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I have a few relatives in various over-55 communities. Houses are built standard; however, if new construction, the options are always available for handicapped accessible features. My aunt and uncle had their's built 20 years ago and did not opt for those features, but they need it now.
This is what he’s trying to avoid. You would think builders would consider in building these homes. Chances are buyer will need them at some point. Kind of good design and planning. Jay
I think it will be hard to find. The items that can easily be added in a new build are probably only put in by very smart buyers or those that are starting to have a problem.
I have seen some remodeling at some amenities and some new construction such as zero entry pools and chair lifts for pools.
After he has identified the part of the country he would like to live in and the must have features I would repost and see what you get. It might be that he will find what he wants in a continuing care community.
He and his wife aren’t even close to needing continuing care. They are very independent. It’s just he uses a walker. He uses a wheelchair when he has very long distances to walk. Jay
They can be but then they aren’t necessarily positioned where they are needed. Plus locating studs under tiled bathroom walls is very difficult.
When he recently remodeled their master bathroom it had blocking around the entire bathroom. It has grab bars on the three walls of the shower plus at key points around the bathroom. They look like and are used as towel bars but are really there for grab bars. It also has moveable rails on each side of the toilet. You can’t do that without proper support. Jay
I'm having a house built in a 55+ community. You have to start with new construction to ensure that blocking is put in, or specify grab bars, etc., during the customization phase. I'm having some put in for the future, in case I ever need them. Even so, there may be limitations to what they'll do - it depends on the developer, as some do cookie-cutter with few options, and others will go to great lengths to accommodate your needs. There will be a step at exterior doors on my home, but only one, which can easily be fitted with a ramp someday.
I'm having a house built in a 55+ community. You have to start with new construction to ensure that blocking is put in, or specify grab bars, etc., during the customization phase. I'm having some put in for the future, in case I ever need them. Even so, there may be limitations to what they'll do - it depends on the developer, as some do cookie-cutter with few options, and others will go to great lengths to accommodate your needs. There will be a step at exterior doors on my home, but only one, which can easily be fitted with a ramp someday.
Thanks. You are very smart to do that. You also might consider making sure all of the doors are wider. He had to retrofit a couple doors in his house and it got pricey.
Can I ask you how much it is costing to do that? He said he’s looking at some new construction options but is concerned how much it’s going to cost. I didn’t realize it but he’s looking at retirement communities in Florida to be a snowbird. Jay
55+ communities are Active Adult. That is the target market. The people that golf, play tennis, etc. As people age they may have problems but they usually don't have them when they move in. I'm willing to bet that most 55+ don't have anymore accessibility than they legally have to.
^^^This is correct. Remember too once a house has been converted into handicapped status it has limited re-sale value.
He might have to hire a handyman to install grab bars, take off the screen doors, etc.
My parents put grab bars in the shower, on the tile. I think they hold up. Hired a guy next door who does light handy work. This neighbor also installed their dual pane windows.
He doesn’t really need a lift. He has a pool and uses it daily because it has two railings on the steps. Rails aren’t expensive. He says he sees nothing like that on the pools he’s seen in these communities. That’s the problem. You think there would be. Jay
Yes, we not only also have rails but non-slip surfacing on the steps and a few feet beyond where you get out. .
We thought we had things pretty well covered but a major enough rehab for the pool because of a leak on a side wall required some new code requirements in order to get a permit and IIRC, the steps redone because one wasn't the same height as the others, new bracing for the hand rails and a few other things...ended up being quite costly.
I live in a 55+ development. The marketing people trying to sell homes typically don’t want any mention of disabilities or “old” people in their advertising. Can you blame them? Who wants to launch into a new life of retirement and be associated with a bunch of decrepit seniors? No, the folks shown in the advertising are all fresh-faced, happy, athletic, and carefully diverse. They climb mountains, ride horses, walk around hand in hand through manicured gardens...
The reality of course is different. Our average age here is 72, and many have physical disabilities. Several I talked to have spent significant sums to retrofit bathrooms for accessibility.
^^^This is correct. Remember too once a house has been converted into handicapped status it has limited re-sale value.
How does wider doors and grab bars limit resale? Sounds like a plus to me.
Our condo has wide doors and we love the convenience in everyday life. I wish we had grab bars in the shower though. I'm always surprised hotels don't have them just to avoid lawsuits.
A ramp could just be removed.
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