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'EasyLiving Home' Program Appeals to 50+ Home Buyers
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Wendt Bulders award-winning "EasyLiving Home" in Olde Town Grayson, Ga. |
"EasyLiving Home" — a voluntary certification program for building, marketing and selling accessible homes ― is helping participating Georgia builders meet the needs of the fast-growing 50+ consumer market.
The program began about 10 years ago when Georgia builders were looking to develop a more cooperative relationship with regulators, advocates for the disabled and other stakeholders, according to Ed Phillips, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Georgia.
At that time, the advocates were pushing for legislation that would require all new one- and two-family homes to be accessible.
“We had an extremely adverse relationship with the disability advocacy folks,” Phillips said. “We sat down with them and said, ‘Let’s see if we can start building some trust.’”
“We all came to the table not knowing much about the other perspective,” Phillips said. “We learned a lot about their perspective and they learned a lot about our builders.”
“They began to recognize that our builders put a lot of money on the table when they build a home. They learned that, if builders spend money on some feature in a new home, then they need to have a reasonable expectation that consumers will be interested in that feature,” he said.
The home builders offered the idea of a voluntary program. The disability advocates suggested that the program be simple and easy to follow so that more home builders would participate. They found common ground and started the "EasyLiving Home" program.
Today, more than 40 Georgia builders participate, with 4,000 new "EasyLiving" homes planned for this year. In addition, the program has expanded to New Hampshire and Texas and builders in at least nine other states are actively considering it.
'EasyLiving' Design Features
To be certified under the "EasyLiving Home" program, homes must include what Phillips said are three simple design features that can make a big difference for home buyers:
- Easy Access ― a step-free entrance into the central living area of the home from a driveway, sidewalk or firm route into the main floor.
- Easy Passage — ample room to pass through doorways on the main floor.
- Easy Use ― a bedroom, kitchen, entertainment area and a full bathroom with sufficient maneuvering space for a wheelchair. These rooms all must be located on the main floor and accessible via the step-free entrance.
The fast-growing 50+ market is leading more builders to look at the program and its simple requirements, Phillips said.
One of the winners of the 2007 Livable Communities Award, co-sponsored by AARP and NAHB, was an "EasyLiving Home" in Grayson, Ga., built by Wendt Builders. The winning home was featured in Nation’s Building News earlier this year.
But the program and homes appeal to the larger market as well.
“Some of the people who have chosen to buy an "EasyLiving" home are younger families with children,” said Rebecca Stahr, president and CEO of LifeSpring Environs Inc., a marketing and design consulting firm in Atlanta. “The features of these homes touch everybody. When we opened the first "EasyLiving" homes, the movers were really struck by the convenience.”
Many buyers like the homes built under the program because they recognize that it will enable them to stay in the home as they get older, Phillips said.
“Once builders get involved, they will see that the "EasyLiving Home" is just the beginning of what they can do and what they can offer, at very little cost, to build a home that will meet the needs of any age group,” said Stahr, who is active in NAHB’s 50+ Housing Council.
Builders like the fact that the program is voluntary, Phillips said. Even more important, with good planning, the cost to meet the program’s design requirements “can be negligible. These changes are a win for everybody.”
“Our guys who are building these homes now have some differentiation from the house next door, and that makes a difference in this market,” Phillips said. “It’s petty cool to be able to set yourself apart when your cost is negligible.”
Phillips said he believes that the more builders look at the program, the better they will understand its value.
“We have a lot of states that want to replicate this program. Once the market says, ‘This is what we want,’ then the builders will no longer feel that they are risking their capital on something new and unproven,” Phillips said.
“For any home builders association that may be considering this program, I would recommend that they talk to the builders who have tried it,” he said. “Those builders see it as a paradigm shift.”
Stahr said that not enough homes on the market today offer the key features of "EasyLiving" homes — no-step entries, wider doorways and hallways and a master bedroom suite on the main floor. The homes that offer these features will have a competitive advantage, she said.
 Attend 50+ Housing Symposium in New Orleans, May 19-21
Sign up for the active adult housing tour at the 2008 Boomers and Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium in New Orleans, May 19-21.
The symposium will also feature the most innovative new community designs during the Best of 50+ Housing Awards gala.
Click here to register, or for more information.
 Earn CAASH Credits at Building for Boomers & Beyond
The three required courses for the Certified Active Adult Specialist in Housing (CAASH) designation will be held Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18 at the 2008 Building for Boomers & Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium in New Orleans.
The CAASH designation gives housing professionals serving this rapidly burgeoning market the essential knowledge, tools and skills that will help them succeed.
To learn more about CAASH, visit www.nahb.org/CAASHinfo.
 Find Out What the 45+ Housing Market Wants
“Right House, Right Place, Right Time: Community and Lifestyle Preferences of the 45+ Housing Market,” available through BuilderBooks.com, will help 50+ housing professionals determine the right design, home features and amenities to attract boomer home buyers in their market.
Margaret Wylde guides readers through the latest survey results on this important consumer group and explains what their responses mean for today’s and tomorrow’s home building industry.
To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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