stage the perfect home for your potential millennial homebuyers.
A Practical Home Office
Millennials usually prefer self-employment. And, more often than not, they like a small, secluded office in their homes. Moreover, remote working is trending. So, even if you’re listing a compact home, try and incorporate a subtle office design when staging the property. Add a desk, a few books, some stationery items, an LED table lamp, a comfy chair, a rug, a plant, and top it off with some wall artwork. Minimal and attractive décor like this will highly attract millennial homebuyers.
Furnishing that Wows Millennials
Millennials prefer a tasteful mix of traditional and modern when it comes to furniture. They like furniture that makes a statement without being over the top. So, go for minimal, contemporary furniture pieces. Add a pop of color with throw cushions and curtains. You must steer clear of wall-to-wall rugs. Natural wooden flooring will accentuate the simplicity of the space and also make it look more spacious.
Also, any buyer would be more interested in the selling point of your listing. So, make sure the fireplace, moldings, kitchen storage, etc. are attractive.
Relaxing Outdoor Spaces
In a survey by Better Homes and Gardens, 77% of millennials who participated said that they want their outdoor space to feel like a retreat where they can relax. So, it’s a good idea to give the patio, porch, and balcony spaces equal attention as you would give to the interiors. You can add wicker chairs with some throw rugs and cushions or go for rocking chairs to give the space a proper outdoorsy flair. Don’t leave out the greens; the greener, the better. To complete the décor, add a coffee table and place a couple of magazines.
Smart Home
Millennials are used to getting anything with a tap on their phone. Imagine offering them a home that understands their habits. They would love a home with modern capabilities, such as voice assistant, keyless entry system, convenient USB outlets, IoT-operated appliances, etc. You can always add these costs to the pricing.
Game Room/Gathering Space
Every millennial buyer would love either a game room or a lively living space. You can get creative and mix these two together to show the potential of the home to adapt to the whims and fancies of the buyer.
One most important trend that you need to look out for, if you’re trying to sell homes to millennials, is the use of technology in real estate. Virtual home staging or 3D home design has gained massive popularity because of its advantages over traditional staging. But before we go into that, here’s a small definition of virtual staging to brief you:
Virtual staging can be referred to as online interior design, in which your property is staged virtually in pictures without the staging furniture. Most buyers, especially millennials, prefer viewing the property online so that they can shortlist without going to showings unnecessarily. This makes virtual staging a practical solution. Moreover, it has some added benefits:
- Virtual home staging costs way less than traditional staging. You do not need to buy or rent furniture, which will tremendously save costs.
- You will save on the cost of manpower for furniture installation and the cost of photoshoots.
- Cost of minor fixes in photographs such as fixing broken doorknobs, window glasses, flaky paint, etc. will be covered.
- With online interior design, you can customize home staging as per different listings and people.
- Vacant staged homes are the hotspots for burglars. With virtual staging, you will eliminate this risk.
If you’re looking for the best in class virtual staging services, Styldod is your ultimate destination. Get in touch with us to find out how you can leverage our solutions and sell your property quicker with great return on investment.
Author Bio:
Rahul Agarwal is the Co-founder & Chief Business Officer at Styldod, where he has taught a computer to do interior design! Styldod provides the most hassle-free & inexpensive virtual staging solutions for real estate agents so they can sell their listings faster, and for higher prices. Rahul was also a co-founder of Mebelkart (which is acquired by Ask Me). He’s your everyday IIT Kanpur nerd who pushes the boundaries with his innovative entrepreneurial stints and is also a sound startup investor & advisor. Rahul attributes his success as a professional to the discipline he has learned from his district hockey days, being a swimmer and a gym enthusiast.