As we age, it comes time to reassess many elements of our lifestyle and that includes your home. When building your dream home, it’s important to plan for the future, to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible at all stages of life. When designing a modern home, you should draw upon innovative features and helpful additions that make everyday living a breeze, no matter what age you are.
At RJ Hill Homes, we’re passionate about building accessible homes that age as gracefully as you do; homes that work with your lifestyle, not against it. Whether you’re moving closer to the coast for family reasons or simply after a sea change, we’ve collated some handy features that are integral when it comes to building a future-proof home.
Open Plan Living
Building an accessible and stylish home need not be mutually exclusive. Think about transforming your living area and kitchen into one, ample, open space making movement easy and social times more fun. Open plan living is also a simple way to enhance natural lighting and make any room feel more spacious.
Work Smarter
Incorporating smart technology into your home makes daily living easier and more convenient for all. Smart technologies like wireless intercoms, automatic door openers, temperature control units and cordless handsets are all great options and mean the need to get up and manually control appliances is reduced.
Installing heating and cooling options that automatically turn on or off is also a great way to ensure your home is always comfortable. This is integral to an accessible home.
Entrance and Walkways
It might sound crazy but the average door is only 583mm wide, which can make your home feel cluttered and uncomfortable. For smooth, unparalleled access, ensure your doors are at least 820mm wide. This will make movement in and around your home easy and add a luxurious feeling of space. Also ensure your doors are easy to open – doors that swings outwards and pull handles instead of doorknobs are also a great option for a bathroom space.
To take things one step further, you could also consider a ramp entrance to your home. Nowadays, there are a variety of ramps on the market, differing in shape and size and including straight lines, ramps that wrap around the house and sloped ramps with landings between two sections. Installing a ramp will make for easier access to any home.
Flooring
For optimal comfort, it’s essential to consider the right type of flooring that will support your lifestyle and won’t suffer from everyday wear and tear. Here are some reliable examples:
Hardwood flooring – Not only does it make any home beautiful and classy; hardwood flooring is one of the most durable materials that will stand the test of time.
Laminate flooring – Durability is one of laminate floorings main advantages. With an aluminium oxide top coating, laminate flooring holds up against scratches, dents, fading and stains. It is also highly cost-effective.
Vinyl flooring – Vinyl flooring is incredibly durable and water-resistant. It also reduces noise, is comfortable under foot and is affordable and easy to install.
Layout
When developing a space, it’s imperative to create a layout that suits your needs. Start with ease-of-access; if you struggle reaching cabinets and above-bench spaces, consider low counters and under-counter cabinetry for storage.
If people of different heights will be using spaces like the kitchen and bathroom, consider an adjustable counter or bench top that can be brought up or down when necessary. This will make your home more functional and user-friendly for all.
Windows
If you’re embarking on a sea change, starting with the home you always imagined, make sure you get the most out of it. If your new home is close to the beach or another breathtaking view, consider large floor to ceiling windows and a spacious balcony area that allows you to capitalise on your surroundings. No matter your age, nothing beats admiring the beautiful region you live in.
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To find out more about accessible home design or to begin the design and construction of your brand-new Geelong or Bellarine home, get in touch with the team at RJ Hill Homes.
