The Most Sought-After Privacy Features For The Millennial Single Family Home

Despite the common perception that what millennials want is home theaters, what they really want is a white picket fence. In the search for privacy, 93 percent of millennials recently surveyed indicated they preferred to live in the suburbs in a single-family home than a triplex in the city. 

The preference for privacy was revealed before the world became hyper-vigilant about infectious disease contagion. When shopping for a single-family home, the following are the most valued privacy features.

Fencing it in the Suburbs 

If you're seeking complete privacy from noisy neighbors in your single-family dwelling, wood, plastic/vinyl, and composite fences provide the best privacy and are well suited for tall heights. 

Plastic and vinyl are valued for their privacy and wearability. Wood is the preferred fence when aesthetics are the most important selling feature. Though wood shows its wear over time. Composites are the best of both. A composite fence will make your single-family home look attractive and hold up for as long as a plastic fence. 

The resale value of a privacy fence 

The cost of a privacy fence can vary from $10–20 per foot for a wood fence to $15–45 for a composite fence. When it comes to resale value, private fences will at the very least pay for themselves, and some realtors observe single-family homeowners earning a 50 percent profit above their material and installation costs, 

The world's most private abodes are small fortresses. Wide iron gates surrounded by very tall stone walls could boost the price of single-family homes for sale. The luxury curb appeal, though, could set you back five figures. 

Designing With Privacy Trees

Privacy trees have functions beyond providing privacy and therefore can have a higher impact on resale value. When buying a single-family home, buyers value:

Height of plants - Home buyers place more value on a property completely surrounded by 12-foot than 3-foot hedges. 

Mature trees - A grand old oak or popular tree is the only privacy elements mentioned here that you cannot buy. 

Landscape Design - Landscaping can take a modest home and make it look like a feature from Architectural Digest. 

Shading - Tall trees can shade windows and provide energy-saving cooling in the summer.  

The resale value of privacy trees

Privacy trees can add 5–11 percent additional value to your single-family home when you are ready to sell.

For privacy-concerned millennials, every man's fence is his private castle.