55+ inspire big home remodeling trend

More of us are planning for the future, not just financially, but physically. Seems we’re thinking more about what life will be like when we, or the people who visit our home regularly, are older.

Universal design, a fancy term used to describe home design features that respond to aging or physical disability, is catching on. According to the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders), 70% of surveyed remodelers reported making home modifications based on aging, up from 60% in 2006.

The trend is driven by age 55+ homeowners who want to stay put, or age-in-place, over the years. But universal design features are also being considered by younger folk with concerns about older parents who visit, or may even live with them now or in the future. 

Which features are most popular among remodelers? According to the NAHB survey:

78% are adding grab bars
71% are installing higher toilets
60% are upgrading to a curb-less shower
57% are widening doorways
45% are constructing ramps or lower entry thresholds
45% are enhancing overall and task lighting

Source: Qualified Remodeler Magazine, May ’09

create your own home selling advantage

In a tough home selling market, it’s important to gain an advantage over other houses on the market.  That’s especially true if you’re selling your own home. Here’s an idea you might want to try.

Create a home selling sheet. Whether working with a real estate agent or not, a one-sided or double-sided summary sheet about your home helps you get the word out about home features that don’t always make it into real estate listings. You know what you loved most about your home, and a selling sheet provides you or your real estate agent with specific talking points. You can also put the sheet in neighborhood mailboxes, post it online or on local bulletin boards. Plus, it puts you on par with home builders who build buyer excitement with exciting brochures about a homes’ amenities.

What should you include in your home selling sheet?

1. A 100-125 word description of your home. Include three to five highlights that describe the best features about your home (think about why you loved living there). Does the master bedroom get morning sunshine? Does the home have a country kitchen? Or a chef’s kitchen with an island? Is the living room spacious? Is there a picture window, an English garden?, a private deck? The only criteria to use is honesty; you don’t want to disappoint buyers once they see your home!

2. A point form list of best construction or maintenance features and upgrades. Take credit for the money you’ve invested in your home! List upgraded windows, extra insulation, energy efficient appliances, a large hot water heater or new furnace, new siding, a recently replaced roof, energy efficient appliances. Include manufacturer’s brand names if prestigious. Include utility costs and taxes if they’re low, and any landscaping features.

3. A few photos of your home’s exterior and interior. Outdoor photos are best taken in late spring, summer or fall, on a sunny day with the sun at your back. Take indoor photos with drapes open, as much natural light as possible. Remove all visible clutter, including patterned pillows and blankets to make rooms look larger. Take lots of photos and choose from the best. Use a wide-angle lens (it makes a BIG difference) and a flash inside. Nothing is gloomier than a dark-looking rooms. Just include the best photos on your sheet.

4. A floor plan of all the finished floors. If you don’t have a floor plan you can reduce to fit on a page or less, consider getting a drafting student at a local college to draw one up. Providing them with a sketch with room dimensions, window and door locations will save you money.

A home selling sheet not only alerts buyers to all the reasons they should consider you rhome, but keeps your home top of mind with potential buyers.

remodeling priorities = changing priorities

Selling homes in our current economic climate isn’t something many of us want to think about. So more of us are dreaming about a home remodel. See if your dream projects match up with what other homeowners are thinking. In a  survey by HGTV and Furniture/Today…

Kitchens were voted favorite home remodel project, with 53% of consumers wanting a new one. No surprise here. We’re eating more at home, buying more cookbooks and can’t get the guests out of the kitchen anyway. But with kitchen remodels returning only about 50% of their cost when selling homes (they used to guarantee a profit), kitchens are now vying with…

Outdoor patio and decks… with an equal number of consumers (53%) wanting one of these. More consumers are vacationing at home, and grilling is hot… but patios tied with a new kitchen remodel? Sounds like we all need to get out more…

Master bedrooms came in at a close third, with 49% of us dreaming about a bedroom overhaul even while we’re wide awake.

Living rooms came in fourth, with 46% wishing for a new one. Family rooms need a facelift for 39% of us.

Dining rooms can in 6th, with 39% wanting to eat in more style than we currently do. Home office was a priority for 26%, guest bedrooms for 25%. In last place? Kids bedrooms. Apparently only 15% of us think the kids need more new stuff.

So what can we conclude about the state of our home remodels… or more accurately, the state of our minds? We’re spending more time on quality of life and personal places. If we entertain, we’d just as soon do it comfortably on the deck rather than in a formal dining room. And our master bedroom comes ahead of our living room. That might be a first. 

Overnight guests and kids… apparently you’re on your own.

an easy way to find a new home

If you’re in the market for a brand new home, you might find a brand new web site worth a look.

The site, NewHomeListings.com was just launched as a way to connect new home buyers to builders… with a database of new home inventory in 14,000 communities. It features some unique content and a lot of information about each property.

The site is apparently a joint venture between Hanley Wood Market Intelligence (a company I really like for their free home building updates (… though they really need to lighten up a little… all the bad news is really getting me down), and DataSphere.

Check it out at www.NewHomeListings.com

new lamps help sell homes

HOME VALUE

Want to sell your home and get top dollar in a buyers’ market? Buy a few lamps and brighten up the place! Lamps are the top selling ‘staging item’, and it’s no wonder. Brighter rooms are larger-looking rooms, and while overhead lamps help, they usually cast a flat light that doesn’t directly increase the look of space.

Place three lamps (two table lamps and a floor lamp are ideal) into bedrooms and living rooms in a triangular layout. Keep lamp shades light (avoid black or dark tones), and use the maximum bulb wattage allowed. A great trick? Tuck floor spotlights into corners of the room and tilt them upwards to make corners disappear.

Also, use daylight to your advantage. Pull drapes back as far as possible, replace heavy or dark drapes with light-colored, light-weight versions (IKEA has lots of inexpensive options), and re-locate or remove any furniture that blocks windows.