Now that a huge wave of baby boomers has left the workforce—30 million at the height of the pandemic, according to the Pew Research Center—many are considering where and how to live.

Key Takeaways:

• Boomers don’t have one set of wishes as they downsize, so listen carefully to their preferences.
• The vast majority want to age in place, and the home should be designed for or adapted to their changing health needs, such as fewer stairs and good lighting.
• Staying connected to friends, family, and neighbors and avoiding being isolated is a growing concern.

As they retire from the workforce, some baby boomers are looking to relocate to maintenance-free homes or condos. Or they want to be near their children or grandchildren in what has been termed “baby chasing.” Others want to head to a warmer climate full- or part-time, often choosing active-aging communities where they can pare maintenance, enjoy activities, and meet new people.

However, most baby boomers want to age in place. This may require changes to their home to live more conveniently and safely as health challenges arise.

Woodlands at Furman in Greenville, S.C., by three

Many residential design options emerging today reflect trends seen in the luxury hospitality industry, like country clubs and spas, says architect Rocky Berg, whose Dallas-based boutique design firm, three, works in the hospitality, residential, and senior living segments.

“Boomers are all about having choices,” Berg says. “They’re accustomed to having what they want when they want it.”

But having more options can make the decision tough. No single choice fits every boomer’s interest, budget, and health situation, particularly since their ages range from 57 to 75 years old, says Chicago-based commercial interior designer Mary Cook of Mary Cook Associates. She has found four factors influence their decision: finances, family circumstances, home, and community or neighborhood.

“If they’re the primary caregivers or helping with grandchildren or single parents, they may be tethered to family and a location. Sometimes their decision, if budget permits, will mean a second location for the winter or summer,” Cook says.

While the 65-or-older segment now represents an important 15% of the population, it’s been described as being on the verge of becoming a “silver tsunami,” with numbers growing beyond 20% by 2050. Here are some options your boomer clients may want to consider as they weigh their next move.

Aging in Place Vs. Moving to Meet Changing Needs

Woodlands at Furman in Greenville, S.C., by three

Eighty percent of homeowners aged 50 and above want to spend their upcoming years in their current home, according to a 2018 AARP survey.pdf The good news is that there are increasing design options and experts to help.

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists, a designation from the National Association of Home Builders, can offer insight on which features to modify in existing quarters to make life more convenient and safe. This includes adding smart-home technology, task lighting, grab bars, raised toilet seats, a shower without a threshold, wider doorways, and barrier-free entry.

When a bicycle accident left her paralyzed from the waist down in 1998, Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D., became an expert in how to adapt a home for accessible living. She and her husband built a home in Columbus, Ohio, which became the Universal Design Living Laboratory, with every universal design feature available.

Companies like The Plan Collection design layouts that homeowners can buy online to build a home that makes staying put easier. The layouts include features such as an open plan without doors, one-level living, and flexible space to accommodate either working from home or the presence of guests, says Laurel Vernazza, the company’s home design expert. The flexible space could also house a live-in aide.

Other  technology tools can improve daily living for those less mobile or with impaired hearing or eyesight. Robot vacuums and smart lawnmowers are cited in senior expert Lisa Cini’s book, BOOM: The Baby Boomers Guide to Leveraging Technology.

Choosing an Active-Aging Community or Building

BKV Group’s Anthology of Tuckahoe community

Despite active-aging communities generating buzz, those who gravitate toward them still represent a small percentage of the boomer population. “It seems bigger because the boomer group is large, but it’s still a very small percentage,” says architect David Banta, senior living and affordable housing sector leader at BKV Group, who has focused on this niche for more than 20 years.

The average age at move-in is 75, Banta says, the extreme end of the boomer cohort. “Most do so to gain low-maintenance, convenient living. They want out of their big house with some services provided and no restrictions on when they come and go, especially since some still work,” he says.

The main difference between what’s available now versus 10 to 20 years ago is the greater variety in building type and what’s offered inside, such as resort-quality amenities, programmed activities, upgraded finishes, and technology.

