“I’m at a point in my life where I want to simplify things, and what I have here is perfect,” she says of her one bedroom home at Charlestown. She says everything she needs is on campus, like six restaurants, two banks, a fitness center, a convenience store, and a computer lab, so she doesn’t need as much space in her own home.

Steffany Byers, Charlestown’s retirement counselor, says Sinofsky’s story is a familiar one. “People often tell me that when they think about the rooms that they actually used in their former house, the items in those rooms fit perfectly in their home at Charlestown; they don’t need all the extra space,” she says.

Demand for one-level living soars
Sinofsky and Dannemann are not alone in wanting a little more convenience in their living space. A survey by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) finds an increasing demand for single-level home designs, not just among older Americans, but baby boomers as well. One-level homes provide greater accessibility and are generally more cost-effective— benefits that appeal to busy people of every age.

New homes are also moving away from the boxy rooms, narrow hallways, and divorced living and dining rooms of years past in favor of larger, more flexible spaces. In fact, 66% of firms surveyed by the AIA report that more and more homes are being designed with this open space layout.

With the increasing demand for one-level living, both Huebler and Byers say they encourage people to join the Priority List. It holds a person’s place for when they are ready to move and the home style they want becomes available.

Benefits of living on one level
According to Oak Crest and Charlestown Directors or Marketing Elaine Peterson and Maureen Maffey, estimated wait times could range from six months for smaller units to as long as two to four years for large units.

“Special amenities like patios and balconies will also add to a person’s wait time,” Peterson says.

Dannemann says he is thankful that he joined the Priority List because he was able to move when he was ready. “I’m very happy,” he says of his home. “I love being on one level because I can sit out on my patio in the mornings and drink my coffee.”

Sinofsky says she rarely cooks because she eats at one of Charlestown’s six restaurants. So she didn’t need to bring tons of pots and pans or kitchen utensils when she moved to the community.

“I love having a smaller place over a bigger place,” she says. “It couldn’t be more perfect.”