As children leave home, a new chapter emerges for empty nesters. No longer constrained by school districts, yard space for play, and accommodation of lots of possessions, there is the flexibility to create a custom-designed dream home that is perfectly tailored to this phase of life.
Whether you opt to renovate your current house, move to a smaller residence, or just build from scratch, trying to find an ideal empty-nester home is always something that excites you. Plan around your vision and lifestyle needs and you can craft a warm, stylish, and intentionally sized luxury space that you can thrive in.
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Defining Your Wish List For Dream Home
One joy of empty-nester living is being able to focus on your wants and needs for perhaps the first time in decades. So before taking a look at potential homes, reflect on your priorities for this next stage. Maintenance requirements, proximity to attractions, space for hobbies, opportunities to host guests, accessibility features, and aesthetic preferences are all things that will influence choices.
If building a new construction, luxury home builders like those at Jamestown Estate Homes offer full customization. If you opt for an existing property, make a wish list of must-haves. You will then be able to evaluate options based on the amenities that are most meaningful to you rather than defaulting to childhood criteria.
Old House or New Tricks?
There are those empty nesters where the thought of leaving a long-standing family dream home seems emotionally difficult, despite all the impracticalities. Options do exist to transform that outdated and oversized but sentimental house into a functional oasis tailored to modern needs. This will let you refresh the layout, flow, and style of the residence without abandoning its familiarity.
Renovation allows for the incorporation of higher-end finishes, energy efficiency upgrades, universal design elements to facilitate aging in place, repurposed space, and restored curb appeal. Many times, you can completely rework an existing property to finally match your empty nester vision.
Building the Ideal Retreat
If willing to part with the old homestead, building a new custom residence offers limitless possibilities unconstrained by previous floor plans and outdated features. Luxury dream home builders excel at collaborating with clients to construct fully personalized dwellings optimized for their lifestyles. Priority areas like a private owner’s suite, creative kitchen, and indoor/outdoor gathering spaces can claim a larger proportion of square footage compared to during child-rearing years.
Features impossible to retrofit like single-story living, smart home technology, and energy efficiency can be embedded into the foundation. For empty nesters prioritizing accessibility, sustainability, entertainment, connection, or even growth potential through accessory dwelling units or multi-generational wings, new construction checks every box.
Right-Size Your Life
Part of the empty nester transition involves editing and downsizing decades of accumulated possessions. This process may reveal that a home with less square footage, but more intentional use of space suits your needs. Tiny homes, condos, villas, cottages, and even converted garage apartments offer affordable opportunities to living large in a smaller package.
The design focus centers on functionality and flow rather than unused rooms. These cozy but mighty options provide freedom from maintenance and maximize relaxation and enjoyment per square foot.
Conclusion
With the kids out of the house, empty nesters finally have full creative license to shape a custom residence catering exclusively to their own desires. Whether achieved through renovation, building new, or downsizing to maximized spaces, finding your dream empty nester home allows you to fully embrace this exciting chapter.
The process involves both purging the unnecessary and welcoming in elements specially tailored to how you want to live. With some vision and thoughtful decision-making, you can craft a forever home designed to help love life in the empty nest.