What Makes a Bergen County Home Easier to Age Into?
A home that is ideal today can become less livable if every bedroom is on the second floor, the front door is several steps down, and a typical clean-up requires reaching and hauling. Consider your long-term occupancy plans when purchasing real estate in Bergen County. An age-friendly home need not look like a nursing facility, but its best features enhance living at any stage of life: adequate lighting, wide traffic lanes, easily accessible storage, and fewer stairs.
Keep reading if you are interested in what makes a Bergen County home all the easier to age into.
What Does an Age-Ready Home Look Like?
An age-ready home makes daily tasks easier without sacrificing floor plans or finishes. Easy access on multiple levels can keep a residence useful longer. The National Institute on Aging lists easy-access first-floor bedrooms and bathrooms, step-free entries, grab bars in bathrooms, and accessible kitchens as helpful modifications for staying at home as we age.
Not all of these enhancements need to be in place at the time of purchase; buyers should determine whether the project can be accomplished easily without an overwhelming renovation investment.
Start With First-Floor Living
A first-floor bedroom and bathrooms offer maximum versatility: As an office, family room, or guest quarters, the upstairs configuration is easily modified to include a sleeping area.
If all else fails, consider whether an alternative first-floor room can be converted to a bedroom, ensuring its location is desirable, its bathroom is accessible, and its furnishings and dimensions accommodate the proposed use. In a Cape Cod, colonial, or split-level home, the ability to make a different use of first-floor space can be as important as the overall square footage.
Which Entry Features Improve Long-Term Accessibility?
Consider the number of steps, doorway width, the accessibility of light switches, the presence of rails or a sturdy handhold, and the transition from the driveway or garage. Covering the entryway adds value by minimizing exposure to inclement weather. A home need not have a ramp at the time of purchase, but buyers should determine whether a ramp could be built without unduly intruding on the space or the landscape. A two-car attached garage opening on a lower level may prove easier on the joints and muscles than a steeply pitched entrance from the front lawn.
“A home that is easier to age into usually offers flexibility before it offers specialized features. First-floor living, fewer steps, accessible bathrooms, good lighting, and manageable maintenance can help a Bergen County property remain comfortable through many stages of life.”–Michael Akkus, Broker Associate/Team Leader
Safer Bathrooms and More Functional Kitchens
Bathrooms are among the most expensive rooms to renovate. A larger bathroom with a walk-in shower, without abrupt floor changes or narrow doorways, may prove easier to modify than a small tub-shower combination. A higher, wider toilet may allow you to use the aids to get in and out of the tub. Grab bars need not be present initially, but keeping the framing intact simplifies installation later.
According to the National Institute on Aging, such features as grab bars, non-slip floors, and night lights eliminate common causes of falls. In the kitchen, buyers should imagine placing the objects they need within easy reach and maneuvering around the room while standing on the floor they expect to use in old age. Traffic patterns and clear working space are as important as closet size.
How Can Lighting and Flooring Make a Difference?
Kitchens, halls, entryways, and stairways all benefit from additional lighting in the aging home, since dimly lit corners or declines present an increased fall risk. Placing switches at both ends of a hallway or stair flight or adding motion-sensor lighting can improve convenience and safety.
Floors also play an important role in a safe home; uneven or slippery surfaces, or obstacles such as cords, scatter rugs, and uneven thresholds, create tripping hazards. For stairways, the National Institute on Aging recommends particular attention to lighting at the top and bottom steps.
Maintenance and Location Considerations
A residence may roll off the tongue as an ideally accessible home but require extensive expenditures for upkeep. Large grounds, steep driveways, numerous stairs, outdated and inadequate heating systems, challenging landscaping, and swimming pools may increase required maintenance budgets.
Location is important to long-term residences. Grocery stores, hospitals, and pharmacies should be no more than a walk away, as should parks, sports centers, shopping malls, public transportation, and home healthcare providers. Individuals considering aging in place should carefully weigh a property’s proximity to their support network, whether that looks like children, relatives, or caregivers who might provide regular assistance.
What Should Buyers Evaluate During a Showing?
A buyer contemplating large-scale modification should evaluate easy access to all rooms, stairs, doorways, and transitions from one level to the next. Count the steps between the driveway, entrance, kitchen, bedroom, laundry, and bathrooms. Measure doorways for easy wheelchair or walker access, and obtain measurements of hallways, tubs, showers, and other fixtures.
The keeper of the purse strings should consult a general contractor, occupational therapist, or Certification Aging-in-Place specialist when considering major modifications; budgets can vary widely based on the property’s condition and the scope of the proposed projects.
Planning for Future Comfort
Though the aging process is predictable, its demands can be minimized by a wise home purchase. Buyers looking to simplify their next move should think about what might become a long-term project. Focus on what cannot be altered: the hill you must drive up to get into the house, the two-story layout when you can no longer navigate a narrow, winding staircase, and the overall arrangement of the dwelling itself. The Akkus Group can help interested Bergen County buyers focus on today’s comforts and tomorrow’s needs; a wise purchase now will open numerous doors in the future.
What Do Buyers Ask About Aging in Place?
Q: Is a ranch home always the best choice for aging in place?
A: A ranch can be the best choice for an aging individual based on its one-story layout, but modifications need to be made within the home just the same. A ranch-style home with short hallways or stairways, a steep driveway, or a basement laundry room may require as many modifications as a two-story home, and the modification cost may be much higher.
Q: Can a split-level home be adapted for long-term living?
A: Yes. It can be done, but split-level homes are typically less conducive to aging in place because residents must climb between levels to access commonly used rooms. Ask during your visit if a first-floor reconfiguration is possible and whether the installation of a stair lift would be a feasible solution. A contractor will be able to advise you on the extent of modifications for any given property.
Q: How much should buyers budget for accessibility improvements?
A: The modification range varies considerably based on the alterations needed and the value of the home. Upgrades such as improved lighting and handrail installation can range from a few hundred dollars to several hundred thousand, depending on the scope of the modification. Buyers interested in aging in place should obtain cost estimates for the upgrades they envision and be prepared for the expenses of regular maintenance as well.
Q: Should buyers choose a condo for easier aging in place?
A: A home with a condo may limit exterior maintenance options, but buyers should examine the entire building, asking the property manager about the likelihood of elevator and other improvements, the accessibility of the parking and entries, and the overall size and width of the unit. Carefully consider the monthly budget when trying to determine whether a single-family home or a condominium will better suit your needs for aging in place.