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Trend to stay put: Remodeling now to age-in-place
on November 20, 2012 @ 9:08 am (Updated: 12:17 pm - 11/20/12 )
Homeowners who want to stay put are looking into remodeling their homes with universal design features to turn their houses into "forever homes" that they won't have to leave in the future as they age.
According to senior design consultants, homeowners are making decisions and remodeling their homes to age-in-place long before they need accessibility features.
The top trends in "forever homes" are wider entry ways, showers that are wheelchair accessible, and grab bars placed in bathroom showers. For homeowners building having wider hallways from the beginning can be a smart choice.
Installing an elevator is also becoming a more common solution for multi-level homes, according to Steven Mark of Marrokal Design & Remodeling.
"A lot of times what I'll do in my designs is prepare for a future elevator. I can take a closet downstairs and a closet upstairs and that will be the shaft for the elevator," Mark said.
Tom Kelly has been a professional journalist for 36 years. He served The Seattle Times for 20 years, many as Real Estate Editor.
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