More than any other segment of the population, perhaps, baby boomers have a fascination with housing. With more money than they’ve ever had, some can finally buy the home of their dreams. Others are searching for a second home. Still others are looking to downsize or, rather, “rightsize”.
The good news is that Richmond’s Parade of Homes is just around the corner. In October, the 57th annual Parade of Homes will once again spotlight the latest in home designs, preview new construction techniques and materials, and showcase the city’s premier builders. The Home Building Association of Richmond, which sponsors the show, says this year’s event will feature about 130 homes – more than half of them decorated – by some 59 builders.So, what can baby boomers find in the Parade of Homes? Plenty. Victoria Moody, the association’s director of special events, says to expect lots of variety, with houses located throughout the Richmond area and with a wide range of price points, amenities and community types.

BIG TREND: LOW-MAINTENANCE LIVING
When it comes to exteriors, low maintenance is – not surprisingly – a huge draw for boomers. Tricia Cleary, director of marketing and sales for the Tascon Group, says boomers are all about lifestyle and convenience. In the Parade of Homes, her company is showing houses with exteriors that combine low-maintenance stone and vinyl. Just as appealing as low-maintenance homes, she says, are no-maintenance communities. There, homeowners don’t have to lift a finger outside the front door because the homeowner’s association takes care of maintaining the yard, cleaning the windows, replacing the roof, inspecting for termites and more. Cleary says boomers also want a community atmosphere, ease of access in and out of the house, and features that enhance convenience and security, such as attached garages.

BIG TREND: OUTDOOR LIVING
Outdoor living is another hot trend says Vernon McClure, owner of Main Street Homes. He sees homebuyers gravitating to big front porches, expanded patio areas, screened porches with fireplaces and big, built-in grills. Sunrooms are also popular. “People still want those extra rooms,” he says. “They want to customize their house, put their own mark on it. You don’t see cookie-cutter neighborhoods as you did in the past. Builders are doing some different and exciting things.”
McClure also says boomers favor simpler designs than they did a decade ago. “Craftsman-style design is hugely popular now,” he says. Typically, those homes have no shutters, fewer gables, wider trim around the windows, and white band board between the brick foundation and the siding. He also says stone front homes are very much in favor now for their color, texture and style. So are concrete board exteriors such as HardiPlank™ by James Hardie®, which requires almost no maintenance, resists fire and resembles wood.

BIG TREND: ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL
David Owen, president of Boone Homes, adds that boomers also want interesting architectural details such as brick arches and keystone over windows. “They don’t want a ‘Plain Jane’ front. They’re looking for different planes on the house, changes on the roof line, colors that blend – all the things that work together to make a home warm and inviting and in architectural harmony with the neighborhood.”
Finally, Owen says boomers are all about first-floor living. Make no mistake, though: First floor living doesn’t necessarily mean one-story homes with low square footage. “Baby boomers aren’t really downsizing. What they’re really doing is rightsizing,” he says. “The first floor is where they live, usually with a master bedroom suite and a common area. The upstairs essentially becomes a bed and breakfast for family members and guests.”IBl

Jo Lord is a freelance writer whose work regularly appears in Richmond publications.

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