We live in a digital world. Things that just a few years ago were unique and novel have become commonplace and necessary. If you pull an old flip phone out of your pocket to make a call in today’s world people look at you in the same way as if you started building a signal fire to say you'll be late for dinner. Try telling a guest in your home that you don’t have Wi-FI and, based on their reaction of incredulity, you’d think that they had just asked where the bathroom is and you pointed to a chamber pot in the corner.
In short, we have become technology snobs. We don’t just want Wi-Fi and smartphones, we expect them. It follows, then, that when it comes to selling a home, upgrades like a fresh coat of paint or getting the carpets clean don’t go as far as they used to. According to MarketWatch, buyers are looking for something more.
Good Wi-Fi has become one of the most important factors to prospective buyers since many Americans are only connected to the Internet through a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. In June 2015, a National Center for Health Statistics study found 47 percent of American homes had no landline, a 30 percent increase from 2010. Just a decade earlier, only 5 percent of American homes were wireless-only.
Strong Wi-Fi is especially important for anyone looking to target millennial buyers. In 2015, over two-thirds of adults aged 25 to 34 were living in wireless-only households. If there are dead spots in the house, signal boosters can be purchased for $49 to $500, more powerful Wi-Fi routers can be bought for $29 to $199, and extenders can be purchased for $19 to $49.
Additionally, smart doorbells, door locks, lighting, and climate controls are all appealing features to buyers.
Devices that are considered ‘smart’ are quickly becoming the average, and homes without these devices, most of which are no longer viewed as luxuries, are seen as lacking and less appealing than those with them.
