Renovating your home for better accessibility

Maybe you have a family member who uses a wheelchair to get around. Or you’ve realised that time has caught up with you, and it has become more difficult to move about. No matter what reason you have, making your home more accessible is a smart but challenging move.

Designing new homes can be easier compared to renovating for optimum accessibility. For one, it would be easier to incorporate accessibility options such as elevators and ramps on a building plan rather than on an existing home. Aside from the obvious disruptions to your daily life, renovating for accessibility will involve lots of changes, which also means high costs. But if the payoff for your renovations can lead to a much easier life for you, then it will definitely be worth it.

Address elevation issues

Stairs are probably the biggest accessibility problem for most people, and this doesn’t just concern multi-level homes. Those three steps leading to your veranda or even that one step that elevates your kitchen from the rest of the house can lead to tripping or falling. Replacing these few steps with a gently sloping ramp can make wheelchair access so much easier. If you think that ramps can make your deck or veranda less appealing, you might want to consider a ramp that blends in with your landscape. Paved ramps or timber ramps can definitely improve accessibility in your home without cramping its style. When building ramps for your deck, remember to install sturdy handrails as well.

For homes with multiple floors, residential elevators are the solution. Home elevators used to be just a luxury, but with the rising demand for more accessible homes, residential elevators became more affordable and their designs more varied. From limited mobility lifts to eco-friendly, energy-saving elevators in all sorts of finishes, there are certainly lots of options for homeowners. For retrofitting existing homes, the best lifts are vacuum lifts and traction elevators since they take up less space and are easier to install compared to hydraulic lifts.

Choose your materials wisely

Low maintenance should come hand in hand with accessibility, so choose materials that require the least amount of maintenance over time. Timber ramps require more maintenance, so you might want to go for composite instead. Choose textured stones over glossy tiles for your bathroom because they don’t require too much upkeep and are non-slip too. To make it easier to go in and out of the shower, it would also be wise to get rid of the shower curb.

Ready to make your home more accessible? Compare quotes from professional home renovators now.