Neil Walker, Design Manager at Russell Homes, reveals the proactive measures the housebuilder has taken in response to children taking longer to fly the nest, as well as the generation of ‘boomerang kids’ moving back in. He also shares some of the ways homeowners are using their homes to make sure the space works for everybody.
According to figures published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the number of 25 to 34-year-olds living with their parents has soared by a third over the last 20 years, resulting in 450,000 more young adults living at home.
Our designs are constantly evolving in response to the ever-changing market in which we operate and people’s rapidlyevolving needs. Creating spaces that homeowners fall in love with the second they first step foot inside them has always played an integral part in shaping our overall design vision. So too has making sure that our buyers’ homes are designed to grow with them, wherever their life journey takes them.
Mirror people’s wants and needs
As a result, what we design today may look slightly different six months down the line, and significantly different several years later. Our sales team acts as our eyes and our ears, collating feedback from potential customers and buyers and sharing every valuable bit with us in the design team. We then take this insight and use it to continuously fine-tune our designs, so that our individual house types and entire developments mirror people’s wants and needs.
With recent studies showing homes are being populated by more bodies for longer, we’ve been refining our designs over the last decade to make sure they do exactly what people need them to do. During this time, we’ve definitely seen an increased desire for ground floor open plan living and have made sure that our 2.5-storey properties reflect this design trend. At the same time, more-and-more people are looking for bright and airy spaces, which help bridge the gap between the indoors and outdoors. Providing French doors in all of our 2.5- storey properties, which instantly enhance the natural light levels and ventilation, is something we didn’t do a decade ago. Now it’s a key feature within our Turner, Roberts and Bower properties.
Multitude of purposes
As simple as they may sound, both of these design changes are helping create something that supports the larger family model. Naturally, people don’t want to feel like they’re living on top of each other, and they don’t want to feel isolated in separate rooms either, which is where open plan design really comes into its own. Not only can these spaces be harmoniously occupied by multiple people, they can be used for a multitude of purposes, e.g. cooking, playing, watching TV, hosting friends and studying. Meanwhile, the addition of French doors that open out into the garden, immediately provides extra space for entertaining and relaxing.
Contrary to popular belief, 2.5-storey properties are a good choice for families because of the open plan living they provide. Depending on the house type, the extra floor acts as an impressive main bedroom, freeing up space on the first floor for bedrooms or a modern home office, guest rooms or children’s play area.
Teenagers’ escape
Alternatively, some of our other house types have two further double bedrooms and a shower room on the top floor, making it perfect for guests or as a teenagers’ escape – they get to enjoy an entire floor to themselves and spend time with their friends without disturbing the rest of the house! And, of course, this floor is useful for the ‘boomerang generation’ too because they’ve got their own dedicated space that’s tucked away from their parents and the rest of the household. We’ve also seen homeowners switch this floor around, e.g. parents with younger children use the main bedroom, so they are on the same floor as their children. When the kids get older, they move to the next floor to relax and create a serene space for themselves.
Homes are more than just bricks and mortar. They provide that all-important foundation for families to spend many a happy year, surrounded by spaces that work for them and, more importantly, they can live in and enjoy, for many years to come.
Russell Homes is an award-winning, independent housebuilder focused on developing beautiful homes in great locations across the North of England.
Established in 2004, the company’s portfolio is varied and extensive, ranging from stunning contemporary beachfront residences to beautiful family homes in stunning locations with smart town centre addresses.
For more information about Russell Homes, visit: www.rdr.link/dbf021
