The elderly and people with disabilities should be comfortable in their own homes. Making modifications to suit their current or future needs creates an age-friendly and accessible home. Here’s what homeowners need to know about accessible home remodeling and how to finance it.
Standard home designs can present challenges to people living with physical disabilities, like some veterans and older adults. Accessible housing is important to the 70 million adults in the United States who live with a disability and the 5.3 million veterans who are disabled.
Fortunately, a property can be remodeled to create an accessible living space and enhance the comfort, safety, and independence of its occupants. Accessible home remodeling also makes the home comfortable for guests with disabilities and seniors who anticipate mobility challenges in the future.
What is accessible home remodeling?
Accessible home remodeling is driven by an important objective: to create an accessible living space that is easy for people with physical disabilities or seniors to navigate. Home remodeling ranges from simple, low-cost projects to more complex and pricier ones.
Who does accessible home remodeling benefit?
People who benefit most from accessible home remodeling are, as mentioned, seniors with balance or mobility issues or those who live with limited range of motion and strength. People with visual or hearing impairment are also encouraged to remodel their home for improved safety and comfort.
Accessible home remodeling is advantageous to individuals who use wheelchairs. Furthermore, people who live with any type of physical limitation and therefore experience difficulties with the tasks of everyday living enjoy greater ease by home modifications that increase their independence.
What are various accessible home remodeling projects?
Home modifications vary and are ideally chosen based on the disabled person’s current or future needs. The home layout and the homeowner’s budget may also impact the choice of remodeling projects. The goal is to update the home so that everyone in the household is supported.
1. Entryway Ramp
Wheelchair-users and those with mobility issues benefit from an entryway ramp. Entering and exiting the home is easier with the installation of a well-designed ramp. Options include permanent, concrete ramps or temporary, removable metal ones.
2. Wider Doorways
Standard doorways that are widened to 36 inches give wheelchair users easier access to rooms within the home. Remodeling current narrow doorways may involve removing and rebuilding existing walls. As a result, the cost varies widely but can be estimated beforehand by your contractor.
3. Repurposed Room
When installing a stair lift is financially infeasible, individuals may opt to repurpose a first-floor room into a primary bedroom. The remodel may involve adding closet space, installing bedside controls, and ensuring clear access walkways. An accessible bathroom should be nearby.
The bed’s height may need adjustment, based on the individual’s preferences. In general, the recommended height is 20 to 23 inches. An adjustable bed should be considered for people with circulatory issues or limited mobility. Cost varies depending on the extent of the project.
4. Lower Countertops
Wheelchair users have an easier time accessing low countertops than standard-size ones. Remodel the countertops in the bathrooms and kitchen as well as multi-level surfaces to make these features more accessible.
5. Roll-Under Sinks
Bathroom and kitchen sinks with open spaces underneath allow wheelchair users to get close to the basin. Installing roll-under sinks or lowering the sink may involve replacing the existing cabinets, too.
6. Ample Lighting
Adding more lighting throughout the home is a simple, cost-effective home remodeling project. Motion-sensor lights are recommended in significant areas of the home, such as stairways, halls, and near door locks. Or consider lowering light switches for easier access. Cost depends on fixture type and wiring.
7. Shower Rails and Benches
The addition of secure rails in your shower, a bench to sit on, and an anti-slip floor are all features that help protect from falls while showering. A minor bathroom remodel with these features can drastically increase the safety for the elderly and disabled.
How do homeowners pay for accessible home remodeling?
Individuals can rely on financial help from government or private loans and grants to remodel their homes. A number of these grants, however, require a specific income level or employment status to qualify. Illinois offers a number of grants to homeowners to improve their property’s accessibility.
The Home Repair and Accessibility Program (HRAP) gives eligible homeowners up to $45,000 in assistance to make accessibility improvements. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers grants to help veterans pay for home modifications. Grants are available at the federal, state, and local level.
Whether you are a part of a home modification program or take out a home equity loan to finance the project, you’ll need a qualified home remodeling contractor to perform the remodel. R3 Contracting is positioned to deliver, with extensive experience remodeling homes within budget and time constraints.
Our remodeling services are ideal for revamping the kitchen so that it meets your current needs, whether that involves lowering the countertops or updating the cabinetry. We can also add new amenities to the bathroom, such as walk-in showers, to improve safety.
If your current bedroom is on an upper floor, our crews can turn a main floor space into an accessible bedroom. Alternatively, our skilled builders create new additions to give the home more livable space. Outdated designs receive a welcome update to increase the accessibility of the home.
As a licensed and insured contractor, we take on a diverse range of accessible home remodeling projects designed to make your home safer and more comfortable and meet your current or future needs. Our design team works with you to realize your vision for a suitable living space.
Specializing in whole-house remodeling, R3 Contracting is the preferred general contractor for homeowners in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and the surrounding suburbs. We deliver beautiful results that endure. Call or contact R3 today for impeccable workmanship and a dedication to customer satisfaction.
