Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I posted this on another similar post, but light colored counter tops is something to think about when replacing. I have a wonderful for aging house, but the counter tops are dark.
I had lighter in the last house I owned and will definitely change these out at sometime in the future.
Now that I've had my elderly, disabled mother living with me for eight years, I see MANY things she has needed. When I eventually leave the house I am in now, I will be moving to a condo because I've had it with exterior maintenance on a single-family home (and the one I'm in now was even new when purchased).
Things I will look for (or install) in that condo:
No steps.
An accessible laundry.
A shower big enough to take a walker into.
A compact and easy-to-maneuver-in kitchen (something like a galley, not a huge island-style room).
Kitchen cabinets that have pull-out shelves or deep drawers.
A glass-top electric stove instead of gas (safer for elders, much as I love cooking with gas).
Flooring that requires minimal use of vacuum cleaner (kills my back).
Good lighting.
Good work space for my computer.
Adequate storage in every room.
Simple decor without a lot of accessories that need dusting or fancy fabrics that require a lot of care.
A neighborhood that has a nice supermarket, a library, some outdoor sitting areas, and medical care nearby.
This sounds more like a thread for old people, rather than retired people. But then, I guess a lot of old people are retired.
City-Data does not have a forum for "aging" or "seniors", so this Retirement Forum fills that role in addition to "retirement" as narrowly defined. In other words, we all know that some people may retire at 50 while others are still working at 70. I think the tread works quite well in those dual roles. Most OP's use good descriptive thread titles, making it easy to not read threads we may not be interested in. Over the years we have discussed here about spitting the forum, but as I said I like it the way it is.
Threads such as the present one are not at all new here. It is in the normal and natural order of things that topics get recycled over time. I'm fine with that too, as a little repetition never hurt anyone.
I didn't just mean for it to be about the "elderly"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Muonic
This sounds more like a thread for old people, rather than retired people. But then, I guess a lot of old people are retired.
I haven't changed any of the things you mentioned, since I retired. And I don't plan to, either. I am however, going to remodel the kitchen, master bathroom, replace some carpet, etc., just as a matter of keeping up the house.
and how to make your home "golden age" proof.
But more about things that make your home, in retirement, work for you. Maybe having something available, that you were unable to take advantage of, or appreciate in you working years.
Like so many threads hear in the Retirement forum, it does get into aging.
If its a custom home and has more then one floor, and you are designing it for yourself, and hope to grow old and die in that house one day, put a 54" X 54" closet (or other space removeable later on) - on all floors, that can someday be used as a shaft for an elevator. They only cost about 18 - 20K, but later on when/if you are disabled you put one in, and still have use of the house. You might even get some of that money back as a disability allowance.
We got a lot of what we wanted with our current house. We did want one level, and we wanted a level neighborhood. We also wanted a gas fireplace, big garage, storage space, safe neighborhood, newer home, small yard suitable to grow flowers. We got all of that. I wanted a modern kitchen with a nice cooktop or range. I did not get that. I got a large but ordinary kitchen with ho hum appliances. We have replaced the cooktop, but I did not get gas.
Overall, we did OK though.
Things I wish I could improve, are the baths. I don't like the way they were done, especially the master, which is really too big, and boasts an enormous sunken tub set up a couple of steps from the floor. We each have used it once in the almost 1 1/2 years we've lived here. Such a waste of space. And I don't feel the kitchen is organized well. Its large space makes up for it a bit, but I feel I could have done a better job of designing it. Of course doing that now is too expensive, so I have gotten used to it. And I am lucky that it is so large.
Outside view, yard, windows to see out, deck and patio. All to enhance outdoor living and to bring the outside indoors.
#1 priority for our next house. We do plan on being home more, and I find this adds to my personal joy.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Also I think the darker surfaces show spots and
