Demand Growing for Lock up And Leave Lifestyle From Baby Boomers
One of Auckland’s most active home builders says there is growing demand from baby boomers for easy to maintain, open
plan, ‘lock up and leave’ homes.
Andrew Olsen, Sales Manager for Jalcon Homes, says that older home buyers are looking for a change of lifestyle which
often includes downsizing their living space without giving up the best of design for their home.
“Baby boomers in particular are looking for a change of pace and style, but they want an active and fulfilling lifestyle
more than ever. They’ve put in the hard yards, raising a family and working for decades – now they are empty nesters who
want to enjoy life and all the finer things.
“Many of our recent home sales have been to baby boomers and it’s largely because we provide a design-led home solution,
with a range of sizes and price points, which makes Jalcon’s products perfectly suited to the growing retiree and
semi-retiree home buyer market.”
Olsen says many baby boomers want to be able to go traveling or visiting friends at the drop of a hat which means having
a secure and easy to lock up home is a top priority.
“Home buyers from the baby boomer generation are often looking for the exact opposite to what they’d been living in
previously. They’re looking for a small landscaped courtyard rather than a large lawn and garden. They want easy
indoor-outdoor flow, with an easy to maintain outdoor room or entertaining area.
Having high quality, designer bathroom and kitchen facilities is important to these buyers because they want to
entertain and have friends and family around.”
Olsen says that areas like Hobsonville Point are popular with baby boomers because there is easy access to cafes, walks,
the farmers markets, and an ever-growing range of amenities.
Olsen says that organisations like Lifemark provide a useful guide for baby boomers, as a quality mark of accessible
homes that are built to meet the changing needs of people as they grow older.
“Jalcon is proud to be an approved partner of Lifemark which offers accreditation which is awarded to homes that have
been well designed and are easy and safe to live in – for a lifetime. With a growing population of older people,
ensuring homes are designed to prevent falls and injuries for example, is of huge important to us.
“Baby boomers are looking for easy, carefree living and we’re seeing an uptake of our homes because they are uniquely
designed for each of our customer’s needs, their site, and their budget.
This is a market that is seriously growing, and we’re looking forward to engaging with more home buyers who are looking
for a change of pace, without sacrificing quality and design.”
ENDS