Research has revealed a new trend of empty nesters decking out their houses with rooms and features more commonly associated with younger people, including dedicated games rooms, bar areas and hot tubs. What’s more, empty nesters are more likely than twenty-somethings to throw ‘pool/hot tub parties’.
Middle-aged home owners are waving goodbye to their adult children before transforming their homes into party houses, according to new research that has suggested empty nesters are more likely to have games rooms, bars and hot tubs than twenty-somethings.
The survey was carried out by home interiors specialist www.hillarys.co.uk. 3,107 Britons took part in the poll: half were middle-aged parents who had adult children that had moved out of the family home in the last two years; and half were twenty-somethings who had left their family home during the last two years themselves.
First, the parents taking part were asked, “When your child/children moved out of the family home, how did you feel?” to which one in three parents felt ‘excited’ (32%) and half felt ‘liberated’ (51%). They were then asked, “How long did it take before you made any changes or home improvements?” to which the average empty nester confessed that they waited just three months before making changes to their home.
Both groups of respondents were then asked to indicate what features they had in their homes, revealing that 18% of empty nesters taking part had a ‘hot tub’ at their home, compared to just 5% of twenty-somethings; 16% of empty nesters had a ‘designated games room’ compared to 8% of twenty-somethings; and 15% had a ‘bar’ at their home, compared to 2% of twenty-somethings.
Finally, the researchers discovered that empty nesters were more likely to ‘throw pool/hot tub parties’ than twenty-somethings, with 59% of those owning a hot tub stating that they had thrown one compared to just 12% of twenty-somethings with hot tubs.
Tara Hall, spokesperson for www.hillarys.co.uk, said:
“It seems the older generation could teach the twenty-somethings a thing or two about how to enjoy their homes. Sure, the younger ones might be more likely to hit the town, but there’s a lot to be said for staying home. Especially if you have a hot tub and bar to hand.”