The National Association of Home Builders has shared the Top 10 Home Features Baby Boomers Want — and Don’t Want - Much like the average home buyer, buyers in the baby boomer generation like laundry rooms and energy efficiency, and dislike elevators and wine cellars. Baby boomers, however, tend to have stronger opinions about what they do and do not want in their homes, as indicated in NAHB’s recent update on What Home Buyers Really Want.
The 2019 edition is based on a survey of 3,996 home buyers, both recent (purchased a home in the last three years) and prospective (expecting to buy a home in the next three years). Respondents rated 175 features on the following four-tier scale: Essential: Unlikely to buy a home without feature, Desirable: Seriously influenced to buy home if included, Indifferent: Would not influence purchase decision, and Do Not Want: Not likely to buy a home with feature.
No. 1 is a laundry room, which 94% of baby boomers want. Baby boomers are more likely to indicate what they want (based on higher essential/desirable percentages noted in the chart), and a full bath on the main level (displacing a double kitchen sink).
An elevator is the feature baby boomers are least likely to want, as 80% of baby boomers are looking to purchase single-story homes. It’s important to remember, however, that a niche market usually exists even among the most generally unwanted items; in this case, 10% of baby boomers consider an elevator desirable, and 3% think it’s essential.
With the most undesirable features, baby boomers again paralleled the interests of the general home buyer population. The biggest difference is that a two-story family room ranks fourth on the unwanted list for baby boomers, compared to ninth for all buyers. In every case, though, the share of baby boomers who explicitly reject the feature is at least 5 percentage points higher.
Baby boomers also ranked their most desired community features: Near retail space (72% ranked essential or desirable), Walking/jogging trails (66%), Typically suburban (65%), Walkable community (62%) and Park area (61%).
For inspiring 55+ development ideas, visit the recently updated Best of 55+ Housing Awards website.
With those stats in mind, Apartment Therapy has shared the 9 Ways to Boost Your Home’s Curb Appeal, According to Real Estate Experts. When it comes to curb appeal, doesn’t it seem like everyone talks only about painting your door a bright color and manicuring your front yard? Here, some of the best tips, from real estate professionals.
1. Don’t just focus on shrubs and flowers - “You want to make sure that all of the boundaries between any concrete, grass, and flowerbeds are crisp and clean,” says Brett Jennings, founder of Real Estate Experts, a real estate company in Southern California. “This makes a big difference between a messy front yard and an organized one.”
2. Do more than a light spring clean - By power washing the siding, windows, and entire exterior of your home, you’ll get rid of years of dirt and debris and give your façade an upgrade. “This is important because the vast majority of buyers who don’t like the exterior of a home won’t even look at the interior, no matter how great it is,” says Bruce Ailion, a Realtor in Atlanta, Georgia.
3. Make sure potential buyers can find your home - It seems obvious but a house number—in an updated font—can make or break the look of your home. “Make sure your address number can be read from the street,” says Justin Riordan, founder of Spade and Archer Design Agency, a home staging company in Portland, Oregon. “If your house is hard to find, people will leave without buying. Also, your address numbers need to be in a contrasting color and it should be well-lit so it can be easily read from the street both day and night.”
4. Show your screen door the door - “I have never seen a screen door that was better-looking than the door behind it,” Riordan says. “The screen door also can make for an awkward entry sequence when attempting to get the key out of the lockbox while holding the screen door open.”
5. Upgrade your mailbox - “If your mailbox is looking a little rusty and if you want your home to look a little more glamorous, this is the perfect opportunity to replace it with a newer, more stylish option,” says Sophie Kaemmerle, a home improvement expert at Neighbor Who.
6. Play with night lights - “Your house may look its best during the day, but don’t forget to make sure it looks as good at night,” Kaemmerle says. “The right lighting can create the ambiance you want and even show off all of your home’s best features.”
7. Add window boxes or planters - “Even if you don’t have a big yard, you can amplify your windows and the look of your home’s front exterior by adding flowers below your windows,” Kaemmerle says. “This can drastically change the look of your home, thanks to the pop of color they can provide. You don’t have to have them at every window—even just one or two may be sufficient to drastically ramp up your curb appeal.”
8. See your front door as a design statement - “The front door says a lot about a home and its owner,” says Smitha Ramchandani, president of SR Real Estate Group in New Jersey. “When choosing a color, consider the style of your home. Perhaps a stately black or hunter green might appeal to buyers with traditional tastes or maybe you want something more laid-back like a canary yellow, which telegraphs cheer and comfort.”
9. Make sure your home exudes warmth - “You want to aim for a homey look when you’re working on curb appeal so avoid obscuring the interior with opaque or blackout curtains if you don’t need to or at least keep them drawn to the side for showings,” Ramchandani says. “Or, put a plant in a first-floor window. Just one works to add a homey touch. Remember: A home that looks open looks more inviting to a potential buyer.”
Solar is also an option for a household upgrade as KUTV reports that Salt Lake City ranskn11th nationwide for solar energy. According to a recent report conducted by the Environment America Research & Policy Center, Salt Lake City is ranked 11th nationwide for solar energy per capita, putting the state capital among the nation's top solar energy leaders. The results came from "Shining Cities 2019: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy" - a comprehensible survey that monitors installed solar capacity across the country. Salt Lake City’s use of solar energy sets an example for the rest of the country.
According to the report, Salt Lake was ranked ahead of Los Angeles and behind Albuquerque, New Mexico, for megawatts of solar energy per capita as of year-end 2018. Salt Lake City uses solar energy to protect public health by combating local air pollution and reduce global warming emissions as part of the city's commitment to achieving 100% renewable electricity citywide by 2032, stated the press release.
“We are thrilled to see Salt Lake City listed among the solar energy leaders in Shining Cities,” stated Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski in the press release. “Sustained development of solar resources is an essential pillar of our efforts to address climate change. Powering homes and businesses with clean, renewable energy creates jobs, reduces pollution, and offers stable electricity rates. I’m proud to see so many of our community members invest in a clean energy future.”
In addition to the national rankings, the report examined national solar power in major cities over the course of six years. According to the report, solar energy capacity has more than doubled in 45 of 57 of the country's largest cities and it has more than quadrupled in Salt Lake City from 2013 to 2018. “Each year we harness more and more of the enormous solar energy potential across the country,” stated Searson. “We still have a long way to go, but leaders like Mayor Biskupski are taking the steps necessary to power more homes, schools and businesses with clean energy from the sun.”
