Consumers between 55 and 64 are looking for the "easy-living lifestyle," says a new survey from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the MetLife (MMI) Mature Market Institute. In their 2009 study on the housing preferences of consumers ages 55 to 64 and consumers 65 and up, the two associations revealed some interesting findings regarding how age affects the types of homes people want.
According the results, much of the data between the two age groups was surprisingly similar. However, there were several differences: Consumers 55 to 64 appear to desire a home with technologically heavy features. Contrastingly, those 65 and older revealed they preferred homes with more universal design features and a single-story floor plan.
One result of the survey, thought to be related to the age group's desire for social activities, is a preference for amenities to be taken care of in the house's purchase price: "Very telling," said John Migliaccio, director of research at MetLife's Mature Market Institute, "is that the younger group of mature consumers reported enthusiastically that they want services like home maintenance and repair as part of their next home purchase, along with services usually connected to older householders, such as housekeeping, onsite health care and transportation."
Mike McGowan, chair of NAHB's 50+ Housing Council, responded to the findings similarly: "Most buyers in this market are looking for an easy-living lifestyle. They would like easy access to services that will free up their time from maintenance both inside and outside their homes. This data tells builders that the homes they build for older active adults will remain attractive to the consumers who will be entering that market for the foreseeable future."
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