Living with a disability, whether caused by age, an accident, or a lifestyle factor, can make life more challenging. One of the areas where many people tend to struggle is in their homes. As most homes today are not designed with handicap accessibility in mind, many people end up having to make a choice between whether to modify their existing property or sell it and move into somewhere more suitable.
If you, or a loved one, is currently faced with this decision, read on. We’re going to explain the most common modifications you can make. Working out which ones of these would be beneficial to you, and how much they would cost, should enable you to determine whether modifying or selling your home is the best choice for you.
Home Modifications for Individuals with Disabilities
Disabled individuals may want to customize their home to make it easier to navigate. Here are some of the options that can help with this:
- Replacing carpet with hard flooring
- Installing stairlifts or traditional lifts to help navigate between floors
- Lowering the height of locks and door handles
- Installing wheelchair ramps to the exterior of the property
- Adding grab-bars in bathrooms
- Replacing the shower/bath with a walk-in/roll-in shower
- Lowering the height of light switches
- Lowering the height of countertops so that they can be used from a wheelchair
- Widening doorways to allow wheelchairs to pass through
- Decluttering to create more space
Home Modifications for Seniors
Some of the modifications that seniors could make are similar to those for disabilities. The following could make their lives easier:
- Installing non-slip tape to ledges and surfaces
- Adding lighting in strategic places to increase visibility
- Installing automatic openers to the garage
- Adjusting windows so that they are easier to open – smart windows are an especially good idea
- Levering the faucets in showers and sinks
- Adding a portable seat to the shower
- Adding a bathroom downstairs
- Adding handrails to stairs that don’t contain stairlifts
- Eliminating stairs entirely – perhaps with the addition of a stairlift or traditional lift
- Installing ramps to the exterior of the property
- Switching door knobs with pull handles
- Replacing traditional baths and showers with walk-in/roll-in alternatives
- Installing grab bars in bathrooms
- Elevating appliances to limit the amount of bending required
What if I Need to Sell?
If the modifications you need to make to your property are quite large or extensive, it may be a better option to sell your current home and move somewhere more suitable that already has these modifications in place. Most people in this situation will want to make a quick sale, and luckily there are ways to do this. For example, one company called Home Guys claims “we buy houses MN quickly”, and they do. A quick look on their website shows that some people sold their property to them in as little as one day. If you have found the ideal place to move to and need a quick sale, a company like this could be a good choice.
Whether you should modify or sell your home is a personal decision. We hope this article has helped you to come to one.