Boomers Stay Home

News flash, baby boomers: you’re growing older. Where will you be living in five, ten or even 15 years? If you said right where you are now, then you’re among a “booming” market of homeowners who want to stay put through their golden years. By staying in your current home in Manassas, Alexandria, Arlington or Fairfax, not only will you avoid the dreaded moving dumpster your kids insist you fill, you’ll also be near friends, family and familiar neighborhoods. If staying in your home is important to you, plan now to accommodate for the realities of aging — easy movement around your home, safe bath and kitchen areas and user-friendly spaces.

Remodeling your home can be a lot less expensive than assisted living or a planned community. Think about a few key areas of your current home. If you have a two-story home and were unable to climb stairs, would you be able to live all on one floor? Most older homes would not allow this luxury. Home additions like a bathroom and a master suite on the first floor make that floor livable on its own. You also increase your home’s value immensely with the bathroom addition. Is your kitchen and eating area easily accessible by only a few footsteps, or are you walking through and around rooms, cabinets or closets carrying plates of food to the table? Consider remodeling your kitchen to make both traffic flow and day-to-day movement easier. Add an island or peninsula for additional counter space for food preparation, as well as for convenient seating. Increase your first floor space with a morning room that connects to the kitchen or family room and gives you an open feeling. Finally, consider your laundry. If it’s in the basement, you’re asking for trouble. Add a first floor laundry room that doubles as a mud room. It’s ideal for storing all those things that you won’t have to throw in the dumpster.