their cars looks like something out of the movie “Twister,”
you’ve got a problem.
*Millennials: All-new appliances. Realtors will tell you that
major kitchen (and bath) upgrades aren’t generally worth their
high costs, in terms of return on investment, since prospective
buyers’ tastes can clash with yours. However, Millennials love,
love, love all-new stainless steel appliances. So much so that
what RealtyTimes.com called “an astonishing majority of 75
percent” of respondents in a recent survey chose to spend their
hypothetical home buying budgets on them.
DO-IT-YOURSELF LANDSCAPING THAT
DOESN’T LOOK IT
A FEW KEY UPGRADES THAT CAN REALLY
PAY OFF
It’s time to stop thinking of Millennials as totally uninterested
in owning anything just because they were early adopters
of Uber. The newly released U.S. home ownership rate rose
in 2018 for the first time in 13 years—it now stands at 64.2
percent—driven mainly by a shift toward owning over renting
by the under-35 crowd who’d been wary of committing for both
financial and personal reasons.
“This is happening because young households are buying
homes,” Ralph McLaughlin, chief economist at home listings
provider Trulia, told the Wall Street Journal. They’re not the
only purchasers, of course. But if you’re looking to sell your
house now or in the not-too-distant future, you might want to
check out this generational roadmap of four upgrades experts
say are worth it to help attract potential buyers.
*Cross-generational: a new steel door. The only thing that
beat it on Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report
was loose-fill attic insulation, but this project—with a 90.7
percent return on investment—speaks directly to the report’s
main takeaway: “Curb appeal projects, by and large, generated
higher returns on investment than work done inside the home.”
Plus, as far as Millennials go, while
their ideal interiors may differ from
older generations—for example,
they prefer open floor plans
and hardwood floors—
Architectural Digest says
they’re still into “traditional”
exteriors.
*Millennials: Smart-
home tech. Yes, there are
Boomers and Gen Xers
who are super tech-savvy,
but Millennials especially
crave homes that allow them
to control their heating, air-
conditioning, home security, and
lighting systems from their phones. They
want to use their brains for other things, not for remembering
whether they adjusted the heat or closed the garage door.
*Cross-generational: A new roof. It’s the ultimate curb
appeal enhancer and buyers pay a premium for one already in
place. So if the first thing prospects notice even before exiting
22
724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE
❘
icmags.com
If you’ve ever attempted to transform your
backyard into a beautifully designed
paradise, then you have
probably planted, trimmed
and dug your way into a
few minor frustrations
along the way. While
good landscaping
can vary by degrees
including budget,
skills and climate,
there are a few easy
things you can do in
order to be proud of
your landscaping without
paying an expert.
The following tips will guide
you on the right path to do-it-yourself
landscaping:
*Always layer your planting beds. Layering in three
rows, begin with your tallest plants in the back row, next tallest
in the middle and your shortest plants in the front. And don’t
just plant one bed—put another elsewhere in your yard to help
provide a sense of harmony.
*Calm your yard with water features. Providing focal
points in your landscaping work is a must, and one great way
is to incorporate water features such as ponds and simple
waterfalls. They both look appealing and add an attractive
element to your yard—the calming sounds of moving
water.
*Utilize retaining walls. If you are planning on
protecting the fragile landscaping work around your
home, it’s imperative to construct a strong retaining
wall. Erosion-prone areas in your yard will benefit
greatly by incorporating segmental retaining walls
constructed from concrete masonry. Using concrete
masonry not only provides the best value for the
investment, it also delivers superior design flexibility and
aesthetic appeal to any landscape idea.
*When planting flowers, go with annuals. To have a
continuous sense of color throughout your yard, plant annual
flowers alongside your favorite perennials. Research and lay out
creative flower combinations that make use of both kinds of
flowers for year-round beauty.
*Think year-round. One of the biggest mistakes one
can make is only providing one or two seasons’ worth of eye-