As the 2013 Fall Parade of Homes approaches, hot housing trends and new decorative styles are emerging. Attendees will see for themselves the very latest to hit the scene, and with little time to spare until then, they might be wondering about what to expect.
According to the National Association of Home Builders’ official website, baby boomers are driving the market more than ever before.
“The boomer generation is more active than generations past, has a more sophisticated style and wants options and choices in their homes,” one article – “Baby Boomers Dominate New Housing Trends” – noted. “Whether they are selling the homes where they raised their children and heading to sunnier pastures, or staying put and redesigning to accommodate their retired lifestyle, boomers are making an impact on new housing trends.”
NAHB describes a range of design trends the boomer generation is looking for this year and that others in the market might find at the parade.
As more boomers work beyond age 65, home offices allow more flexible work hours and eliminate long commutes while still permitting them to bring in income. The generation’s tech-savvy has driven another related trend: homes able to support personal technology, such as security systems, home media centers and wireless home networks.
Desirable practical trends that have won the boomers’ attention include wider doors and hallways – effective for future moving plans or the possibility of mobility devices – and better lighting or bigger windows to provide natural light. But these consumers are interested in more than aesthetic appeal.
According to the NAHB, data shows 73 percent of buyers age 55 and up don’t want a master bedroom on the second floor. To accommodate a need to protect joints and avoid stairs, boomers are looking for first-floor bedroom and bathrooms. The bedrooms and accompanying spaces, like walk-in closets and master bathrooms, are also getting bigger to keep up with new selling-points.
Stairs aren’t the only aspects of homeownership that have become less popular with the boomers. Aging homeowners are looking for exteriors and landscaping that are easy to upkeep or that are maintained for them in maintenance-free communities.
Home spaces also have to be more flexible to accommodate changes over the years. With children grown up and out of the house, boomers look for “flex space” that can evolve to suit one purpose, like a child’s bedroom, and an entirely different purpose, like a hobby room or the desirable home office, later in life. According to the NAHB, flex space allows homeowners to stay in their homes longer because it can be adapted to meet their various needs as they grow older.
The NAHB explores a similar trend as traditional spaces take on new roles. Outdoor spaces are now being used as extensions of the home with outdoor rooms. Outdoor kitchens have become particularly popular and could find themselves high on buyers’ lists
Outside kitchen space frees up areas inside, allowing opportunities for homeowners to play with the space available to them. And beyond opening up floor plans, these outdoor areas promote harmony between a love for grilling or enjoying regional weather patterns with traditional cooking and entertaining. Built-in grills and outdoor sinks give buyers a sense of the conventional with a modern flair.
Trends like those emphasized by the NAHB and many others are sure to make an appearance at this year’s parade, with showcases on Oct. 12 to 13 and 19 to 20.