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In this decade and the next, builders and developers will build the homes and communities that allow retirees to re-connect with their friends and family. Current and future retirees do not want a house built for old people. They want an easy-living home that an Olympic athlete would also enjoy, and their preferences will vary greatly based on their socioeconomic status and their values. Here are the generalities I have concluded about the future of new home design for retirees:
- Inexpensive, common-sense universal design concepts that are designed to make life more enjoyable will grow in popularity.
- Retirement home segmentation will occur, allowing developers to maximize absorption by building multiple types of homes and neighborhoods that appeal to different psychographic categories of retirees.
- Home designs will vary dramatically based on the socioeconomic conditions of local retirees and their psychographics.
The AARP and Building Codes
The AARP, which almost everyone joins after turning 50 years old, regularly educates its constituents on housing issues. Consumers are learning more about universal design because the AARP is becoming a major proponent of universal design, as evidenced by the following comments from its educational information:
"The universal design home is the home of the future ..."
"A universal design home is right for all people - whether at age 8 or 80."
"If you are building a new home, include universal design elements in your planning to make it a home for the 21st century."
If that isn't enough to make you pay attention, legislation requiring builders to incorporate universal design concepts already exists in Tucson, Ariz., and efforts to promote voluntary builder adoption of universal design concepts are already occurring in California and Georgia. More information will be available in my Retirement Housing Forecast, which will be available for $295 to $595 per market on July 21, 2003, with discounts available for multiple market purchases.
Redefining Active Adult
The term "active adult" has become linked with the large communities where thousands of retirees join a resortlike club in a sunny climate. In the future, "active adult" will apply to a much wider profile of home buyers who will buy locally, as well as in the amenity-laden resort communities.
I have confidence that builders will build a wide variety of retirement communities this decade because census data shows that approximately 24% of those who turned 65 in the 1990s bought a home during the decade, and the number of buyers will increase almost 50% from 2003 to 2011. We also know that approximately 75% of the buyers will purchase locally, and they fall into 11 primary psychographic profiles with a wide variety of housing needs.
Universal Design
Here are some of the universal design features I believe builders should incorporate in almost all of their homes because they are inexpensive to include and they are desired as much by families with 3-year-old children as by senior citizens:
General Design
- At least one single-level floor plan if possible
- At least one full bedroom downstairs
- In two-story plans, one hall closet on each floor designed in a manner that an elevator/lift system can be installed as an upgrade opportunity. Elevators are less expensive than you think, and the elevator industry is booming.
- At least one level entry with a 1/2-inch or less threshold
- 32-inch- to 42-inch-wide interior door openings rather than the current 28-inch standard
- Lower-height doorbells and front-door viewers
- Light switches and easy-to-read and -adjust climate controls that are 48 inches or less off the ground
- One electrical receptacle 15 to 27 inches above the floor in most rooms
- Rocker light switches
- Higher-wattage light fixtures (the latest fluorescent technologies allow for better lighting at a lower cost)
- Built-in night lighting
- Outdoor lighting
- Easy-open crank windows that are no more than 30 inches off the ground
- Lever door handles
- Adjustable-height closet rods
- Visual smoke detectors/fire alarm
- Front-loading washer/dryer
Kitchen
- One area with undercounter knee space
- Variable-height countertops
- Pullout cabinet shelves
- Plenty of low-level storage
- Foldout steps to reach cabinets at moderate heights
- Lever-handle faucets
- Dishwashers and ovens at raised heights
- Refrigerators with adjustable and easily pulled-out shelves (typically side by side)
- Cooktops/ovens with heat indicators, automatic shut-off and controls within easy reach
Bath
- At least one full bath downstairs
- A ledge surrounding the tub
- Room to maneuver
- Ease of access
- Accessories (such as a toilet paper holder) placed for ease of use
- Towel rods that double as safety bars
- Easy-lever fixtures
- Walk-in shower
- Adjustable-height shower fixture with hand-held shower head
- Anti-scald devices
- Nonskid flooring
Technology Options
- Keyless entry
- Emergency response system
- Intercom/video system for front door
- Security system
- Power backup system
- Upgraded wiring to handle multiple computers, home network, broadband communications, entertainment centers, video security system, etc.
- Television-based system controls (heating, air conditioning, key appliances, etc.)
- Computerized feedback system (Is furnace running? Is garbage disposal on? Audio feedback and visual display.)
For More Information
Other great sources of design information include:
- http://www.toolbase.org/seniorsprodsearch.asp (NAHB database of senior-friendly products)
- http://www.dynamic-living.com (products for sale)
- http://www.universaldesignonline.com (Charles Schwab Architects - no relation to the brokerage)
- http://www.homemods.org (nonprofit group supporting aging in place)
- http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/ (universal design education online)
- http://www.homesforeasyliving.com (applications, examples and the NAHB's award-winning plan)
My final report in this four-part series will discuss the general strategies we suggest to increase sales in all communities, whether they are age-restricted or not.
About the AuthorJohn Burns publishes three free Building Market Intelligence e-mails each month: U.S., Local and Strategic. He helps real estate executives develop and execute strategic plans, conduct market research and maximize profitability. More information is available at www.realestateconsulting.com.
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