Do you know the market for home design trend for boomer clients?

5 home design trends for boomer clients

In one session, Deryl Patterson, president of Housing Design Matters in Jacksonville, Fla., offered ideas of ways to design, remodel and market spaces so that they’ll be more appealing to older home buyers. At the recent International Builders’ Show in Orlando, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) talked about expanding market challenges and ways the industry can cater to this market segment. At the recent International Builders’ Show in Orlando, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) talked about expanding market challenges and ways the industry can cater to this market segment.

Home features to consider when working with buyers in the 55-and-over age group

1. Rethink the laundry room. After the kids move out, many homeowners spend less time in the laundry room, but that doesn’t mean they want to ditch it entirely. As the house becomes less chore-centric, Patterson says, homeowners are prone to focus on fun. Try carving out a space for crafts or pet care if a huge laundry room feels like a waste of space.
2. Boost the light. As people age, the lens of the eye thickens and lets in less light. This means a 60-year-old needs six times as much light as a 20-year-old. Look for inexpensive ways to add light in unexpected places, such as inside drawers and cabinets.
3. Be subtle about accessible age-in-place features. Everyone wants to age in place, but few want to think about a time when they’ll need physical help. Thankfully, many features that make a home navigable and safer for people with mobility issues aren’t very obvious, such as even, level surfaces that make it easier for those using wheelchairs, canes or walkers. Patterson said many bathroom product manufacturers are making grab bars that look more like shelves and towel racks.
4. Point out low-maintenance features. One of the first things that comes to mind when people look for a low-maintenance home is the size of the lawn, but they ignore other features that can also require high maintenance. Patterson noted that there’s much more to taking care of a home than that. “I want you to think beyond yard maintenance,” Patterson said, noting that stain-resistant quartz countertops and roofs that don’t have nooks to catch leaves can also be low-maintenance benefits worth noting in a listing.
5. Where do the stairs lead? Steps can be problematic for people with mobility issues, but they aren’t an automatic no-no for communities targeted at older buyer – it just depends on what’s at the top of the staircase. A bunk room for the grandkids or an exercise room is a much better use for second- and third-floor space than a master bedroom or another place the primary resident might have to visit frequently. Also, landings and railings are safety musts, Patterson said. “Stairs are the number one reason people go to the emergency room, and not just those over 55.”

Source: Florida Realtors