Creating Your Forever Home - Are You Ready for Your Future? (Part 1)
Forever Homes
At some point many homeowners – and it doesn’t matter if age is a primary consideration or not – make a decision to determine if their home will be the one they will live in for the rest of their lives (or even for just an extended length of time). The definition of a “forever home” is rather simple. It is a home you never, ever want to move out of. One that you can grow with and love. But the definition also has a more important nuance – a home that can last forever.
A forever home is a wonderful vision, aspiration and goal. What does it take to ensure that your home will “go the distance”? Maintaining our homes is nothing new per se. We fix home components over time – sometime planned. sometimes unexpectedly. Appliances go on the blink, water heaters need to be replaced, it’s time to paint, etc.
But are we proactively updating our homes to accommodate our changing physical, comfort and safety needs? Are we considering changes that occur over time with our families? Are our homes prepared for multi-generational living? Have we considered the health consequences if our homes have not adapted with our changing needs? Unfortunately, most of the time our home conditions do not support our forever home desires.
As Louis Tenenbaum, noted national visionary and aging in place expert points out on his website Homes Renewed - “It’s (about) longevity, innovation and opportunity, demographics and increased value” – multiple great reasons to update.”
So – what are the important considerations to improve and modify our desired forever homes? Several terms have emerged in recent years - for example accessible design, usable design and universal design – are all approaches for designing spaces and products that can make it easier for everyone to use. There are general universal design principles that living in place professionals utilize to assist homeowners. These include:
Universal Design Principles
Equitable use – the design is useful to a range of people with diverse abilities
Flexibility in use – the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities
Simple and intuitive use – the resulting design is simple and easy to understand – no matter who will be using it
Perceptible information – the design communicates necessary information is easy to digest and access regardless of lighting conditions or the user’s sensory ability.
Tolerance for error – the design minimizes hazards and adverse accidental consequences or unintended consequences
Low physical effort - the design requires limited physical effort
Size and space for approach and use – appropriate size and space is provided for approach, use, manipulation and use regardless of the user’s body size, posture or mobility.
In the next few weeks, I will post blogs that will describe, explain and include examples of each of these design principles so that you will better understand their value and how to work with your designer to incorporate them into your remodel to create your “forever home.” See you next week!