Pools were no longer the ideal backyard upgrade for sellers wanting to put their houses on the market this spring. Mary Hutchison, a real-estate agent with Better Homes and Gardens Realty said that millennial house hunters now request for a backyard vegetable garden.
While homeowners had customarily made the most of good springtime weather to install backyard upgrades such as patios or pools, Hutchison said millennial owners and buyers are now going on a different route. She said that they were making their own pizzas outdoors with vegetables they grew in their garden.
About 32 percent of millennials want to purchase homes over the next year, compared with 25 percent a year ago. Aside from landscaping and other common backyard improvements, popular installations this year with millennials included doorbells with cameras and exterior locks that could be accessed only with a passcode, according to a feature from Marketwatch.
Nearly 50 percent of outdoor renovators spent six or more hours a week in their backyards. They had invested in major features that transformed the outdoors into extra living spaces. Hardy plants, solar lighting, and hardscapes in lawns were some of the popular low-maintenance additions. Some homeowners were also adding motion-sensitive lighting and rain-sensitive irrigation to minimize upkeep.
Hutchison said that millennials were particularly environmentally-conscious when it came to landscaping and yard improvements, adding barrels to trap rainwater, planting native species and grasses, and finding ways to reduce gardening needs. Hutchison said that contemporary grills were popular and added value, as well as open patio space with wooden tool storage boxes. Millennials will opt for a defined area with seats for people to lounge around the perimeter, according to a feature from Realtor.com.
Backyards were not solely for the spring season, as building a stone fire pit could cost less than $1,000, but it is something homeowners could enjoy well into the colder seasons. It will also increase the utility of the outdoor living space for a potential buyer.
