Finding Your Perfect Home That is Safe and Accessible

There are numerous reasons why more buyers today are looking to settle into an accessible home. Some buyers have disabilities and use a wheelchair or other assistive devices, while others are aging boomers who want to find a home where they can age in place. Whatever your situation is, there is a home out there for you that meets these needs. 

Identify Your Most Important Needs

When you start searching for a house, you want to go into it with an idea of what you need most in an accessible home.

Safety First: The bathroom is one room where accessibility and safety concerns are especially important. Traditional home design with bathtubs that you have to step into and sinks enclosed in cabinets aren’t very accessible for someone who uses a wheelchair. The most popular bathroom features for greater accessibility include wall-mounted sinks and grab bars in showers and next to toilets. Some newer designs even feature “curbless” showers that allow for easy entrance.

• A Layout Designed to Flow: The first thing most people think of is the entrance to the home, which obviously needs to be accessible, whether you use a wheelchair or have any other limitations. Beyond the entryways, don’t forget to consider the home’s layout. A bad layout can be more than inconvenient – it can make it much harder to get around your home or even make modifications. Consider the amount of space in general and whether rooms are closed off or more open. Are the halls and doorways wide enough? These are seemingly basic things about a home that can make a major impact on your everyday life. 

• Everything at the Right Height: Another key accessibility feature to look for throughout a home is for everything you use to be at a lowered height. This includes countertops, cabinets, and even light switches. Thankfully, more homes are now being built or remodeled with universal design principles, which basically means they have features throughout that are easy for anyone to use. Mobility-Advisor recommends user-friendly appliances, such as side-by-side refrigerators and drawer type dishwashers, which can be accessed at a lower height.

Look for Potential

It isn’t always possible to find the perfect home that checks off all of these needs, so it’s a good idea to look for homes with potential for modifications. The great thing about renovating a home to make it more accessible is that these features are becoming more popular. So if there’s a possibility that you might sell the home at some point, improving accessibility is likely to add to your home’s value.

Another plus to finding a home where you can make accessibility improvements is that there are options for getting financial help. Check out The Huffington Post’s roundup of financial assistance programs for home modifications, including government programs, VA assistance, and nonprofit organizations. Also note that the cost of renovating a home to make it more accessible can really vary depending on the amount of work that needs to be done. 

Covering All the Bases

Safety is something we all want from our home, but making sure your place is safe and secure takes on a different meaning for someone with limited mobility. There’s no doubt that safety features will be at the top of your list when searching for your home. But there’s more than just safety from an injury perspective. Security should also be a prime concern.

Even though more homes these days are equipped with security systems and smart home tech, one feature most people neglect to tackle when they move into a new home is rekeying the locks. This is without a doubt one of the first lines of defense in keeping your home secure and should be a top priority before your move. Plus, doing so means you won’t have to worry about anyone else having access to your house. Add hiring a locksmith to the top of your to-do list when it comes to pre-move tasks like setting up movers and updating your address with the post office. 

Selling Your Current

Once you have everything figured out for the home search, you’ll also need to determine the sale price for your current home. While you can’t expect to obtain a specific figure right off the bat, utilizing a home value estimator tool can help you get an idea of your home’s worth. Though the tool does base its estimate on data and trends in the real estate market, it doesn’t factor in any home upgrades or potential issues. Once you get the estimate, then you can work with a real estate agent to make that figure more specific.

Whether you end up with a fixer-upper or an accessible home you can move right into, the end result will be worth the wait. You deserve the safety and comfort of a home where you can enjoy living life on your own terms.
Photo credit: Pixabay

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates