What do Millenials want in a home? Rooms that change as they do

Everyone’s trying to figure out what America’s 83.1 million Millennials want, and that includes home builders. This generation of 20-somethings has something different in mind when it comes to their dream homes, according to Pardee Homes, which built the Responsive Home Project in Henderson, Nevada.

The two homes, a 2,145-square-foot Contemporary Farmhouse and a 3,194-square-foot Contemporary Transitional home, were designed specifically for Millennials. The company researched and spoke with younger customers to find out what they’re looking for in a home. What Pardee came up with is a house that changes with the residents, who might start off living with roommates or even their parents. That’s why the farmhouse has a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette on the ground floor, and a 384-square-foot studio apartment that also has a bathroom and kitchenette, as well as a separate entrance.

“A lot of our buyers are interested in multi-generational living so their home needs to be flexible in order to accommodate their parents or a college-aged child,” Pardee Southern Nevada Division President Klif Andrews said in a press release. “We’re also seeing millennial buyers rent out spaces to their friends for extra income.” The farmhouse is priced in the $300,000’s and the transitional in the $400,000’s, so roommates would be a necessity for many Millennials looking to live in such swanky digs.

The homes are also “responsive” in a smart-home sense, as they have a Savant system installed to control lights, music, and some of the Whirlpool appliances via smartphone. They’re also connected in terms of community, with parks and shops located within walking distance for those who don’t always want to use a car to get around.

Pardee also paid attention to what the demographic doesn’t want, like tons of closet space or gigantic master suites, according to Design Milk. They’d rather have functional and fun outdoor spaces and room for entertaining. Or maybe just somewhere for all the roommates to gather for house meetings about who’s been stealing all the peanut butter.