Remodeling tips for your golden years

Whoever thought up the term "golden years" to describe old age apparently hadn’t got to that point yet. Sure, there are advantages to being older such as seeing grandchildren come into your life and the wisdom that comes with more life experience. But there are difficult realities to confront as well. One of those realities is the possibility that you’ll have limited mobility or other issues related to age. If you wait until that time comes to get your home ready, you’ll probably end up spending more money and it will be obvious that these projects were rushed. It makes more financial sense to begin incorporating age-in-place features into your upcoming remodels than to wait until you already need them. Here are a few to consider.

Age-friendly appliances/features

It’s never too early to start thinking about features that will make your life easier in the future. If you invest in some nice motion-sensor triggered faucets now, you’ll be grateful when you can operate them without a lever or handle later. You can minimize the need to bend by investing in a wall oven and separate stovetop range so your pull down oven is within easier reach. A comfort height toilet which is usually a few inches higher than a standard toilet will be much easier to use as you age and it’s not uncomfortable to use in the meantime when you don’t really need to have it.

Grab bars and other safety features

Falls become a much bigger hazard as you age so you want your home to be as safe as possible now. A walk-in, no-threshold shower is a great investment that will make your bathroom safer for you. Grab bars in your bathroom and other areas may be helpful as well. If you want to put off grab bars until you need them, you can at least have the studs put in place during current renovation projects so that installation will be quick an easy later on.

Easy home entry

Less than half of homes have a no-step entry. Building a ramp should you need it is an option but it advertises to the world that you have a mobility issue and could put you at greater risk of a home burglary. It’s better to do something with landscaping that eliminates the need for steps for the front door. No threshold doorways and wider entryways throughout the home are good ideas as well.

Source: Consumer Report

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