Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
October in Northwest Montana brings a beautiful shift into fall, with golden larch trees, crisp mountain air, and vibrant autumn colors across the Flathead Valley. As the summer crowds fade, the region settles into a quieter pace, offering scenic drives, peaceful hikes, and cozy evenings in charming mountain towns. From the changing colors around Flathead Lake to the breathtaking views of Glacier National Park, October showcases the natural beauty and small-town charm that make Northwest Montana such a special place to call home. For those considering a move, it’s a wonderful time to experience the area’s lifestyle, explore local communities, and discover the possibilities of finding a place to put down roots.
Millennials No Longer Care About These 7 Once-Popular Home Features, Realtors Say
What millennials prioritize when shopping for a home looks very different from what their parents or grandparents did. And to be honest, preferences among this generation have even changed over the past decade. Maybe it’s the COVID whiplash-which influenced how we use our homes-or perhaps it’s just the ebb and flow of time. Whatever the case, we asked realtors which home features millennials just don’t care about anymore, and here’s what they said.
1. OPEN FLOOR PLANS
Who thought we’d see the day when the open floor plan’s popularity started to fade? But here we are. “Many millennials started questioning an open floor plan at the onset of COVID,” says Anne Frewen, real estate agent for the Auerbach + Frewen Team at Coldwell Banker. Without walls delineating each space, “Noise and clutter can easily become problematic,” Frewen explains. Instead, she says this generation of homebuyers is prioritizing open kitchens and family rooms, but wants other areas to have their own dedicated space.
2. BUILT-IN SPEAKERS
Not even that long ago, built-in speaker systems were a key selling point in homes. Technology has changed, though, and this perk has disappeared from the millennial homebuying wishlist. “Built-in speaker systems have become less appealing as technology has evolved. They can be expensive to update and are often tied to older audio systems,” explains Kori Sassower, real estate agent for the Kori Sassower Team at Compass. She says that wireless speaker systems are easier to use, provide high-quality sound, and allow for smart-home integration.
3. HUGE LAWNS
The dream of the white picket fence and lush green grass remains, but the yard size millennials want to bite off has notably shrunk. Millennials better understand that an oversized lawn demands regular mowing, watering, fertilizing, and upkeep. Plus, they’re not known for being environmentally friendly. Jeff Adams, a real estate investing strategist at Home Investors Zone, says he’s noticed millennial homebuyers are prioritizing “low-maintenance outdoor areas, including patios, composite decking, native landscaping, drought-tolerant plants, as well as user-friendly entertaining spaces.”
4. WINE CELLARS
Many millennials still love their wine, but the expansive wine cellar that used to put stars in buyers’ eyes has fallen out of favor. Variations are still appealing-like a wine wall or wine fridge-but the large cellar isn’t moving the needle anymore. “Millennials today are focusing less on wine and more on a wide variety of beverages,” Frewen says. “Millennials instead look for coffee or beverage bars when renovating or buying a new home.”
5. “McMANSION” STATUS SYMBOLS
Dare we say it, but the McMansion status features of yesteryear-like decorative columns, two-story foyers, faux stone accent walls, and arched doorways-are officially “cheugy.” Kristina Morales, mortgage loan officer and real estate agent, says these grandiose features are routinely rejected by her millennial buyers. It’s partially because this 2000s style has become pretty outdated, but also because it just feels so over-the-top. But a sauna and cold plunge? That’s a quick way to pique a millennial buyer’s interest.
6. FORMAL DINING ROOMS
Dining rooms were once considered a luxury and served as a place for entertaining. Millennial homebuyers just aren’t interested in this feature anymore. “This is because a room that is used just a few times a year seems like wasted space,” Adams explains. Flexible layouts that adapt to different lifestyles are much more the millennial jam.
7. PLUSH CARPETING
Plush, wall-to-wall carpeting was once considered a selling point, but millennial buyers want no part of it. If they do buy a home with this feature, there’s a pretty solid chance it’s getting ripped out and replaced with hardwood flooring or luxury vinyl plank (LVP), Morales says. She says millennials know that hard surfaces are much easier to keep clean, which is particularly important since so many of them have pets and kids. Along with stains, carpeting can also hold onto dust and dander, which can affect those with allergies.
