Designing Your New Home For The Retirement Years? Key Features You May Wish To Include
Aging in place is a hot topic and a smart idea for anyone who wants to plan ahead for their retirement years. While nursing homes and assisted living facilities are necessary in some instances, many older individuals would much prefer to live out their lives inside the comfort and security of their own homes.
If you are beginning to think about your retirement years and are interested in designing a custom home for that purpose, here are some important features you may want to include in your plans.
Basic comfort needs
Many people become more sensitive to temperature fluctuations in their environment as they age, so it makes sense to include design features in your new home construction project that can help with that need. With extreme winters to consider, your design will need to include high-quality insulation, but you also may want to design your home with zoned heating and air conditioning to enable you to keep different spaces in the home at different temperatures. Zoned heating and cooling is also an economical consideration for retirees planning to build a home large enough to host visiting family members and friends.
Another important design feature that will add comfort during the retirement years is to include radiant heat in areas of the home where chilly floors are common, such as the bathroom or kitchen. Radiant heat of this type can be used with many different types of flooring and provides efficient, comforting warmth.
Basic mobility needs
Even retirees with no mobility issues should consider including basic features that would assist them with the common mobility issues related to aging that they might experience. Since many seniors will need to use some type of mobility device, such as walkers or wheelchairs, it is wise to ensure that the design of hallways, door openings, kitchen walkways, and bathrooms are wide enough to accommodate their use. Additionally, it can be a good idea to locate electrical sockets higher on the walls to allow use without bending too far. Counters in bathrooms and kitchens should also be designed for ease of use if seated, including knee space underneath workspaces.
Another important consideration is the overall style of the home. While a single-story design can help eliminate stairs that could be difficult to manage later in life, those who want to build a multi-story home may want to include a home elevator system to make it easier to enjoy every area of the home.
These are just a few of the ideas you may want to consider as you plan your retirement home. Working closely with a competent residential construction service will help ensure that your new home will meet your needs throughout the coming years. Contact a residential construction service for more information.
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