They are a group known for doing things their own way, from protesting wars and standing up for women’s rights to embracing cultural shifts in music, entertainment, and politics. Over the past 50 years they have shaped the U.S. economy with their collective buying power for items like cars, televisions, and computers. And now that the first wave of America’s baby boomers—those born from 1946 to 1964—have reached retirement age, they are rethinking the traditional notion of where and how they want to live.
As a growing number of these boomers enter their latter working and early retirement stages, the demand for inspired 55-plus housing continues to grow. The BUILDER Taylor Morrison NEXTadventure project was designed using exclusive new insight into what drives this influential group’s purchasing decisions. Open to the public at the 2017 International Builders’ Show, the home is a real-world example of how U.S. builders can meet the whims and wishes of this diverse cohort.
Seventy-seven million strong, baby boomers are a group that U.S. builders can’t afford to ignore, but figuring out what they want is no easy task, according to Sheryl Palmer, CEO of Taylor Morrison. Market trends revealed by Grey Matter Research and the Farnsworth Group found that active adults have many requirements in a new home: Price, location, layout, design, and yard size all play a role, but what older Americans don’t want is a “downsized” house. In fact, 70% of survey respondents said they want a home that is at least 2,000 square feet.
“This is a very unique group who knows exactly what they want,” Palmer says. “They’re more active, healthier, more youthful, social, and connected than any prior generation of retirees.”
These newly retired or about-to-retire consumers look at their homes differently than they did when they were younger, says project architect Deryl Patterson of Jacksonville, Fla.–based Housing Design Matters. “Their relationship with their house has changed,” she says. “In the past they’ve been busy raising a family or focused on their careers, and now they suddenly have time to really enjoy their house, so rooms that used to be just for chores are now hobby rooms.” For instance, boomers who used to dread the nightly scramble to get dinner on the table for their families now enjoy creating leisurely meals and entertaining friends in their kitchens.
Active adults are ready to lighten up in terms of style as well, says Lita Dirks, the project’s interior designer. “Many boomers grew up in homes with heavy furnishings and a proclivity toward browns, rusty reds, and darker earth colors—and don’t forget the harvest gold and avocado appliances,” she says. “Now, moving into their next adventure in life, they desire a home that is light, refreshing, and fun.”
Located in Taylor Morrison’s Esplanade at Highland Ranch master plan community near Orlando, the single-story NEXTadventure home checks all these boxes and more. Its 2,268 square feet encompass an open living space, a discreet “messy” kitchen adjacent to the main kitchen, two bedrooms plus flex room, and an outdoor living room and kitchen. The flexible floor plan can accommodate visiting family and friends, children still living at home, or a caregiver.
Many of the home’s features are geared toward owners’ safety and comfort, including lighting that adapts to their needs, a wireless security system, a pet care station, and integrated home technology such as smart thermostats controlled via smartphone. A bonus room above the garage is accessed via fixed stairs, not a ladder.
As Taylor Morrison executives know, baby boom household formations aren’t slowing down anytime soon. In fact, they are projected to grow at 700,000 per year until 2024, according to the NAHB. The production builder plans to use many ideas from the NEXTadventure home in its upcoming active adult projects, says Steve Kempton, Taylor Morrison’s regional president of Florida.
“All the lessons we’re learning from this experience will work themselves into our floor plans and our communities throughout the nation over the next several years,” he says. “So consumers all over the country will be experiencing some of the results of this NEXTadventure.”