Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2020 - 28

YOUTH TALK
"They know their first condo or house is not
their 'forever home,'so they are more likely to purchase a property that needs cosmetic updating
instead of major renovations,"added McDermott.
MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS
OF THE KITCHEN & BATH

This younger generation desires a kitchen or
bath that functions with their lifestyle. They
want enough space for two cooks to be able to
work functionally at the same time, and they
like an easy cleanup. Things like app-controlled
shower systems and appliances are important
to millennials, who have grown up during
technology's different stages, and they are also
value oriented.
"Millennials are looking for style on a budget,"
said Ariana Lovato, AKBD, owner and principal
designer at Pismo Beach, Calif.-based Honeycomb Home Design LLC. "Most I've worked
with want what's trendy but need to make sure it
is still good quality at a lower price point."

Diﬀerent Strokes
Nurturing & working with a younger generation

A

MARKETING TO & WORKING WITH
THE MILLENNIAL CLIENT

ABOVE Image by

ﬁzkes/Shutterstock

CCORDING TO THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, roughly one in three millennials

under the age of 35 owned a home as of the end of 2018. Although this
number may not be as high as it is with some of the older generations,
the millennial client is also an important market for the construction
and remodeling industry.
Some of the challenges these younger homeowners - or potential
homeowners - are facing include not having a real grasp on what it takes
the maintain a home and the costs involved, as well as a lack of affordable
housing. A lot of them are also trying to pay off substantial student debts, so
sometimes a down payment is near impossible.

FACING PAGE Image by
VGstockstudio/Shutterstock

WHERE THEY RESIDE

Many millennials live in condos, and some are making the move to singlefamily homes.
"With my younger clients, I am not seeing a lot of large, over-the-top
homes that people are dumping all of their money into,"said Rebecca Sutton,
AKBD, a residential designer with Dallas-based Kitchen Design Concepts.
"They don't want to be 'house poor'and prefer to spend money on experiences
as opposed to tangible items."
For the younger generation, being able to walk or bike to nearby grocery
stores, parks and restaurants around them is important, as is a sense of community.They like a connection to the outdoors and want their neighborhoods
to offer plenty of amenities.
According to Kelly McDermott, CKBD, a designer with Normandy
Design Build Remodeling in the Chicago area, location is more important
than square footage. Millennials like to live near their places of employment, as their work/life balance is important.They want to be close to public
transportation and will typically live in more urban areas until they are ready
to start a family.

28
28-29_KBB_0420_YouthTalks.indd 28

By CHELSIE BUTLER

Being tech savvy, flexible and quick to respond are
important, and communication is paramount to
attracting this generation. As with clients of every
age, millennials like to know what is going on
during a project and want to be able to trust their
professional to take their ideas seriously.
"Millennials want access to information and
try to learn as much as possible about something
before fully investing,"said Sutton, who explained
that her firm has amped up its online and social
presence. "This generation, in their info search,
may start with a website and then use social media
outlets to get a more well-rounded and personal
look into a company before they engage."
Once involved with this type of client, how
you communicate during the project is of the
utmost importance. According to Denise McGaha of Dallas-based Denise McGaha Interiors, educating them about her firm's products
and services is a big part of communicating with

"Millennials are looking for style on
a budget. Most I've worked with
want what's trendy but need to
make sure it is still good quality at
a lower price point."
ARIANA LOVATO
HONEYCOMB HOME DESIGN LLC

/ APRIL 2020 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

3/24/20 8:51 PM
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Kitchen & Bath Business - April 2020

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