What Type of Home is Right for My Season of Life?
Stefani Thatcher
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Let's explore how your season of life impacts high-quality and high-functioning home design.
So, you’re thinking about building a home, but you’re not quite sure what you need to know to get it right. Maybe your job requires frequent moves. Or maybe this is the home your children will be raised in.
Whatever the case, one of the most important factors to consider when designing and building a home is what season of life you are CURRENTLY in and what seasons (or stage(s) of life you’ll PASS THROUGH while living in this new home.
HOW DO I KNOW MY SEASON OF LIFE?
Typically, the different seasons of life can be charted out just like a bell curve. Along this bell curve of home ownership, we find:
- Young, single adult
- Young couple
- New family
- Young, growing family
- Families with teens/blended families
- Approaching “empty nest” (what I like to call the “revolving door” stage)
- Retired couples
- Aging in place individuals
Not every person goes through each stage of life as a homeowner. For example, my husband and I were not homeowners as single adults nor as a young newlywed couple. Our first foray into homeownership coincided directly with starting our family – our oldest child was born just weeks after closing on our new home.
WHY IS KNOWING YOUR SEASON OF LIFE IMPORTANT?
Understanding the season(s) of life that you will experience in your new home will greatly increase your home’s ability to function and perform the way you want it to.
For example, a young couple just starting their family may feel they need to have the children’s bedrooms near theirs to ensure the little ones are tended to quickly and easily during the night. On the other hand, that same couple may want to have a little bit of separation and privacy from their noisy or moody teenagers.
A young, healthy family may not mind trekking up and down stairs multiple times a day, but an older, retired couple with recent hip surgery may be confined to a wheelchair and literally cannot climb the stairs.
According to a recent study by the National Association of Realtors, the average length for most homeowners to stay in one home is 13 years. Based on this statistic alone, most homeowners will transition from one stage of life to another – in the same home.
TOP TIPS FOR DESIGNING TO DIFFERENT SEASONS OF LIFE
What does this mean for you? The more awareness you have around this topic, the better prepared you’ll be to design and build that new, dream home. The following steps will help guide you through the LIFE STAGES ASSESSMENT:
- Determine which of the following stages of life you are CURRENTLY in:
• Young, single adult
• Young couple
• New family
• Young, growing family
• Families with teens/blended families
• Approaching "empty nest" (what I like to call the "revolving door" stage)
• Retired couples
• Aging in place individuals - Ask yourself how long you expect to stay there (look at your priorities regarding job situation; family proximity; access to services and facilities like grocery stores, schools, and entertainment; what you can afford; need for change; etc).
- Reach out to your parents, friends, neighbors, co-workers older than you to get their perspective on common home needs and requirements for different stages of life.
- Work with your architect, home designer, and/or builder to ensure your home will work FOR you through all the stages of life it’ll see you through.
CLOSING
Remember, your home is an extension of YOU! It is where all of your best ideas come to life and where your greatest dreams can be realized. Your home is the setting for your life story. Design your new home with purpose and with care for what the future may hold for you.
Still need someone to talk through your home goals and needs? Drop a comment below with your burning questions or feel free to follow us on your favorite social media channel (we’re on IG, FB, and LinkedIn) @domanihomedesign.
Interested in designing dream homes for dream clients? Learn more at www.squarefootsuperhero.com or @squarefootsuperhero on IG, FB, Pinterest, and YouTube.
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