Cellars at Pearl in San Antonio by three

Besides the traditional communities and stand-alone buildings, there are also co-housing communities and rentals for those who no longer want to own and manage their home, says Berg, whose company helped develop Cellars at Pearl, a luxury property in San Antonio, nestled next to a five-star hotel and food vendors.

The common denominator is that boomers want to enjoy experiences that reflect their special interests and help build social connections, Cook says. “Forget crafts and woodworking, however,” she says. “This group has added 20 years to their life expectancy and are not at the end of their lives. They’re in their 70s enjoying wine tastings, pickleball, and bocce ball,” she says.

When it comes to cost, many boomers will spend the same or more to gain these features, including name-brand appliances for reliability, Cook says.

Besides designing new buildings, firms like Banta’s also work with clients to reposition existing properties by freshening finishes, reworking common areas, and adding the latest amenities.

When to Consider a Continuing Care Retirement Community

Generally developed for the cohort older than boomers, continuing care retirement communities are comprised of independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing care wings. But these facilities are also undergoing changes to reflect the coming wave of boomers and their mindset.

“The previous generation has been fiscally more conservative and had the attitude, ‘How little could you sell me,’ while the boomers are all about choice,” Berg says.

Currently, there are about 2,000 CCRCs in the U.S., but their numbers are not growing, in part because of the difficulty of finding good locations, says developer Richard Ackerman, senior managing principal of Beverly Hills, Calif.–based Big Rock Partners, a real estate development and investment firm focused on senior housing. While firms like his continue to develop new communities, they also update existing projects, so they appeal more to boomers’ evolving tastes and desire for options. Many operators seek expansion to leverage the overhead of these investments across multiple communities, Berg says.

Another reason for the lack of growth is that the average age at move-in is rising, currently at 81, according to the Aging with Freedom site. Of the different CCRC options, independent living represents the biggest share at 55.6% of CCRC units.

No matter the age at which residents move in, their shared goal is to be less dependent on family but live near them, retain autonomy, and have options to socialize, which, Berg says, helps residents live longer and better. “All move in as strangers and adapt. Most end up saying, ‘I wish I had done this sooner,’ ” he says.

CCRCs are evolving in ways similar to the active-aging sector, with a greater focus on technology, programming, fitness, and entertainment. There are even more eating options. “They might want to stop at a cafe or bistro to eat, pick up sandwiches to sit in front of a TV, or dine formally. They don’t want to be told when to show up at one place for meals or one time for an activity,” Berg says.

When they eat, there’s increased concern about the nutrition of available food, along with additional interest in other wellness initiatives, says Ackerman. More attention is paid to the layout and design of communities to encourage socialization and help curtail loneliness.

New projects such as Big Rock’s Seafields at Kiawah Island in South Carolina are designed to attract a younger, 62-plus age group who are more fit and affluent, while still supporting inevitable aging needs.

Big Rock Partners’ Seafields at Kiawah Island in South Carolina

Seafields will have an in-house medical clinic operated by the Medical University of South Carolina when it opens in 2024. Its 90 units will target the younger residents who seek independent living while an additional 16 units are for assisted living and continuing care services. As part of the trend toward luxury, units will be larger and will have upgraded finishes, plenty of light, and outdoor space. Staff will include a lifestyle director and 24-hour concierge.

Another example of the movement toward luxury among CCRC communities is River Tower, a 142-unit expansion that Berg’s firm worked on at Harbor’s Edge, a high-end senior living community in Norfolk, Va., where custom interior designs are available in residential units. While Harbor Edge’s focus is independent living in a contemporary, sociable community, it, too, offers continuum-of-care services.

