If you’ve paid attention to the internet, you might already have suspected it. Now it’s been confirmed by a study of 2000 UK adults carried out for online lettings agent Mashroom by OnePoll. “Gen Z” (18-24-year-olds) really are the most house-proud generation alive today.
Almost half of Gen Z renters have asked to make improvements
Even though 32% of landlords said that they had already made improvements to their properties, almost half of Gen Z renters wanted to improve them even more. They asked their landlord’s permission and presumably paid for the changes themselves.
The survey does not say what kind of improvements were requested. Given that renters are unlikely to spend money on making changes they cannot reverse easily, the likeliest options are painting/wallpapering, drilling holes in walls (to make use of vertical space) and perhaps changing accessories such handles, knobs and possibly even taps.
As many an internet article shows, these are the sorts of changes which can make a real difference to the look and feel of a home. At the same time, they’re easy to undo when you move. What’s more, if you invest in hardware, you can often reuse it or sell it on to someone else.
61% of 18-24s will update their home decor over the next year
Gen Z also led the way in updating home decor. No less than 61% of 18-24s are planning to update their home decor within the next year. That’s more than any other generation, even though Gen Z are often on the tightest budgets. This figure may have been pushed up as a result of lockdown, but so then, presumably, would the figures for other generations.
If you’ve been paying attention to the internet, you may not be surprised to hear that over a third of Gen Zers year for a modern, tidy look. Admittedly, this is not exactly the same as being minimalist. It does have to be said, however, that social media trends indicate that minimalism is still very much a strong force amongst the younger generation.
This may be a case of making a virtue out of necessity. Homes are getting smaller and Gen Zers are likely to live in particularly small homes. What’s more, younger people tend to be more geographically-mobile than older ones. Having minimal baggage helps to reduce the stress of moving. It can also give a sense of freedom in uncertain times.
Younger people want more space indoors and outdoors
What may come as a surprise is that even though Gen Zers are fairly minimalist and tidy in a lot of ways, they still want more space indoors and outdoors. Almost a third of them want a study at home, 38% want a bigger garden and 21% want a vegetable patch. Interestingly, these results are in line with other generations and other surveys.
On the other hand, these results may be far less surprising when taken in the context of the year 2020. Unprecedented numbers of people have been working from home. As has been widely pointed out, a person’s experience of home-working will often depend greatly on the quality of their home-working environment. This has already been leading to a “flight from the city”.
Similarly, other surveys have shown that the lockdown has given us all a greater appreciation of green spaces, both private and public. Having a garden brings green space, literally, to our doors. Having a vegetable patch makes it possible for us to grow our own food. These are considerations for all generations.
It’s also worth noting that Gen Zers tend to have a high level of consideration for the environment and sustainability. Growing your own food is also very much in line with this.
It’s worth bearing this in mind when selling to a first time buyer.
