Good day everyone!

Sort of off topic question, not totally.

Background: We live in a 1923 fieldstone home. We’ve spent a lot over the years to modernize it, but no amount of money will make it accessible as I become mobility impaired. Since one of my tumors is in the spine, it is a matter of when, not if. So, since we have a rental about 4 blocks away, and love our quirky neighborhood next to the U, we plan to tear down the rental in a couple of years, deed it back to ourselves, and build a new house that is accessible.

I’ve built plenty of rentals, never a house for myself. So, I’m making a list of things I want in the home. Size is still TBD. We will likely have 3 bedrooms on the ground level, and trying to decide if we will build up a level or not. I need an office/sewing room, hubby needs a hobby room/library. Trying to decide if we need a spare bedroom as well. We will likely build a basement and 2 or 3 car garage.

Things like:

*Tornado shelter/safe room

*Sun room off the master with a hot tub

*ADA master suite

*ADA kitchen

*Natural Gas on demand water heater

*Natural gas fireplace in main living space

*walk in pantry, possibly off garage with a mini door for unloading

*multi-fuel generator

*solar on the roof with battery bank

*laundry room on main level

What other things have you seen in homes you’d investigate further if you were building a new home for yourself?

How bout,

Walk in cooler.

200+ sq ft laundry room

400+ sq ft office that is the most well appointed room in the house.

If you are going to have mobility issues and still want a second story or a basement, you will need an elevator or a lift. Those are easy if they are included in the original plans. A cargo lift might work better than an elevator because they are bigger than a standard home type of elevator.

Make one of the showers a large roll-in shower.

Yep, brick exterior with extra wide doorways and hallways is already part of the equation.

Interesting size to the laundry room, Sisco… and yes, the office will likely be the best appointed room we have. Not sure about the walk in cooler. Tell me why I’d want to do that?

The master suite will have a fully accessible bathroom, including probably a 5’ by 5’ roll in shower. Probably go with the Onyx brand of material for it, We may do it as a full wet room, undecided about that.

Accessible outdoor space.

Level roll-out to back yard, ground level patio.

Raised garden beds with smooth walkway between them.

Barb, check out the walk ins for residential. As for why, appliances are expensive, of poor quality with ridiculously short useful lifespan nowadays. Not so with walk ins. Obviously, the massive space and sturdy shelves are a big upgrade.

Plenty - space for a caretaker is actually why we are contemplating 2 stories. If we do 2 stories, we can do a 2nd master suite up there, with large bedroom, well appointed bathroom and a sitting room. It seems kind of like overkill but may not be.

I was considering doing a duplex, one side for us and the other side a 1 or 2 bedroom that we'd eventually use for a possibly caretaker, but the lot is too small. I need a lot at least 75 ft across for a duplex, and my lot is 60 x 124. So, I'm limited to doing a home that is 40ft across the front. City ordinance says we need 7500 sq ft on the lot, and our lot was platted as 7440. I can probably get a variance, if I want it. It is all still under consideration.

Of course, one complication is that we love our current home.... it has gobs of character, the location is amazing,it is paid for, but there is just no way to make some of it accessible. I have time, though. Time to think and plan.

When I was a kid my dad built a house for us to accommodate his brother who was a Paraplegic from the Korean war. Some things to consider.

Roll-in oversized shower with a lower shower wand.

No-step extra wide sidewalks from door to street so you can go for a stroll with someone beside you.

Wider garage bay to allow for a wheel chair/transfer chair to be used alongside a vehicle.

A roll-in bedroom/bathroom closet with floating shelves that feet on a wheelchair can roll-under since traditional cabinets are difficult to access when in a wheelchair.

Larger/lower windows so you can reach the latch and raise the window from a wheelchair.

Wider space for the bed. At some point you may need a transfer arm on a medical bed to get to/from wheel chair.

Heated tile floors with thermostat in each room - with mobility issues come circulation issues

Build some of the character from the old home into the new.

Doggie doors for Scooter.

TV mounted on a swing arm.

Barb Don’t wait too long on trying to get the variance.

We had a couple wanting to move to our village. The city people were against them moving here because they were going to bring in a mobile home.

Being on the city council I had better access to our ordinances and records. After spending a bit of time, I found a hidden clause they could use where as being a handicaped or disabled person they could ask for (basically demand) a variance.

They requested the variance, got it, moved here, and now the city brags about how nice their place looks.

Don’t let the city put you off. Scrutinize your ordinances. Just start early.

Didn't see it listed but ADA bathrooms.

Yes, have a guest room. You may need your own space if you need a hospital bed or you may need a place for a nurse to stay.

Make sure your garage is wide enough for open doors, lift, handicapped vehicle fully extended, etc.

Elevator a good idea. If not, be sure to have stacked closets with the 1st floor closet having a sunken floor so elevator will meet flush with floor for easy exit. Stacked closets can make an easy demo then you have an elevator shaft when you're ready for it.

Sorry to hear about your spinal tumor.

Those walk in tubs are horrible. I’ve seen them in action. You have to walk in, then fill, then drain, then exit. Can take a while.

Plan would be a hot tub in the sun room off the master. We’d design it so that a Hoyer lift could be added when the time came. A Hoyer lift is the lift you see at swimming pools and spas to lift a person from a WC into the pool.

Those walk in tubs are horrible. I’ve seen them in action. You have to walk in, then fill, then drain, then exit. Can take a while.

Plan would be a hot tub in the sun room off the master. We’d design it so that a Hoyer lift could be added when the time came. A Hoyer lift is the lift you see at swimming pools and spas to lift a person from a WC into the pool.