• Millennials have a decided distaste for the ding-dong of a doorbell, but rather than removing, sellers should consider upgrading to a high-tech version.

Home is a place of safety and certainty where you can relax and get comfortable. Given today’s mobile technology, most people send a text or call when they’re on their way to someone’s home or have pulled into the driveway.

So, when the doorbell rings without warning, it’s probably a stranger.

For millennials, the sound of an unexpected doorbell can induce a fast panic.

The change may come from horror movies and crime shows that portray answering the doorbell as a life-threatening decision. Or a real fear that has developed as a result of countless news stories in big cities, like this one in Michigan or this one in New York.

Their distaste for doorbells might also stem from the sheer annoyance of the sound doorbells make. Doorbells can interrupt phone calls, TV shows and agitate pets.

Whatever the reason, when the doorbell rings, millennials are reluctant to answer it.

But it isn’t just millennials.

The disinclination to answer the doorbell has grown to include other generations too. There was a time when people kept the house neat and dressed nicely when they stayed at home all day in case someone stopped by the house, but those days are gone.

It’s not just the millennials binging Netflix on the couch — they’ve roped in their parents too. The casual living trend is growing.

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Should sellers marketing to millennials remove doorbells?

Not necessarily. Millennials don’t like hearing the doorbell, but they are almost equally uncomfortable with knocking on the front door. The presence of a doorbell on a home is not going to stop a millennial from purchasing a home.

However, the absence of one could deter a baby boomer, someone from Generation X, and yes, even a millennial from purchasing your home.

Homes traditionally have doorbells. Therefore, the absence of one makes the home seem incomplete. If a person would prefer not to have one, it is inexpensive to remove it, but adding one back in could be more costly.

If you feel that the doorbell factor could be a selling a point in your marketing, consider replacing it with a digitized version. A millennial can easily figure out how to turn off or adjust the sound and anyone who wants to hear the doorbell ring can leave the sound on loud. More so, having a video doorbell could definitely be a selling point.

If the home seems like it is more technologically advanced, buyers will feel like there is less work to do on the home. Upgrades will impress millennials, and it can become a great marketing point for a home.

So, avoid removing doorbells from properties. If anything, upgrade them to high-tech versions that will keep millennials and all other generations happy.

Additionally, a few low-cost technological improvements around the house, like the video doorbell, a programmable thermostat, or an Amazon Echo-, Google Home- or mobile-friendly electronic could be a better selling point for millennials than removing things from the property.

Martin Orefice is the founder of Rent to Own Labs in Orlando, Florida. Follow him on Facebook or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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