Hoping to make your home more accessible? Whether you’re part of the 86% of baby boomers and older adults that desire to stay in your current residence for as long as possible, or have other needs that require consideration, accessible design has become an increasingly important part of today’s home construction and renovation market. For those concerned with making their homes easy to navigate, there are a variety of factors and features to be aware of. Below, we’ll discuss a few core areas to keep in mind, as well as the benefits of working with Peak Improvements. Read on to learn more!
Universal Accessibility Vs Age In Place Remodelling: What’s the Difference?
As you begin to explore the many options at hand when it comes to accessible design, it can be easy to feel confused with the various terms that are often used interchangeably. Two key terms/types of renovations that our team of experts frequently answer questions about are age in place renovations and universal accessibility. While both share many similarities and can involve installing shared features, their core purpose is quite different.
Age in place renovations centre around the specific goal of remodelling a home to remain safe and comfortable as we age. All elements and changes are meant to make the house easier to navigate, as well as to remove any challenges that we commonly face as we get older. Examples of age in place specific renovations include expanding hallways and finding ways to ease transit between floors such as installing chair lifts or an elevator.
Universal accessibilty deals with a similar objective as outlined above, but focuses on doing so by making the home accessible for everyone regardless of age or ability. Universal accessibility is becoming increasingly popular in today’s home design and incorporates mindful details and elements such as ensuring that sleeping, dining, and bathrooms are all on the same level, removing any steps to enter the home and reducing the need to use them inside, installing better lighting in key areas, and more.
Which Do I Need?
Overall, while both age in place and universal accessibility renos share commonalities, it’s important to work closely with your contractor to discern which approach is best suited both to your specific needs, as well as the existing layout of your home. At Peak Improvements, we feature a comprehensive team of experts which means you never have to worry about finding additional contractors for your project. With in-house designers and architects, as well as an exceptionally skilled build team, creating your perfect space is simple. Best of all, our guaranteed price + no surprise contract means you can rest easy knowing that your budget won’t have to stretch any further than planned.
Learn more about how you can get started creating the safe and gorgeous home you deserve with Peak Improvements by contacting us today!