Healthy Housing Drives Longevity and Value
Experts say wellness-focused homes, designed for light, air, safety and accessibility, can help residents live longer while strengthening property values.
NEW YORK — Design features that promote wellness and accessibility may help people live longer while boosting property values, experts say.
Experts across real estate, architecture and the health sciences say homes built for balance, safety and connection are increasingly in demand. Elicia Ratajczyk, a research scientist with Colorado State University’s Institute for the Built Environment said her team’s Lifelong Home and Communities program encourages designs that support mobility, sensory needs and independence.
“There is plenty of evidence that the built environment, including your home and neighborhood, can improve longevity,” Ratajczyk told Forbes.
Real estate professional Bryce Pennel noted that “today’s buyers are asking smarter questions about wellness, materials, and long-term livability,” adding that clean air, natural light and energy-efficient systems are now as important as design.
Experts also pointed to movement-friendly layouts, walkable neighborhoods and technology that supports safety and independence as factors that can enhance both health and property value.
“Longevity is becoming the new luxury,” Pennel told Forbes, adding that homes built for durability and comfort as the ones most likely to hold value over time.
Source: Forbes (10/21/25) Gold, Jamie
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