Forefront Living’s Presbyterian Village North community in Dallas

And Berg’s firm is also working on multiple projects with Dallas-based nonprofit Forefront Living, a developer and operator of senior communities. The work includes repositioning and expanding Forefront’s Presbyterian Village North, which offers a continuum of care, says Barbara Matamoros, corporate director of sales and marketing. “Presbyterian Village has a 41-year history of providing senior living, and through the years how we choose to live has changed,” Matamoros says. Among changes are larger living spaces with room for flexible, multiple uses, she says. In addition, services such as assisted living can be provided in a residential environment to keep residents from moving to a nursing home setting.

Not Segregating by Age

Toll Brothers – Azure at Hacienda Lakes

While all these changes are occurring in senior living residences, developers are learning that not everyone wants to be segregated by age. The former Chicago Tribune newspaper tower was converted into condos and renamed Tribune Tower Residences. It has a prime location on Michigan Avenue and stellar views that appeal to residents of a mix of ages, says Cook.

The Azure at Hacienda Lakes community in Naples, Fla., developed by Toll Brothers, is a master-planned community—also not age restricted—but targeted at the empty nester and downsizing active boomer.

Sometimes, plans need to change, as was the case when the developer of the “agrihood” Serenbe outside Atlanta found that a cluster of houses planned for the boomer cohort didn’t appeal to that group. They revised the grouping for a mix of ages and are now planning an assisted living facility for a different, older population, says Garnie Nygren, managing partner of Serenbe.

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

The kitchen is a prime attraction when buyers are shopping for homes, but it’s not just a place for cooking. It’s also an area for entertaining and even working.

Consumers ranked efficiency and functionality as the most important aspects of the perfect kitchen, according to a survey of more than 1,000 Americans from HomeAdvisor. The perfect kitchen, most respondents say, also has a gas stove with four burners and an overhead hood.

But Americans were more forthcoming on their pet peeves in the kitchen, which likely applies more to when house guests are over. Many of the pet peeves revolved around dishes or cluttered countertops.

Read more about the latest kitchen design trends:

• 5 Kitchen Trends to Watch
• Hot Home Trend: The Textured Kitchen Island
• 4 Simple Ways to Show Off the Kitchen
• Kitchen Pantries a Sought-After Amenity

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Since the pandemic began, more homeowners have been adding plants inside their homes—a closer tie to the outdoors after being cooped up indoors more. Studies have suggested that the extra houseplants are making people better at their jobs and happier too.

A recent study conducted by Cinch Home Services, a home warranty firm, found that people with five or more houseplants are more likely to indicate feeling satisfied with their jobs, productivity, happiness, and creativity.

“Bolstered by the pandemic—and being stuck inside more than they were used to—many people reported buying even more houseplants in the last 18 months, possibly to the point of having to hide their purchases from their significant others,” researchers note in the Cinch Home Services study. “Still, people we polled reported being happier and more creative and content with their jobs when they had five or more houseplants, so it’s possible the more green you have in your home the better.”

The average person owns about five houseplants, according to the survey of about 1,000 respondents. Highly extroverted people tend to own more—6.8 houseplants, on average.

The most popular reasons to add plants: to have greenery (56%), for aesthetics and decor (51%), as a hobby (43%), to boost their mood (43%), to reduce stress and increase relaxation (35%), and to improve air quality (35%).

In fact, certain houseplants tend to be linked to certain personality traits, the survey found. For example, people who scored higher in neuroticism were the most likely to be associated with the fiddle leaf fig plant. The plant has the reputation of being one of the most difficult plants to keep alive indoors.

On the other hand, people who tended to score higher in agreeableness and conscientiousness were more likely to have English ivy. Those who tend to score higher on openness within their personalities tend to gravitate toward succulents, cacti, and spider plants, the survey found.

Search REALTOR® Magazine

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Classic white remains the most popular color choice in kitchens, but homeowners continue to experiment with wider palettes for that room and other areas of the home.

“With white kitchens, there’s never a risk of looking dated in a few years, while the sleek minimalistic feel is effortlessly complemented by dark counters or contrasting kitchen accessories,” says Living Cozy, a home design resource, which analyzed global search data about design over the last 12 months.

White also ranked in the three most popular for several rooms in the house that might “benefit from the illusion of more space,” such as pantries, home offices, and laundry rooms, according to the study.

