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Multi-story houses are popular because they allow more square footage on the same lot. But if you only need a modest-sized place, why go with a multi-story home? It's easy enough to get exercise in other ways besides climbing stairs.
I was 48 when I had my then-dream house designed and built new. I didn't really want the second-floor loft bedroom/full bath- didn't need the space- but it seemed wise for possible resale. I didn't want anything critical on the second floor. Anyone could twist an ankle. It doesn't have to mean age-long infirmity.
So my bedroom and main bath are on the first floor. Which I much appreciated after some significant abdominal surgery, a major dog bite on the ankle (couldn't go even one step up for five days due to swelling) and an infected leg from a dog bite. (another failed adoption).
As other posters have pointed out, there are plenty of ways to exercise besides running up steps to grab something you forgot. I do hope all of us are more active than that.
Regarding the former quote, read the latter one. The reason it can be wise to plan in advance is that no, it's not easily dealt with when the time comes, because once you have mobility issues, which can arise suddenly without advance warning, it becomes difficult to deal with a move - you may not have the ability to get around easily enough to go look at the places you are interested in and be very limited in the choices you have. And it's very difficult to pack up a home with possibly decades worth of accumulated possessions when you have impaired movement. That's why a lot of people think it makes sense to think ahead while you are fit and active so you can more easily deal with everything that comes with moving while you are physically able to do so.
Thanks for your concern, but (1) my advance planning is to make as much money as possible, and (2) I am well aware that things happen that are beyond my control. If I downsized and moved to a "last house" at the tender age of 63, my kids, friends, and relatives would have to stay in a hotel every time they visited; I would need to rent an office; and my wife would not cooperate if moving involved living in a condo or apartment building. Maybe in 10 or 15 years.
Being able to recover in your own home and not in a nursing home from a knee or hip surgery at 60 or 70 or 80 is a big deal for many.
My wife recovered from a knee replacement at home without any difficulty. The hospital wouldn't let her leave until she had climbed a flight of stairs - about three hours after the surgery. There's a lot of drama in this thread, a little of it justified but mostly not.
If I downsized and moved to a "last house" at the tender age of 63, my kids, friends, and relatives would have to stay in a hotel every time they visited....
Moving to a home where all essential living can be done on the man floor doesn't have to involve downsizing. You just need a bedroom, a full bath, and ideally laundry hookups on the main floor, and a main floor entrance that can be made wheelchair/walker-accessible. Additional bedrooms and baths can be put on a second story or in a basement.
Moving to a home where all essential living can be done on the man floor doesn't have to involve downsizing. You just need a bedroom, a full bath, and ideally laundry hookups on the main floor, and a main floor entrance that can be made wheelchair/walker-accessible. Additional bedrooms and baths can be put on a second story or in a basement.
Exactly! We plan on selling and buying a house with a different layout. I'd like a first floor master. It needs to have a basement, garage and I'd like to have bedrooms upstairs for guests. Even with bad knees I can do stairs.. I just don't want to do them if I don't have to.
We recently moved into a two-story house that we hope will be our forever home, and yes, I'm a little concerned about the stairs. We're only in our thirties but my husband has early-onset arthritis and going up the stairs really hurts his knees. It's not like he *can't* go upstairs, but if he is chasing the kids around all day, by the end of the day he's aching. (He's not overweight or anything like that, so it's not like he just needs to lose a few pounds and he will feel better; it's an autoimmune issue.) We would have bought a one-story, but that has its downsides as well, and this house had a much better setup, location, and so on. But it was something we did actively think/talk about. We decided that in the absolute worst case scenario, we could get one of those little elevator things eventually (as in, a few decades from now) especially since the stairs are straight instead of bending around. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, or at least not for a looooong time.
ETA: If we make it to old age, we probably will move to a townhouse at some point anyway unless there are compelling reasons to stay. We probably won't need a 4 br house if it's just the two of us, but who knows what will happen in the future?
What about the people who live in high rise apt bldgs like in NY and have to climb stairs with bags of groceries...sounds like a tough challenge to me.
My godmother lived in something like this in Europe. She also had a bunch of elderly neighbors. They would go to the store daily for their groceries, and slooooooowly and painfully climb up to their apartments, floor by floor. It was painful to watch. They did it because they had to; it's not like they were doing it for funsies. You bet that if they had an elevator in the building, they would have used it. And these ladies had been walking places their whole lives.
My parents had to move when my dad was diagnosed with Lewy Body Disease. They had to find a one story home. It's not something I would have ever thought of in the past, but now I would definitely put this into the mix when we buy our next home.
Thanks for your concern, but (1) my advance planning is to make as much money as possible, and (2) I am well aware that things happen that are beyond my control. If I downsized and moved to a "last house" at the tender age of 63, my kids, friends, and relatives would have to stay in a hotel every time they visited; I would need to rent an office; and my wife would not cooperate if moving involved living in a condo or apartment building. Maybe in 10 or 15 years.
Why? Must a single story be a one bedroom with no amenities - one story does not dictate downsizing. You're overstated your case and apparently haven't looked at any one-story homes/condos.
My godmother lived in something like this in Europe. She also had a bunch of elderly neighbors. They would go to the store daily for their groceries, and slooooooowly and painfully climb up to their apartments, floor by floor. It was painful to watch. They did it because they had to; it's not like they were doing it for funsies. You bet that if they had an elevator in the building, they would have used it. And these ladies had been walking places their whole lives.
Yes and you can imagine how many apt bldgs in the U.S. don't have elevators. A good friend came back and forth Sweden to U.S. and she talked about walking 9 flights up to apt with groceries. She ended up in Tucson senior community with one level living.
I'm just so happy to be living on one floor with this advancing OA which started in my body at 18 and I'm 79...I have a recumbent bike in my living room and push my knee gently around the bike to keep moving it.
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