Despite some pushback against the open floor plan, it remains a popular layout concept for younger buyers and homeowners. Forty-three percent of millennials say they want a completely open plan for their family and dining rooms, a higher share than any other generation, according to research from the National Association of Home Builders.
However, the desire for an open layout tends to drop with age: Only 40% of Generation Xers, 37% of baby boomers, and 29% of seniors show preference for such floor plans.
Half of millennials say they want a kitchen and dining room configuration that is completely open, too.
Overall, millennials are the least likely age group to desire a single-story home. Thirty-five percent say they prefer one compared to 53% of Gen Xers, 80% of baby boomers, and 74% of seniors. Fifty-five percent of millennials, on the other hand, want a two-story home. Two-story homes are less popular among Gen Xers (38%), baby boomers (17%), and seniors (21%).
“The analysis shows that millennials have diverging preferences when it comes to home layouts: considerable shares of them prefer open layouts, two stories, and a relatively large number of bedrooms and bathrooms compared to older generations,” the NAHB notes on its blog, Eye on Housing. “Millennials are also more likely to want a basement in their home.”
Source: “The Layouts Millennials Want in a Home and Other Preferences,” National Association of Home Builders’ Eye on Housing blog (Sept. 27, 2019)
