Growing old in your home.
It’s that time of year to start your remodeling projects so it’s time to think beyond what you need now and think of the future as well. Whether you have visiting elderly family members, or you are older but still in good shape you want to be prepared for anything that could happen. More and more of our clients are asking us to widen doors and walls and create a home fit for whatever life might throw at them.
We had a couple who told us how they had a wake up call when one of them hurt both of their legs. The husband had to literally carry his wife up the stairs every night and it was hard and taxing on them both. They were going to remodel the kitchen anyway so they wanted to work on making a space on the main floor in case this ever happened again.
So today, I wanted to touch base on the subject of aging in your home. More and more people are choosing to live out their older years in their home instead of assisted living facilities or apartments. With that in mind, people are also choosing to remodel their home for the future. Here are some of the improvements they are choosing to do to improve their longterm future in their home.
Here are some renovation suggestions to make your home aging ready for your future:
* Widen doorways. If doorways are narrower than 32 inches, you may need to expand them to accommodate a wheelchair or other mobility device. The standard handicap accessibility is 36 inches.
* Take down walls (which people are doing anyway to get that open feel) to make room for future wheelchairs, walkers or even family visits.
* Lever-style door knobs which are easier for young and old! Levers are usually easier to grip than round doorknobs, and they don’t require a twisting motion. That can be especially helpful for people who have arthritis or other conditions that limit motion. Once you have them you’ll see how coming in the door with groceries is sooo much easier as well!!! WOOT WOOT!!
Here is a home of a couple who decided to finish off their whole basement and make it totally handicap accessible for the future. They were in good shape but were going to finish the basement anyway so just decided to do it all. They even went as far as to getting a walk-in tub while they could afford it. Yes, most people don’t go this fancy on the basement but these people had a plan for their future and it was easier for them to transform the lower level to exactly what they wanted and would work for them in the future. Also for those of you who are wondering about getting back up the stairs haha they had easy access outside from the basement. HAHA I know a few of you were wondering…I would have!!! 🙂 They are also planning on remodeling their upstairs kitchen and their son wants to live there for years to come…after all, the home has been there since the 50’s and the street is even named after their family!
Well I hope this was helpful. Something to think about when you start your new remodel anyway! We really have seen a rise in people wanting to live out their days in their own home and some of the fixes are so small but will benefit you and your family in the future forever!
Have a great day and hope to see you at the Remodelers Showcase coming up March 23-25th!!!
