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t’s official, you’ve dropped your young est child off at college and are returning to an empty
nest. While it can be bittersweet to see your child leave home in search of
independence and adulthood, it can also be a joyous time for you now that you
finally have the house all to yourself.
Your home was once centered around your family’s hectic schedule. Now that you are no longer spending time carpooling and
helping with last minute science fair projects, it’s time to figure out how you want to change your home to reflect your new
lifestyle and interests.
Here are some ideas that might get your creative juices flowing.
Outdoor Rooms – Don’t just limit your living space to your home’s interior walls. If you enjoy barbecuing and hosting parties, consider the
possibility of an outdoor kitchen. Adding a hearth or grill for cooking, a sink
for ease in preparing food and a small fridge to keep things fresh will make
entertaining easy — keeping you from running back and forth to the kitchen and missing out on the
fun.
If entertaining isn’t your thing, designing an area to retreat to might be the option for you. Add
plants, water features and comfortable furniture to create a space to get away
from it all. The options for outdoor rooms are endless and can be specifically
tailored to fit your lifestyle.
Home Office – You may be an empty nester, but you are still a very active member of the
workforce. An extra bedroom or den previously used for family activities would
be a great place to turn into a home office.
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Home offices are becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity with more
people telecommuting or running their own businesses from their house. A
consumer preferences survey by the National Association of Home Builders found
that a home office was the third most desired specialty room.
Breathing Room – Depending on the age of your home, you may find that your master bedroom or bath
is too small for comfort. Expand into space that isn’t being used to build the master bath of your dreams or to create a separate
seating or dressing area in your bedroom.
Incorporating these changes will not only create a home that suits your new
lifestyle, they may increase the value of your home for the time when you
decide to sell.
For more information on remodeling a newly kid-free home, go to www.nahb.org/remodel or contact the GHBA at 281-970-8970.l
Scott Sage CGB, GMB
Sage Built Homes, LLC
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