The ‘Cold Room’ Trend: Could These Greek Housing Layouts Be The Key to Attracting Gen Z Buyers?

Imagine being 21 and strolling off campus in your college town. Depending on your school and its location, you may notice a number of “sleeping porches” or “cold rooms.” 

Essentially, these are communal spaces found in sorority and fraternity houses where students sleep side by side in rows of bed. As of late, some Gen Z buyers are fascinated by them.

And if you’re planning to sell your home soon, you have to be strategic in how you promote your cold room, whether it’s an enclosed porch, sunroom, or cooled bedroom. Your goal should be to appeal to these younger, wellness-focused buyers.

“A dedicated quiet, cool bedroom can be a good selling feature. However, this trend is more about the importance of sleeping in a comfortable environment,” says Carter Murphy, owner and founder at Clario Properties in Waterloo, ON.

Does Gen Z really love this trend?

Gen Z grew up with smartwatches and social media. As a result, they prioritize sleep tracking and quality. In fact, a ResMed survey found that 60% of Gen Z respondents were likely to use a wearable device to improve their sleep.

Many of them are willing to do just about anything to get a good night’s rest. And according to Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, head sleep expert and neuroscientist at Wesper in Ann Arbor, MI, a cold room can help them get there.

“Sleeping in a cool environment can make your core temperature drop, resulting in a shorter time to fall asleep, along with deeper more refreshing sleep, and a reduced likelihood of sleep fragmentation and poor sleep quality,” Dr. Rohrscheib explains.

The communal part of this cold room trend is also appealing to Gen Zers as a shared sleeping room reframes a basic necessity into wellness choice. 

In addition, Murphy points out that Gen Zers enjoy the sense of community that comes from sleeping around their peers in the same room. That shared experience creates a special bond.

“There is also something appealing about a room with exactly one job. Most bedrooms now moonlight as offices and gyms. To Gen Z, a cold room only has one function: sleep,” says Kam Oveisy, owner of Desire Basements in Toronto, ON.

According to Dell Jeanty, real estate agent at Dell Properties in Arlington, VA, this trend is similar to camping in a dark, cold room, with a sense of inclusion. However, he believes that long-term, that type of sleeping arrangement isn't sustainable unless everyone has the same schedule. 

“Different alarms going off at different times, people coming and going, someone snoring, or lights being turned on at different times could disrupt your partner's sleep. Some people are light sleepers,” Jeanty explains.

It's more than just having bunkbeds in a room. (Getty Images) Dorm style living has it's advantages, especially for multi-generational or co-living arranagements. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

How to market a home with a cold room

The cold room in your home could be an enclosed porch or sunroom. If you don’t have either, the concept is pretty simple to replicate in any bedroom.

“Simply install blackout curtains, add a comfortable bed, and set the air conditioner to a tolerable cool temperature,” explains Jeanty.

Once you have a clearly defined cold room, the key is to market it as a space with individualized comfort and climate control.

“Sell the function, not the hashtag,” explains Ovesiy.

Explain how it gives the buyer the ability to create the sleeping environment they prefer while also avoiding any increased energy costs.

Remember that at the end of the day, Gen Z is still more focused on housing affordability and sleep quality than following a social media trend. 

“While a dedicated bedroom that is quiet and cool can be a good selling feature, this trend is more about the importance of sleeping in a comfortable environment,” adds Murphy.