<p>To start yet another real estate thread, but with a slightly different twist, what would you look for if you were looking for in an “empty nest” house. We have been looking at new houses and have come to realize that either our tastes are different from the mass market or the builders have no clue about what the market wants. (We have a single point of agreement by way of a sales rep for a new development who said most of her customers have objected to the huge, space-eating soaking tub that the builder insists as being standard equipment for the master bath.) We also object to the massive master BR/bath/closet at the expense of the rest of the house. Also, the open floor-plan concept seems to be all the rage, and, while it does “look” nice, I think from a practicality perspective it makes no sense whatsoever. It would be virtually impossible to watch TV in one room and listen to music or watch a different TV show in another part of the house.</p>
<p>So, what would you look for if you were designing a house for your empty nest/retirement years? Square footage? Number of floors? Number and size of bedrooms? Size of the master BR/bath? Number and size of common rooms. Open floor-plan versus discrete rooms? Type of flooring/counters. Older home/new home/“active adult community”? Anything else?</p>
<p>Personally, I love my soaking tub, which is molded plastic (not a whirlpool) and has arm rests so I can read comfortably. It’s also deep enough that I can sit in hot water up to my neck. Which I do about three nights a week.</p>
<p>And I love being able to retreat to our large MBR “suite.”</p>
<p>But I have also put a lot of thought into our next house, and I find myself ambivalent. I have a friend who built the perfect “kids have flown” house and regretted it two years later when her daughter had two kids back to back and they came home for a long visit and there wasn’t really room for them. I find myself thinking in terms of a “complex”–a small and easy-to-maintain main house, and a small and separate studio/guesthouse where a family could stay and maintain a routine without worrying about being disruptive.</p>
<p>Some things I know for sure, based on maintenance requirements: metal roof, tile floors and hardwood floors maintained with wax (not polyurethane), central vacuum, soaking tub, separate big comfortable shower, granite counters (they’re indestructible, and I haven’t burnt/stained them–as I’ve done every other surface we’ve had).</p>
<p>If you want to stay in it for any time, try to get a house with a bedroom and full bath on the main floor. I am in RE and i find that’s what people want eventually.</p>
<p>You might want to look at Sarah Susanka’s “Not So Big House” books. They will help you think about what you really would want in an empty nest house and are full of clever ideas to help you design a space that meets your specific needs, with a focus on quality instead of quantity.</p>
<p>My uncle, an architect, designed a house for us when we were in our 30s, but with the understanding that we might not actually build it until we were empty-nesters. We haven’t built it yet, so that plan was a good one for us. The design is based on maximum flexibility; there is a great room with a fireplace and a nook off the Pullman kitchen, but all is designed with the option for pocket doors or French doors if we wanted less open space (we’ve also always had lots of animals, so open floor plans are pain for us when we want to restrict where are critters can go) or a formal dining room. The master bedroom suite is actually a bedroom and a study (two separate rooms) and the second bedroom has its own bathroom with a shower; perfect for a kid or as a guest bedroom. Both these bedrooms are on the ground floor. The upstairs can be used for additional bedrooms or can be my sewing room and a computer room. The garage is attached/heated and is oversized with plumbing hook-ups, so if we want to have the laundry room on the ground floor, rather than in the basement, it’s a simple conversion with the building of an additional wall in the garage.</p>
<p>Now we just have to decide where we’re going to settle in the long run; my husband is pushing to return to his roots in the PNW, but I want to wait to see where our daughter lands. I’m not sure I want to live in Washington if she settles in NYC!</p>
<p>A yurt?
Hobbit Habitat?
ISS?
Colorado Max Condo?
