Should I Remodel Or Build For Aging In Place?
As we age, staying in our homes and remaining as independent as possible is important and we know aging often requires accommodations for access and general comfort. Being able to stay in your current home as you age is often termed, “Aging in Place.” If you plan to age in place, you might be wondering whether it’s best to remodel your current home or build a new custom home to accommodate your needs as you age.
Making a home accessible for aging in place can be as small as adding shower bars or as major as adding an elevator. Today, we’re going to cover some of the common renovations that you may be considering for yourself or if you may need to care for an aging parent.
Challenge 1: Widening doorways and hallways.
Widening doorways for anyone with mobility issues is essential. Doorways must be 32 inches wide to accommodate a wheelchair. Most homes have doorways of 27 inches with older homes coming in at just 23 inches.
This process it not as simple as reframing the door opening and adding a new door; you also have to think about moving electrical switches and fixing the gaps left in the floor. You have to do this in every single doorway throughout the house, so it can be quite a process!
As you can imagine, widening hallways takes even more extensive work. It’s much easier to build wide hallways and doorways when you’re starting from scratch!
Challenge 2: Adding a zero-entry shower.
Adding a zero-entry shower greatly increases the ease of bathing while reducing the potential for slip and falls. When you start out with a typical shower with a threshold, it can be difficult to change the slope to accommodate a zero-entry shower. If you make it too sloped it’s a fall hazard inside, but if it’s not sloped enough water will pool up outside the shower, creating a dangerous slip hazard there.
When you’re building new, custom home builders can easily add an accessible shower with a proper slope into the plan.
Challenge 3: Lowering maintenance.
For aging in place, it’s best to have low-maintenance materials—siding, decking, countertops, and more. Something very easy to do from the very start rather than in a renovation! The new plumbing, HVAC, and electrical in a new build will also require less maintenance compared to those systems in an older home.
Building for aging in place:
At NDI we love talking clients through all of their options when it comes to building a custom home. Nearly every time, they are surprised that building a brand-new home that is tailored to you, is within reach. As a custom home builder, we can help ensure that your needs for today and the future are considered in the design of your new home.
We take pride in every home we make at NDI. We’d love to create your dream home where you can age in place for many years to come. And 2023 is shaping up to be a great year to build! Please contact us at hello@newdimensionsinc.com or 800-406-8555.
Dream. Build. Live.