Everyone seems to agree that spacious island kitchens, and updated bathrooms with separate tub and shower are essential. Still, different age groups are looking for different “must-have” features in their next home.

How does this list fit your new home wishes?

Baby Boomers

• Single-level home. They don’t want stairs!
• The coziness offers special comfort.
• Low-maintenance surfaces. Granite and quartz are preferred.
• Walkable, sociable communities. Boomers want walking trails and common areas to come together with friends, family, and neighbors.
• This generation wants more detail, done with quality, like crown modling and built-ins.
• Flexible space. Their lives are changing. Kids are moving out. They want the next home to be easily converted.
• Storage. Even though they are often down-sizing their life, they want to be able to organize everything they keep, for easy access.

Gen X

• Breakfast bar. Generation X (Echo Boomers) like to relax with their coffee and read the latest on their tablet while sitting at a counter.
• Eco-friendly. New homes have energy-efficiency built in, but appliances aren’t enough. Home systems (HVAC), light fixtures, windows and doors—it all needs to respect the environment.
• Upstairs laundry rooms. This generation of homeowner wants two (or more) floors, and they don’t want to haul laundry up and down those stairs.
• Closet organizer. Gen X is particular about their clothes, and they will appreciate the value of a spacious, organized closet to store them.
• Second-floor loft. Specifically, they are seeking a getaway to be alone with their laptop.
• Outdoor fireplaces. They grew up with campfires but they want something more updated now.
• Natural light. Their parents tolerated fluorescent lighting (to a point), but Gen Xers want ambient light streaming through windows.

Millennials

• Open interior: The fewer the walls, the better. Open floor plans are ideal, so they can designate the purpose for themselves.
• Low maintenance: No carpets or wood-burning fireplaces or stoves. Easy-care floors and surfaces, gas or ventless fireplaces are the way to go.
• Spa bathrooms: While most homebuyers want a nice bathroom, Millennials will likely accept nothing less than the latest trends, from vanities to showers and tubs to plumbing fixtures.
• Tech-ready. They want everything “smart” so the new home must be ready to handle the Millennial’s ever-expanding technology needs.
• Energy-efficiency. Their new home must be eco-friendly, from construction materials to systems and appliances.
• Less detail. Millennials aren’t impressed by crown molding and fine details.

New homes are always exciting. Finding the perfect one can be a chore, but remember, it’s out there!