Even some or all the above.</p>
<p>Let me know what you settle for. I think the Boomers are again going to change the market, especially in this arena. And the RE will be shocked.</p>
<p>Our number 1 issue right now (and we are seriously anxious to downsize) is SIDEWALKS! We want to live someplace we can walk to restaurants, parks, maybe entertainment, and, of course, walk the dogs. </p>
<p>We just want to DRIVE LESS. </p>
<p>I, personally, would also like to get out of the toxic chem-lawned 'burbs.</p>
<p>I don’t know if that is a condo or a house - we’ve been looking but I’ve seen nothing yet that is right. I second the suggestion of the “Not So Big Houses.” They are great.</p>
<p>Drive less is so true, not being a chauffer is gonna be great, and to just toodle to the local store and get our weeks groceries in two or three bags…</p>
<p>I would want a sleek look, bright colors</p>
<p>I would prefer to really downsize, and visit timeshares all over the world…not my own, but “check them out” or rent places, a week here, a week there</p>
<p>Travel to me would make up for having smaller digs</p>
<p>We are just now buying a second home which will be our “retirement” home. It has some things I might have envisioned in my “dream” empty nest house and some I wouldn’t have thought I wanted.<br>
*in a location that our kids/grandkids/friends and relations will want to visit (this is the best feature to me, I now realize)
*3 br/3.5 baths in the “main” house
*a guest casita, which is in effect a studio apt. with kitchenette and bath
*very minimal yard: a postage stamp of lawn; a few places to grow things and a nice patio
*open floor plan for the main area, but separate office off master bedroom so we can each have our “space”
*all bedrooms (except the casita) on the second floor - I do believe first floor living is popular, and maybe someday we’ll need it. But I think “use it or lose it” happens too and we want to go up and downstairs for as long as we can
*lots and lots of natural light and windows
*in a family neighborhood - we didn’t really want the “over 50 gated community” atmosphere
*warm winter climate but hospitable (in fact wonderful) year-round climate
*floors are travertine, Pergo and carpet; counters are granite; baths are well-done tile (I would have chosen wood floors if designing it myself)</p>
<p>It probably sounds palatial, but it isn’t. About 2500 sf all told; and, because it’s Baja California, Mexico, about half of what it would cost here in Maine and about 10-20% of what it would be in “alta” Calfornia.–</p>
<p>And, fundingfather, it has bathrooms which I love (and bathroom quality is important to me) but none are palatial (in fact, there are no bathtubs at all-might regret that!). I am one who almost never used the jacuzzi I had in a previous home. I’m with you on not appreciating the bells and whistles that builders feel we baby boomers want -20’ ceilings etc. (and I guess many do).</p>
<p>I’m having trouble enough as it is deciding on the empty nest “city”, let alone the house. I do like actual rooms though - don’t care for open floor plans. And lots and lots and lots of window space. A swimming pool, even though it will cost more and become hard to take care of. Skylights, and lots of space for gardening, flowers, etc.</p>
<p>Place your kids will want to visit-- AGREE! That pretty much means our home town, a great city, or a vacationey destination. Plus fairly easy to get to (not a three flight plus two hours drive sort of trip)</p>
<p>Walk to town/shops (does not have to be much more than grocery, cafe, library & hardware, but something nice to walk to)
Town with cultural & intellectual life (within easy drive)
At least one BR on main level
Comfortable & private Guest area (GH or private wing)
Good weather, clean air
Indoor/Outdoor living & nice garden (can be small)
Quality K & baths (though ‘huge’ is not necessary)
TUB: ESSENTIAL! (BTW jmmom, if necessary you can always put a japanese tub in one of your showers :))</p>
<p>Front porch, preferably with an ocean view. Minimal yard to maintain, neighbors in reasonable proximity. Newer so less year to year maintenance than our 105 year old house requires.</p>
<p>SBMom - I had thought that the tub thing would be possible (picturing the old galvanized tubs of our forefathers’ era )</p>
<p>Walk to town/shops was always on my wish list; didn’t work out where we ended up. I’m the urbanite; DH really isn’t. But we can walk around the neighborhood.</p>
<p>We do have an ocean view, although we chose lesser view and better guest accomodations in the inevitable trade-offs that always happen if you’re not Bill Gates.</p>
<p>This will definately sound self-serving but it might help to talk to an architect who can put all your ideas together in a coherent whole. It is not always more expensive. Even if it is, it might be worth it to get exactly what you want. A good architect should be able to exceed your expectations.</p>
<p>We built when kids were elementary and middle school ages with the idea of staying in the house. Have a MBR/bath at one end of house on main level (recently added sunroom off of it) and a guest room/bath at opposite end of main level. Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms and basement has large rec area and mini kitchen. So far this has worked well as when kids are gone, we just don’t use basement and upstairs; but when they come home with 4 college friends there is room for everyone. We also live on a lake which makes summer visits attractive for the kids and their friends. Most important–keep MBR, laundry and garage on main level:).</p>
<p>Dh and I have discussed this a fair amount, as he is eligible to retire in about three years, and we want to move out of this dump before it falls down. :)</p>
<p>We want about an acre of land so we have room for a garden and fruit trees, but NO, repeat NO, wild blackberries. (They keep threatening to take over our place here.)
We would like to live in a fairly quiet place, but with bus service and access to a large town/small city with a symphony, art exhibits, etc.
We would like to stay in the Pac NW, and probably in Oregon.</p>
<p>As for the house itself:
3 bedrooms, so we can have a master bedroom and one room for each of us: an art studio for dh and a writing/computer room for me–each convertible to bedrooms when the kids come to visit.
an attached garage with a door that opens
a workshop area, either in the garage or separate, for home projects
I would love to have things like solar heating panels and geothermal heating/cooling (not sure if that is the right term; I just read about it recently)
Lots of bookcases–in fact, a separate library would be wonderful
At least one room MUST be airconditioned; when I’m old, I want to be comfortable in the summer. :)</p>
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