Green is becoming a more common choice in kitchens, ranking second. It has emerged as one of the trendiest colors of 2022 and also ranks within the top three for all interior areas to redecorate in. Shades of sage, olive, and jade are trending, the study shows.

Blue is the third most popular kitchen color of 2022, including shades of teal, turquoise, and light blue.

An unexpected color is making more headway in bedroom design: black, according to the Living Cozy study that tracked Google searches. 2022 is seeing a rise in popularity in black-painted bedrooms, including shades of charcoal and dark gray.

In the bathroom, black colors reigned again. In more than 2.2 million worldwide Google searches for bathroom colors in 2021, black was the clear winner, according to Living Cozy.

“Black bathroom ideas are stylish, modern, and chic, and are taking over the traditional chrome and gold colors that have dominated bathroom design for years,” the researchers note. “Bathrooms in 2022 incorporate dark black design elements through fixtures, feature walls, and flooring.”

In the living room, green is trending, according to the study. “Using green in your living room design can be the perfect way to bring an essence of nature indoors without the need for plants,” the designers note. “Layering different shades of green works best, from incorporating dark hues to featuring light pistachio shades.”

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Simple kitchen and bath improvements can leave home shoppers swooning over a listing, according to a new study by Knock, a site about homeownership.

Homes are selling fast, but certain home updates can help them sell even faster. An updated home can sell an average of 30% faster than a home without improvements, the analysis shows.

Knock compared the average days on the market for homes that are updated before being listed with those that sellers leave as is. It pinpointed which home updates tend to result in the fastest sales.

“Getting a home ready for sale can be a stressful experience, and the supply chain constraints and contractor backlogs brought on by the pandemic have made it even more difficult to get work done,” says Sean Black, co-founder of Knock. “Three years ago, homeowners had to put a lot more work into their home before listing it. However, even in the current market with homes selling in record time, the data continues to support the benefits of getting your home show-ready.”

Knock was selected for the 2021 REACH class, a technology accelerator program through Second Century Ventures, the strategic investment arm of the National Association of REALTORS®.

Homes with modern renovations sold in an average of eight days, compared with an average of 12 days without improvements. Homes with two or more improvements sold in an average of six days, according to Knock.

The most common home improvement: interior and exterior paint. Seventy percent of sellers painted their walls, spending an average of $3,500.

But freshly painted kitchen cabinets, which cost an average of about $1,319, really help buyers fall in love with a house, the study shows.

Here are the updates that consumers say they most loved about a house.

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to inspire changes within the home. Here’s a toast to one of the latest: the return (and update) of the at-home bar.

Key Takeaways:

• Homeowners should find the best spot for mixing and pouring, with room for all the bar accessories.
• Decide if it’s mostly for liquor storage or if they want to provide full service with a sink and refrigerator.
• They can add some glam to the decor with a luxe stone countertop, mirrored backsplash, and good LED lighting.

In addition to spurring designated work-from-home spaces, larger kitchen islands, and more relaxing outdoor living areas, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought back the at-home bar trend in a renaissance of home entertaining.

What started with Zoom cocktail gatherings and mixology events has stirred more homeowners to create an at-home bar.

In its 2021 Houzz Emerging Home Design Trends Report, Houzz, an online design source, found that searches for home bars and wine cellars both were up nearly four times from the prior year.

“People have been relying on their homes to provide new avenues of activity and entertainment since the beginning of the pandemic,” says Julie Noble, senior communications manager.

The concept isn’t new, however. At-home bars were a centerpiece for entertaining guests in the 1950s and 1960s. A certain cohort may recall the scene in the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” when Mrs. Robinson sat down at her home bar and asked college grad Benjamin what he wanted to drink.

Today, homeowners have adjusted their room designs and decors themselves to bring together the furnishing needed for a bar. Some are as simple as bottles of liquor and wine, along with an ice bucket, glasses, napkins, stirrers, and coasters on a counter or big tray. Others are professionally designed with added features such as shelves, cabinetry, a sink, and a refrigerator or wine cooler.

