Custom Low Maintenance House Design for Empty Nesters & Retirees
There’s a growing demand for low maintenance homes among retirees, empty nesters and near-retirement individuals. Why? More and more people are realizing that they want to travel, pursue hobbies and passions, and spend time with their grandchildren rather than managing the upkeep of their home, or navigating homes that aren’t designed with aging in mind. While some opt for renovations or search for a smaller, single-level home, building a custom low-maintenance home offers unique advantages tailored to the individual homeowners and their priorities.
Key Features of Low Maintenance House Design
Low-Upkeep Landscaping
Landscaping adds such an important touch to a home, but can be a nightmare to maintain for empty-nesters and retirees looking to travel, avoid the physical strain of yard work, or spend their time doing other things. Our team loves creating outdoor escapes that feel luxurious but are easy to manage. Employing strategies like using drought-tolerant plants, xeriscaping, or creating a built-in irrigation system help to maintain a beautiful exterior without the hassle.
Smaller Footprint with Thoughtful Layouts
Many empty nesters and retirees find themselves leaning towards open-concept designs that emphasize functionality. Prioritizing fewer levels, a first-floor primary bedroom, zero threshold room transitions, wider hallways and an elevator can improve ease of movement as owners age and mobility needs change. A smaller overall footprint not only makes the home feel more manageable but also reduces the time, effort, and cost associated with upkeep. With less square footage to clean and maintain, both inside and out, homeowners can spend more time doing the things they enjoy rather than handling ongoing chores and repairs. This thoughtful approach to low maintenance house design supports a lifestyle focused on comfort, simplicity, and long-term livability.
Learn more about some of our favorite aging in place home features and watch a video of how they work in a custom arts and crafts house here.
Using Durable, Easy-Care Materials
Selecting durable materials inherently means less replacements and repairs, significantly decreasing the amount of upkeep and stress required from homeowners. Building a new custom home means that selecting these types of materials can be a priority off the bat, leading to a home that is not only beautiful and tailored to your lifestyle, but also built to stand the test of time with minimal effort.
Building around High-Quality Appliances & Tech
The beauty of building a custom home is that you can start from the ground up when it comes to integrating appliances and technology. Before the build, homeowners can select appliances and technology that are both high quality and suited to their lifestyle, leading to less maintenance down the road. For example, smart thermostats, smart washers and dryers, smart lighting, central vacuum systems, motorized patio shades and awnings, smart security systems, heated driveways and walkways, and more can be pre-planned and fully integrated into the home design.
Why Work with a Design-Build Firm to Build a Low Maintenance House?
For those looking to build a custom new home in their empty nester or retirement years, a priority is often simplicity. Homeowners don’t want to deal with the stress and complexity that can come with contractor miscommunications, cost overruns, and vendor management issues that are often synonymous with going the custom route. However, the design-build process, unlike the traditional design-bid-build method, doesn’t involve the owner contracting with separate entities for the architecture, construction and design portions of the project. Instead, it involves a tight-knit team that takes care of the entire process from start to finish. This allows for seamless communication between designers and builders who have worked together for years, which facilitates timeliness and communication. You can learn more about the differences between design build and other building processes here. Our open-book pricing model ensures thorough communication about budget from start to finish, and our clients have enjoyed the transparency that results from it.
The simplicity of working with a design-build firm aligns with empty-nesters’ and retirees’ desires to simplify, streamline, and enjoy the process.
Custom Low Maintenance House Design: The Perfect Solution
Our tight-knit team is passionate about the benefits of design-build for those looking to simplify their homes and enjoy their retirement or empty nester years. If you’d like to chat about your home vision and how we can help, reach out!