Sixty percent of Gen Zers consider certain pet-friendly features essential in a home they would buy today, according to a Zillow survey.
The survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll, found those aged 18 to 26 would rather own a pet-friendly home (55%) than a kid-friendly home (45%).
“Young adults may be delaying parenthood, but they’re not putting off pet parenthood,” says Zillow’s home trends expert Amanda Pendleton. “One recent study finds most Gen Z adults would rather have a pet than a child. As this younger generation ages into their home buying years, it follows that their pets will have a greater influence on their moving decisions, perhaps more so than their significant other.”
Nearly half (48%) think a fenced backyard is a must-have compared with certain kid-friendly features, such as a playroom (24%) or an outdoor play set (11%). According to Zillow, just the mention of a fenced yard in a listing can sell a home nearly three days faster than similar homes.
Plus, 22% of Gen Z pet owners would want to move out of their current home if it was no longer working for their pet, while only 12% would want to move if their home was no longer working for their partner.
This trend extends beyond just Gen Z though. According to Zillow’s Consumer Housing Trends Report, nearly three-quarters of home buyers have at least one pet at home (73%), a big jump from the 64% of buyers who reported having a pet in 2020.
Ultimately, all these pets will impact home preferences. Additional Zillow research finds that pet owners are more likely to buy larger homes with more bedrooms. Buyers with pets also are more likely to consider private outdoor space very or extremely important (73%) compared with buyers without pets (65%). Even in space-confined cities, Zillow says more buyers are searching for homes that allow pets than homes equipped with things like dishwashers.
