Trading Up

When looking at a number of homes with a Realtor friend of mine about a year ago, I asked her where are all her clients coming from, yes, we have had a good economy and yes, there were new people moving in but it still didn't explain the fact that homes were selling just about as fast as they went on the market.  What she told me is that people were now only living in their homes about 5 years or so before they traded up not like it use to be when your parents bought a home and you lived there your whole life til you graduated.  So, with home owners keeping their homes shorter periods of time they are always searching in essence for their next home, it's the perfect venue for redesigners to offer cost effective ideas for home owners because (1) the owners will be staying long enough to get the benefits themselves of updating & making the home reflect their lifestyle and (2) they will reap the rewards on appreciation of the property along with good choices in upgrades, kitchens and baths  always being the best two renovations to do.  Great, redesigners can do both.  Oh, and this wasn't just some figure she pulled out of the air she had done some research on it.  The figure could be as little as 2 years  up to 7 years, the average was 5 years and not just only trading up but people will downsize as well.