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{"id":9121,"date":"2022-08-02T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog2.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/?p=9121"},"modified":"2024-01-29T16:34:58","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T23:34:58","slug":"empty-nesters-renovate-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/empty-nesters-renovate-homes\/","title":{"rendered":"71% of Empty Nesters Will Renovate Their Homes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

According to a study by Esri<\/a>, the median age of an empty nester — a parent whose children have grown up and moved out of the family home — is just shy of 49 years old. Considering the average life expectancy in the U.S. is approaching 80 years, that leaves a lot<\/i><\/em> of time for parents to enjoy their space without the kids around.<\/p>\n

And they are<\/i><\/em> enjoying it. We surveyed over 1,000 parents — some were empty nesters, and some had just had at least one of their kids leave the house — to find out what they’re doing with their homes and newfound extra space after children move out. Unsurprisingly, a lot of them were excited to repurpose all that space to use during their golden years.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Key takeaways:<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
71% of respondents made some form of renovations after a child left home.<\/li>\n
The most common spaces they renovated were children’s former bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, and kitchens.<\/li>\n
Most parents turned their kids’ former rooms into guest rooms or offices.<\/li>\n
More than half of empty nesters started renovating within a year after their kids moved away.<\/li>\n

Nearly half (47%) said the changes they made to their homes are permanent — and nearly half of parents (43%) said they would only allow their kids to move back in under certain conditions, like in an emergency or if they paid rent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Nearly 3 out of 4 Empty Nesters Renovated Their Homes After Kids Moved Out<\/h2>\n
A whopping 71% of respondents said they made some form of renovation to their home after a child moved out. The most common rooms they renovated were:<\/p>\n
\n
Their kids’ former bedrooms and bathrooms: 30%<\/li>\n
The living room: 29%<\/li>\n
The kitchen: 26%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
$\"Nearly$ <\/p>\n
The sheer number of parents renovating their spaces becomes less surprising once you ask them about the wear and tear they endured with kids and teenagers living at home. When asked about the ways their children wreaked havoc on their homes, more than 90% of parents said there was some lasting damage.<\/p>\n
\n
38% of parents said they had chipped paint on the walls.<\/li>\n
31% said walls were ruined with holes from thumbtacks or nails.<\/li>\n
29% said furniture was damaged or stained.<\/li>\n
19% said floors were scuffed.<\/li>\n
20% said electronics were broken.<\/li>\n
20% said appliances were dented.<\/li>\n
17% said windows were broken.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
19% said “other,” and listed things like worn and stained carpet, handprints on walls, water damage from clogged toilets and sinks, and burned spots on kitchen counters. One respondent wrote only, “it’s complicated” (and whoever they are, we sincerely hope their house is OK).<\/p>\n
$\"commonly$ <\/p>\n
The room parents said they were most eager to renovate was their child’s former bedroom, and the most common way they planned to renovate it was by turning it into a guest room, followed by using it as an office or an entertainment room. The top changes they planned to make were eliminating clutter, followed by painting, then refreshing the decor to make it more adult.<\/p>\n
$\"post$ <\/p>\n
The room parents were least eager to renovate was the dining room — only 3% said they planned to make any changes there.<\/p>\n
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Earn $1,000s per year with your unused space<\/h2>\r\n

Nearly 3 out of 4 Empty Nesters Renovated Their Homes After Kids Moved Out<\/h2>\nA whopping 71% of respondents said they made some form of renovation to their home after a child moved out. The most common rooms they renovated were:<\/p>\n