San Diego Home Buyers in 2026 Are Different, Here’s What Changed
Today’s Home Buyers Are Different — Here’s What Changed
George Lorimer at 619-846-1244
Your Home Sold Guaranteed, or I’ll Buy It!*
*Conditions apply. ProWest Properties, DRE# 01146839
I was showing homes to a young couple in Poway recently when I realized something.
They told me they wanted a fixed-up home because they were busy with work and did not have the time — or desire — to renovate a home themselves.
That is when it hit me: today’s buyers are different.
Years ago, many San Diego buyers were willing to buy a fixer and slowly improve it over time. They wanted to save money and do the paint, flooring, carpet, and updating themselves.
Back then, there were not as many remodeled homes or flips competing with regular listings. If a seller simply decluttered, painted, and installed new carpet, the home often stood out.
Not anymore.
Today, most buyers want the home to already feel done the moment they walk in: updated kitchens, modern bathrooms, fresh paint, new flooring, bright spaces, good photos, and move-in-ready condition.
Part of it is lifestyle. People are busier. Many work long hours. And a generation grew up watching HDTV, Flip This House, and beautifully remodeled homes online every day.
That quietly changed the San Diego housing market after 2020.
Now, turnkey homes often create the strongest buyer urgency and highest offers, while outdated homes tend to sit longer, negotiate more, or require price reductions.
Sellers: This Can Help You Maximize Your Profit
This is exactly why many sellers accidentally hurt their sale price.
For example, when sellers tell me, “Let’s just give a flooring credit instead of replacing it,” most of the time that does not work nearly as well.
Buyers do not emotionally connect with a credit. They connect with what they see the second they walk in.
The same thing happens when sellers install the wrong flooring or colors. If buyers today want wide-plank LVP flooring in lighter modern tones that complement the interior paint and overall design, but a seller installs dark carpet or outdated flooring colors, the home usually will not perform nearly as well online or in person.
There is a formula to appealing to today’s buyers.
- The flooring
- The paint colors
- The lighting
- The photos
- The presentation
- The pricing strategy
All of it works together to create buyer urgency.
Many sellers leave money on the table because their home does not create enough urgency online.
If you do not have the funds or contractor/vendor contacts, I can help you with the projects, with no payment until we sell your home. It is called my Flip Your Own Home Program. Call or text George to discuss: 619-846-1244.
Buyers: This Can Help You Find a Better Deal
If you only look at fully remodeled homes, you may run into more competition and stronger offers.
But many buyers now skip homes that need cosmetic updating. That creates opportunity.
The best deals are often homes that need paint, flooring, cleanup, landscaping, or simple updating — not the perfect turnkey homes everyone else wants.
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Call or text George Lorimer for a simple strategy tailored to your home, timing, and goals.
Call/Text George: 619-846-1244 Get Home Value / Cash OfferGeorge Lorimer | ProWest Properties | DRE# 01146839
Your Home Sold Guaranteed, or I’ll Buy It!* *Conditions apply.