Master on main.A ground plan in which the major bedroom is on the primary floor reduces the necessity to climb stairs. “It’s probably the most desired function amongst boomers,” says JP Endres, a real estate professional based mostly in Westchester county, north of New York City. Creating a very useful master-on-main suite normally entails a multiroom renovation, which might price upward of $35,000. When Alec and Jennifer Harmes spent $264,900 for his or her first home in 2011—a 1,500-square-foot ranch fixer-­upper in Austin, Texas—they assumed they would be living there for many years. So the couple, millennials in their early 30s, launched into a series of home enhancements to make it suit their tastes and desires. They refinished the kitchen cupboards, and put in new stainless-steel appliances and LED lighting.

Adding a skylight to a room brings the outside in, and the sky view will make a room feel more …