I read a study a few days ago that I thought was very interesting and apropos given a recent open house I co-hosted in a beautiful Cranston ranch. While showing the home, many of the potential buyers explained that they liked the ease of one level living or that they had aging parents who could no longer navigate stairs.
Within days of that open house, I read the results of the 1st Quarter 2007 Home Designs Trends Survey published by the American Institute of Architects.
The survey results were interesting because they explained how boomers are planning as they approach retirement and their concerns over rising utility costs--something we can all relate to!
The findings show that home and lot sizes are stabilizing and more attention is being paid to the accessibility, flexibility, and ease of use of the interior spaces and increased investment in outdoor living spaces. Accessibility, according to the study, was a major concern of boomers and/or family members caring for an older parent or relative. Sounds a lot like the feedback from my open house!
Rising energy costs is cited as a reason for the decline in square footage of interior spaces. Instead home owners tend to want more open less formal interior spaces that give them the flexibility to use rooms in a variety of different ways. And more focus is being placed on outside spaces: swimming pools (not that that's a huge trend in New England), courtyards, patios, outdoor kitchens--a popular trend right now--gardens and outdoor gardening/storage facilities, etc are all ways of extending living spaces into the outdoors. And less interior living space means less space to heat in the winter and cool in the summer.
What can you take away from this? Well, kitchen and bath remodels continue to be the biggest way to increase the value of your home investment. But outside those remodels, maybe you could consider new landscaping or a new bluestone patio. Or perhaps a beautiful new deck and outdoor kitchen. Make your home inviting on the outside as well as on the inside.
If you'd like to learn more about this study, visit the AIA website, or give me a call. I'd be happy to email it to you.
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