Compare the housing needs and considerations for a married couple with young children to those of a recently retired couple.

If we assume that these two couples are in similar
financial circumstances (in terms of the housing they can afford), we can say that the
elderly couple will generally be looking for simpler housing that is easier to live in
and care for while the young couple will be looking for something larger that will have
enough space for their growing family.

An elderly couple
may well be looking for something small.  They might not want to expend the energy
needed to maintain a larger house with a yard.  They might want to have a home that does
not have any steps inside or outside so as to make it easier for them to get
around.

By contrast, the young couple has no such
concerns.  What they want is a place that will give them a good quality of life as their
family grows.  They will want, above all, want room for their child to play.  They will
also put more consideration into the issue of schools.  They will want to make sure that
their home is in a place with easy access to good
schools.

These are some of the differences that we would
see in the housing needs of families in such different
circumstances.