Life @ Home eNewsletter November 2020 for Sellers

» What are first-time home buyers looking for?
» What about wallpaper? 3 innovative wallpaper trends
» Record-breaking winters

Today’s first-time home buyers are a unique bunch. They are typically millennials, budget-conscious, and looking for smaller and less expensive homes. Many have been renting for a long time — longer than they wanted to — and when they get to the home buying stage, they’re excited and ready to go.

Here are four key things that today’s first-time home buyers are looking for.

Great photos: Millennials do most things online, including shopping for a home. To attract first-time home buyers, your listing needs to include a good number of high-quality photos. Before bringing in a photographer, consider completing cosmetic upgrades to improve the home’s aesthetic.

Small spaces: These days, first-time buyers tend to be OK with less square footage, as long as the home feels functional and flexible. Staging a smaller home with multi-use items, such as a fold-out bed and hideaway storage, can create a sense of efficiency and potential.

Be nice: For first-time buyers, the home buying process often feels very personal. Overly aggressive or dishonest tactics are likely to drive them off. On the other hand, simple gestures like being flexible during showings are a reliable way to generate good will and soothe nerves.

Eco-friendly features: Energy-efficient appliances, smart thermostats and solar panels tend to appeal to millennial first-time buyers. They’re savvy to the cost savings these technologies bring, and tend to be drawn to them as an easy way to reduce their overall carbon footprint.

Wallpaper is back, and it’s trendier and more innovative than ever. The introduction of non-woven (AKA peel and stick) products have made wallpaper infinitely easier to apply. Now anyone can experiment with its bright colors and bold patterns.

If you’re interested in getting into the world of wallpaper, here are three innovative trends to consider.

Big Patterns for Small Spaces: With COVID-19, many people are feeling confined at home. If you’re starting to feel a small room close in around you, putting up large-patterned wallpaper can help. It’s a great way to trick the eye into seeing more space.

Going Green: Until recently, many wallpaper options on the market were vinyl. Vinyl wallpaper has great durability, but its production involves toxic wastewater and major carbon emissions. Most of today’s wallpapers are instead made from recyclable paper. Some products go ever further by offering products exclusively sourced from sustainably managed forests.

3-D Design: Adding an extra dimension to walls is a hot topic, and wallpaper is driving the trend. There are several ways to achieve the 3-D effect including abstract prints, photo murals and textured wallpaper.

Coldest city: Fairbanks, AK – average winter high 7° F
Warmest city: Miami, FL – average winter high 70° F
Most snowfall in a day: Silver Lake, CO – 6’ 4” on April 15, 1921
Most snowfall in a year: Mount Baker, WA – 95’ in 1998/1999