The interest in home bars also led to the return of stylish bar carts, which can roll into different rooms and outdoors.

Dallas-based architect Eddie Maestri of Studio Maestri is among the professionals who have found the at-home bar to be an increasingly popular client request.

“Every single project we have currently involves a bar of some sort,” he says. “We are doing a lot of floating shelving on brass, incorporating mirrors into the back wall, for sure. Whether it has a sink just depends on the space and if the client wants one.”

Maestri, himself, has an at-home bar with a sink and ice maker. He also just completed a project for a client converting a dining room into a bar.

The styling of home bars has also evolved, says real estate salesperson Jennifer Ames Lazarre of Engel & Volkers in Chicago.

“They used to be a formula: base cabinets, upper cabinets with glass doors, granite top, sink, and refrigerator,” she says. “Now, they are often more artfully designed with floating shelves, LED lighting in a channel on the underside of the shelf, and beautiful hardware.”

Professionals like Chicago kitchen designer Mick De Giulio of de Giulio Kitchen Design agree that the at-home bar is being requested more often. He prefers to call it a beverage center. In addition to the pandemic trend of entertaining at home, De Giulio believes homeowners are also seeking an organized arrangement of living areas in an open plan.

“Beverage centers can include not only traditional barware, ice makers, sinks, and liquor storage but also refrigerated drawers for beverages and wine storage,” he says. “Companies like Sub-Zero have manufactured modular wine and refrigeration units in many more sizes and configurations, and now have the ability to mask the fronts with cabinet and furniture-like facades, allowing for bars that don’t look like bars but blend seamlessly into the surroundings.”

And Los Angeles–based designer Lori Gilder of Interior Makeovers Inc., who has seen an increased interest in home bars over the last few years, thinks the trend simply is another way homeowners reassessed their living spaces.

“We repurposed and redesigned unused living rooms by transforming them into new areas to entertain family and friends, indoors and outside,” she says. For some clients, Gilder has nestled dry bars into existing nooks, and for others, she set up more elaborate wet bars that included a sink, refrigeration, and display shelving for barware.

People’s “entertaining aesthetic tells a personal story,” Gilder says. To make the areas attractive, she carefully chooses finishes, woods, metals, stones, glass, wall coverings, integrated lighting, and hardware.

Where to put a bar varies according to how homeowners use their homes. Designer Jodi Swartz of KitchenVisions in Natick, Mass., has one large installation going into a basement. Typically, she places bars in a kitchen as a beverage center, or outside that room in a butler’s pantry, in an alcove, along the buffet wall of a dining room, or even behind a door in a closet. She tends to include a sink and refrigerator and often a dishwasher. For decoration, she might line a backsplash with tiles, a full splash of quartz, or a mirror, possibly an antique. She rarely uses wallpaper since it can easily get splattered.

Designer Krista Watterworth Alterman of Krista + Home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., considers a custom bar to be a terrific way to use a fun nook or an unused area in a living room. “I like to add a bar to break up a very large space—it adds zones that are perfect for entertaining and connecting,” she says. Other additions include a lot of storage, open shelving, and an ice machine or wine fridge.

The popularity of the at-home bar has also helped designers boost business. Case in point: Renee and Marc Simon, owners of foo-BARS Designs in Ocala, Fla., experienced a 100% year-over-year sales increase for their furniture business, which started out making reception desks, then shifted to handcrafted bars. The bars vary in shape and size up to 14 feet. Most use pressure-treated lumber when designed for the outside and pine for bars inside a home; some are stained and others are painted. Others incorporate corrugated metal. And while many clients live in Florida, the couple has worked with homeowners in New York and California.

For now, nobody seems to know whether the home bar will remain an important part of more homeowners’ wish lists or fizzle when the pandemic ends.

How to stock a home bar?The site The Spruce Eats, offers suggestions. Cheers!

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission