I am in my early 60s and retired at 53. Lots of people gave me pushback because they had difficulty grasping the concept of not working if you don’t have to. I looked at my life as stages. I earned everything I have now through a lot of hard work, but I owe it to myself to “stop and smell the roses” in my final stage of life. In my case I left the country after I retired and live in Latin America. It allowed me to get away from all the negative things happening in America while appreciating my new environment. I have yet to meet anyone who regrets retirement.

I would take the electronic fireplace out completely! Makes no sense.

Features like these can really make retirement enjoyable and worry free. I retired 2 years ago with $250k, thinking it would be sufficient. Each withdrawal has made it tougher for my savings to grow through compound interest. To manage, I relocated to the countryside to reduce expenses

The fireplace looks like it was an afterthought. Switched with the two windows would have made more sense.

Home looks great from the outside. Fireplace looks terrible in that location. Concrete floors are beautiful. Love the screened in porch. The layout/shape of the dining area and living room is awkward. It would look much more cohesive if the front of the house extended out another four to five feet so the living area could actually accommodate the fireplace and still have room for a couch and chair.

I believe the retirement crisis will get even worse. Many struggle to save due to low wages, rising prices, and exorbitant rents. With homeownership becoming unattainable for middle-class Americans, they may not have a home to rely on for retirement either.

More and more people might face a tough time in retirement. Low-paying jobs, inflation, and high rents make it hard to save. Now, middle-class Americans find it tough to own a home too, leaving them without a place to retire.

Retired homebuilder here. I can't imagine walking out the front door, around the portico to sit for my morning coffee surrounded by wall. Better an exit off the kitchen. As for the location of the fireplace - yikes!!

In my opinion, housing market crash is imminent due to the high number of individuals who purchased homes above the asking price despite the low interest rates. These buyers find themselves in precarious situations as housing prices decline, leaving them without any equity. If they become unable to afford their homes, foreclosure becomes a likely outcome. Even attempting to sell would not yield any profits. This scenario is expected to impact a significant number of people, particularly in light of the anticipated surge in layoffs and the rapid increase in the cost of living.

People have already commented that cement floors are hard on joints. I will add that they can be slippery and very unforgiving if someone fall down on them. I do appreciate that they are heated. I think luxury vinyl floors would be a budget option.

I am 79 and I agree with the people that panned the interior design. This is what a house looks like for seniors designed with no senior input.

Trying not to offend, but what were you thinking when you put the fireplace there?

Most Americans find it hard to retire comfortably amid economy downtrend. Some have close to nothing going into retirement, my question is, will you pay off mortgage as a near-retiree, or spread money for cashflow, to afford lifestyle after retirement?

Who was the rocket scientist who thought a fire place up close to the kitchen makes sense 😅

Beautiful outside. That fireplace is in a weird place. Is it somehow not in it's final place?

Was going to say the fireplace is in a stupid place. And it’s interesting to have a gas fireplace while showing firewood neatly stacked outside for “ambiance”. But then I realized the entire public living space..living, kitchen, dining..is jacked. What a ridiculous layout. This tiny house is so cute from the outside and such a disappointment on the inside.

I love the floor plan. About 90% of my business is with seniors. Although the floors look beautiful, I would never put concrete in a home for seniors.

So I finally showed this to my wife and the big glaring issue that should be entirely obvious is that there is no storage space AND no work space. No one will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner in that kitchen, because there is no space, next to the stove, to put a large pan when you take it out of the oven. And NO, you won't be turning around to place it on the island. That kitchen was designed by a man to be used in an Airbnb. You stash frozen dinners in the fridge to take out and stick into the microwave. There isn't any pantry for food storage. I was also told that older women hate those stacked washer/dryers because of the difficulty of reaching up into the top unit. Apparently reaching up is hard on the arms. The other issue is the difficult access to the bedrooms. My last house had the closets protruding into the bedrooms and it is a real pain. You don't want to have to take a wheelchair into those bedrooms.

Well since everyone has a comment on the dreadful fireplace placement, let’s look at the glaring high risk floor! It is highly buffed , glossed and extremely dangerous for anyone, any age. It is actually in the kitchen , one drop of water, oil or grease and the risk of slipping is 100%. Throw rugs are not the answer again high risk tripping hazard. The outside looks great.

I really like the siding! I don't care for the floor plan.There is too much wasted space. I would have the 2 windows and the fireplace swap places to make living room more usable and better for furniture layout. Never put mini splits above the head of the bed; no one wants cool air blowing on them. Not enough closet storage areas. Thanks for sharing!

Oh, that screened in back porch would be my gold! Having coffee out there each morning while listening to and watching the birds, perhaps wandering deer, rabbits, foxes, etc... or for late evening respite... so relaxing and enjoyable. Lucky parents!

It's a beautiful cottage but there are two things I would do differently to future proof it for long term aging. I would have put a wet floor bathroom in where a commode chair could be wheeled right into the shower if mobility becomes an issue. And I would not use concrete for the flooring because it is very unforgiving to old bones, both walking on it or if they have a fall. I have to agree with others that the sitting area is very awkwardly laid out for furniture placement. I absolutely love the screened in porch. I think that is where I'd probably spend all my time.

I was really hopeful on this until I saw the oddly placed fireplace. Swingout TV? For someone to bash their head on? Where are the wide hallways leading to bedrooms and bathroom? As soon as you corner the hall, you need to do an immediate turn into the small, not large, bathroom. Going into each bedroom, you are facing a wall and having to do a zigzag maneuver. As a disabled senior who uses a walker, wheelchair and motorized chair, this is the stuff of nightmares. And yes, I spent years in the industry doing inspections and new construction punchlists. I'll take the screened-in porch. Tear down the rest of the house and start over. And the floors are hideous.

Your shower does definitely have a threshold. For thinking ahead on the pour that could have been eliminated. My house does not have shower thresholds. Thanks John E

Wow this home couldn't be nicer on the outside and could not be worse on the inside. The worst layout I have probably ever seen starting with that fireplace 😂 the porch is excellent!

I really like the layout of this house. As others have said the fireplace looks odd but that's an easy fix. I would encourage you on future builds to make the shower level so a wheelchair or walker can be used. That tiny step is a major problem for people with orthopedic or mobility issues. It can be the difference whether someone can shower or not.

Agree with comments on fireplace . The outside got my attention. It’s so inviting. I would find a way to redo kitchen and add dishwasher. Maybe if fireplace wasn’t there , somehow you could add dishwasher in kitchen. How many square feet is the place. If I were older and in need of a wheelchair, I wouldn’t want to try to navigate those small hallways and rooms. Beautiful place, but doesn’t look fun to live in.

That has got to be the dummiest place for a fireplace I have ever seen. I'm retired and I'd never live in this. And concrete floors? My husband has bad feet and knees, which walking on concrete is the worst for. This is a hard NO.

I like the plan over all but I'd just want a few minor changes. First would be that fireplace. To me it's in a very awkward place. I think you should just do away with it and put a small wall mounted propane heater in it instead. Then you would have a little more room for a dining table and the room would be more esthetically pleasing. Then I'd want a little more square footage myself. Perhaps 300 to 500 more would be ideal for me. Maybe add that 2nd bathroom and make the laundry room bigger. Other than that, I really like it.

I’m a Senior and took two falls last year and fell on wall-to-wall carpeting over a concrete slab here in Florida. I didn’t break anything but was sore for a few days. Hard floors are very hard on your joints, noisy and dangerous especially for seniors.

Funny how he overlooks the placement of the fireplace. Just glosses over it like those glossy concrete floors.

Beautiful! I would take fireplace out and island put. Place some cabinets on left side of kitchen and have small table and chairs in middle of kitchen.

Love the floors! I think I wold have put a corner fireplace in the little corner nook and freed up the long wall, but that's just me and it sounds like you involved them in the planning and for a retirement home it needs to be what THEY want! It's wonderful of you to do this for your in-laws. God bless!

2 bathrooms are a must

Pot lights are bad for older people because they can only be reached with a ladder. Outdoor lighting should be accessible on walls or easily reachable with only a low stepstool. Pot lights in the kitchen - again impossible to change without a ladder. Concrete floors are extremely hard and dangerous to elders who have an increased risk of falling. Should be wood that has some give. I do like the width of the hallways and the lack of thresholds. Great grab bars in the bathroom. I like the washer and dryer that there is less need to bend down to load the washer. Split AC in the bedrooms are great. I love the closet. The house is quite nice, just don't like the pot lights and the concrete floor. The screened in porch is fantastic! The size is great and floorplan seems to work well.

Hahaha I can't stop laughing. WTF were they "thinking" with that monstrosity of a fireplace RIGHT NEXT TO THE STOVE! Ahaaaahahahaha, no , just no. If the builder is trying to sell the place he should rip out that fireplace. This has to be a joke?

VERY NICE! I WOULDVE CENTERED A "SMALLER" FIREPLACE WITH 2 SLENDER WINDOWS ON EACH SIDE OR AT LEAST ONE BETWEEN KITCHEN. LOOKS SILLY WHERE IT IS.

I love the screened-in porch.

That's a wonderful setup. You do fine work, and how very Blessed you all are to be able to have Family living on your property with you. Very, very Blessed! ❤❤❤

I feel like this house was bulit by men without any women imput. Could have been a beautiful house!

Fireplace is in an odd place..too close to the kitchen, jmo. Other than that, it's really cute!

Hey there, thank you for this review! Im in the process of getting a divorce and while I built my/our current home, i think I may lose it. This has given me a great thought of possibly purchasing some land here in CO and getting something similar built. Yes, everyone has their own preferences, and vocalizing them here isn't fair to you, so my apologies in advance for those folks. Whether you knew it or not, this has helped folks either transitioning into retirement or other.

Beautiful home. I especially love that screened porch. I'd recommend a higher toilet and I would have added a sitting edge in the rear of the shower, considering it's for seniors.

Unless they are *very* minimalistic, I think they will find the storage lacking. I didn’t see a linen closet, pantry or coat closet. Could have used another 300 sq feet. My husband and I are planning to downsize and I have been scouring house plans. I do like the design but floor plan needs tweaking, as many have said.

very nice, but fireplace seems to be in awkward spot

Yeah, I agree with all the other comments here...what's up with the fireplace placement? It looks like an afterthought. Gotta goooo

The outside is stunning w/ the color of the stone, siding and the warm color of posts. Nicely done

You guys did a great job and well-thought out. Loved everything except the fireplace location.

Why is the fireplace next to the range? Also, concrete floors are very hard on your joints. Wood floors are much more comfortable.

My mom's retirement home was about 1200sf, as was my first home for two. A small but full kitchen; an L-shaped dining and living area, very nice; a master BR with walk in closet; and two itty bitty rooms - one was the den with TV, the other a small BR. Washer on a concrete pad in the dirt basement, and a clothes line outside. Oil heat and a window a/c. A small deck with table, chairs, and recliner. She loved it for 20+ years. Sold it for $65,000.

Beautifully designed, what a lovely place for your in-laws to live. The concrete floors are beautiful! Thank you for sharing this lovely new home with us.

Fireplace looks stupid sitting there should’ve moved it over to the right between those two windows

Love those solid wood doors, That’s what I had for 30 yrs and I miss them.

Bless you, this is beautiful...how sweet that you are taking care of your family.

Please please PLEASE I desire this home! One correction, the toilet seat is way too low!!! LOVE YOUR PARENTS NEW HOME!!!! Now make affordable ones for us seniors who were single parents all our lives, without two nickels to rub together! GOD BLESS!!!!

I wonder about concrete floors for older folks. I guess it depends on their stability, but falls are an issue and concrete = broken bones. The fireplace…nah. Too large & interferes with the kitchen. I’d like at least a 1/2 bath added because as you age everyone needs another potty.

Thanks For Sharing. Great to see what you've put together so others with alternative ideas can make changes to their own place. Our experience is that lots of area rugs will be your friend. Stained Concrete very hard on the old bones/Joints but that can easily be done. Love the screened in porch. Would love to see the porch another 1/2 as big for furniture and hosting other couples. Very nice low maintenance siding, landscaping, etc. Appreciate it.

I like it 👍 You’re family will enjoy this home. 🏠 Thank you for sharing this home with us. You do you when you build on your own land. Enjoy this beautiful home. 🏠 🌞💯

Beautiful home, love the open feel, the concrete floors (heated) , the low maintenance exterior is gorgeous. Well done and it sounds affordable

Have to agree with everyone the fireplace is in a weird place. I would have split those windows put a window where the fireplace is then the fireplace then another window. I think the rest is nice. I like two bathrooms if someone is visiting I wouldn’t want them to go in my bathroom just a half bathroom would have been nice for guests and if my toilet is not working I would like knowing I have another place to go.

A pantry half the size of that fireplace would make more sense.

Love the screened porch & siding. The jog to the bedrooms would make using a wheelchair difficult. No threshold shower is wonderful. Thats what we have. Husband was in a wheelchair unexpectedly 6 months after we moved in. Really glad we had that in place. We did hickory floors. Love them. Tile with radiant heat in the bathroom. Its great.

I love this house! This would be an excellent home for almost anyone. Superb design details, really good light and excellent details. I've always had a dream of having some land and having moderate size houses for myself and the two or three homes for friends. That way we would be able to keep our privacy and know, too, that friend was a short walk away. Excellent ideas from the people who responded to this before I viewed it. Of course, some modifications can made.

Looks like a very comfortable and usable design. I'm sure the fireplace was just a personal preference for your in-laws but it's the only thing I find off-putting about the house. Just doesn't fit there. Now if you had split the double windows on that wall and put one on each side with the fireplace centered on the wall, that would have made more sense. But as long as they love it, that's all that really matters. Great job!

Love this little house! The ac units should be above the closets rather than visible on the wall from the door. Also the electrical panel should be higher on the wall, so lower cabinets could be added to the laundry room.

Nicely done. Excellent thinking through everything. I'm coming back to this again and again for Inspiration. Thank you for sharing.

Hi my dear friend thanks so much for sharing such a beautiful project. Love the little house and it’s great for seniors like me to live in to live comfortably and beautifully put together home.

Like many others that I've read here , don't like the fireplace placement or even get rid of it. It needs a carport off the side of the house so people can get in and out without getting wet or what ever. Walking on those rocks are a trip hazard and when the weeds start to grow in those rocks , it will be a night mare . Nice little grass lawn is much more desirable IMHO. Over all , its really pretty llittle house , not the perfect one but nice.

Nice concept. Everyone wants something different of course but good strategies on the plan. For me, a garage for an elderly resident would be useful, even if detached. If you get snow there, attached would be nicer. Even a carport would be nice. The laundry area would be pretty tight for a second bath - maybe a half bath. Generally for this type of house, one bath is enough though. Not loving the location of the fireplace. Could it go in the nook you suggested as an alternative for a dining table? Very big plus for the in floor heating, the concrete floors and the screened in porch!!!

What a beautiful home you've built for your parents! I'm sure they had a say in the planning of the design and just how they wanted things laid out. The floors are gorgeous, and I wished we would have done that to our slab when we first built our home.But truthfully now that we are in our sixties, we are having a hard time with the floors. My legs and feet hurt all the time, and they are very slippery, and I'm praying I never fall! I hope your folks will fare well with them! I personally would need more storage room and bigger closets as well as a nice walk-in pantry to house not only a large amount of dry goods but a deep feeezer as well. Living in the south, there is no need for heated floors, but I bet even in the south, it's still nice to have warm tootsies, especially in those cold winter months. I love the idea of the mini split in each room! I absolutely love the screened in porch. Overall, I love the beautiful home you built for youe folks. I'm sure they will be very happy! I know I would be! God bless. This must be up north somewhere with heated flooring. My sister had it in her home in Red deather lakes Colorado. Don't know how old this video is, but that price you mentioned is so doable in this current market! I live in the South and love this design. Could you share the house plans with me? My husband and I are looking to rebuild, and this is perfect for us! Just would need a bit larger house plans like a 3bd,2bd.

I understand the concern regarding the fireplace. There are so many thoughts regarding their transitions. Blessings to you all.

Nice nature setting. Only thing that would keep me from living there would be the fact that all the floors are concrete. Most injuries that happen as we age are incidents of falling either due to balance issues or. suffering a stroke, etc. To me, aesthetically, the floors make the house seem smaller with such a dark finish.

Well done, so much to enjoy. Overall thoughtfulness is clearly on display. Much of homes character is decoration & furnishing, enjoy a follow up tour! Kudos

Thank you for giving me ideas! Love the location, screened in porch, front outside space to sit, the finishing in the interior and the metal siding. Would do some things a bit differently but hey everyone does!

You are absolutely right about cost vs area. We’re adding an apartment (650 sq ft)apartment over our 3 car garage for my father in law in Orlando. For future mobility we decided to add an elevator. With 3 estimates, if we stay under 200k it will be a miracle. Love the house color, trim and design. Furniture placement will be a challenge so I would’ve liked to see the interior decorating. I’m sure your parents will be thrilled.

Very nice home. However I would do without the fireplace, it just does not look good where it is and looks like an afterthought to me. Other than that very beautiful house.

People be complaining about the fireplace like their actually purchasing this home! Move it, don't move it, either way it's still pretty awesome!

Great job! I love the extra high ceilings for a smaller floor plan, it makes its so much more livable. The roof and exterior choices are awesome as well! Your never gonna hear the end of that fireplace, but it may be more functional than it looks. Thumbs up!

Wow so stunning. What an awesome home for the parents. Beautiful home that anyone would enjoy.

Install windows in the screened porch with a fan that heats for a three season room . Enlarges living space and will be the most used room in the house.

This IS a perfect retirement home. Beautiful❤

I love everything about it. One thing I'd change is not have concrete floor. Looks so good from the outside. I like the split roof design with wooden posts. Layout is great. Love it

Really beautiful exterior and nice interior. A couple of thoughts about this being perfect for a retirement home… I will caution you that the hallway to the bedrooms as well as the closet protrusions in each bedroom will make getting a stretcher or hospital bed into them almost impossible. As you parents age, you may want to consider either a sliding glass door or French doors into the one bedroom located on the side where the outdoor patio is. Not being critical, just honest feedback after 30 years of working in public safety.

Why is the fireplace squished next to the kitchen --- it really looks awful. The placement is completely wrong -- either take it out or replace it with a wood stove in another area of the room. Too big, too clunky too everything. Actually, get rid of it and put a wood burner in that little corner and make it a feature between the kitchen and the living room with a dining room table that folds down where the fireplace is currently.

A perfect home for two.

Absolutely great‼️ I could live there and enjoy. The screen porch, a must.

Agree on the fireplace placement is just wrong.

This house is almost exactly what I need, with my wheelchair.

Love the high ceilings! Great design. I’d love a house like this! I’ll go live anywho in a home like this. Never seen anything close to this quality for less than $300k

Very nice, I love the screened back porch. That fireplace was misplaced in that room

They built a lot of things into the design. Probably should have added a second fireplace next to the one in the kitchen.

Fireplace needs to be in the corner with the windows more toward the kitchen.

Really beautiful! Perfect design and colors. I'd love a place like this 🙂

I love this home and floorplan inside and out..Would add a half bath..Really good thinking and design,,thanks for sharing...

Great floor plan EXCEPT: Hallway needs to be wider to accommodate a wheelchair turning into a room. Too narrow. And the Fireplace? Weird location. Separate the double window and put it in the middle OR....it would be awesome on that alcove space. That would be my preference because where it is now and that window? I would probably buy a china hutch and dining table there. Alcove for Fireplace is best. Outside is awesome!

Look forward to more homes designed like this, accident and illness can hit at any time!

I like it, flooring is easy and the ridiculous fireplace location can be omitted or changed. Where I live we have snowy winters so an attached garage would need to be figured in. But all in all the home gives me some ideas. Thank you for posting.

What a lovely home and how nice you are able to help out your family, I know will be a comfort to all to be nearby. My only concern is the corners as someone mobility challenged. I would want more rounded corners at the countertops. I will be showing this video to my husband as an axample of what we need to be considering. I hear everyone's concerns about the floor- but they forget that is the heating system. As a low cost system that will be very low maintenance, I highly approve. Guess what if you fall on vinyl- you are still hurt. Polished concrete is easy to clean as well. I would 100% have a second half bath though. Secret to a happy marraige. Hubby and I did that once - never ever ever again. Also would have hose spigots outside for watering plants - but that is me, I like to garden.

this is almost perfect, would have centered fireplace with a window on either side, otherwise pretty close to exactly what I would want :)

Kitchen and floors are beautiful. Awkward looking fireplace and overall just not the best utilization of floor space, for the investment.