When renovating your home in retirement there are a few things that you should think about, such as accessibility and usability of space. Here are some tips to designing your dream home during retirement.
Why renovate?
Many retired people choose to use some of this time to renovate their home and make amendments to rooms that have needed it for a while. With more free time during retirement, you can take it steady and work on your home bit by bit instead of having to rush to get things done.
You’ll also have more funds available that you can spend on hiring professionals to do the job for you, or maybe treating yourself to that garden furniture set you’ve been interested in for years. You can either use the money you’ve saved up through your retirement funds, or those over 50 can opt for an equity release from their homes, freeing up for funds to use at your leisure as and when you need it.
Think about accessibility
Typically, as we get older, we require more amendments to make our daily lives easier. Our mobility becomes affected and we’re less able to do the things we once did with ease, such as climbing stairs, reaching the top cupboards in the kitchen, and getting in and out of the bath.
Your renovation should consider these points and accommodate where possible. Try investing in a walk-in bath, remodelling your kitchen so that cupboards are at a more attainable reaching level, and maybe investing in a stairlift for days when getting upstairs could be difficult.
Add subtle colours
Changing up your home’s colour palette for more subtle, calming colours will give a sense of class and elegance and will also require much less upkeep than bright walls and carpets which may fade over time.
Your home should be your sanctuary in your later years, so be sure to keep plenty of personality and homely touches such as photographs of your grandchildren or ornaments that provide memories.
Be conscious with furniture
Likewise, you’ll want furniture that is comfortable, supports your body, and is easy to get in and out of. Consider a sofa suite or armchair that uses a footrest and can be posed into different positions with the help of a remote so that you can get up much easier without straining yourself.
If you enjoy being out in the garden and reading a book, be sure to have a comfortable space where you can sit and enjoy the fresh air.
Make space for family
If you regularly have your grandchildren over, or Christmas dinner is always held at your household, you’ll want to consider making more space in these areas so that your family can get together and spend much valued time with you. You might also want a space for your grandchildren to play and enjoy themselves without the worry of knocking over any ornaments.
For this, consider getting an extension on your house and adding in a conservatory or extending your dining room so that everyone can fit nicely together.
Add more value to your home
Depending on the types of renovations you want to make, some of them could add value to your home if you were to sell or pass it onto your children.
Look around the home and see where needs the most work. Simple things like replacing cupboard doors where the hinges are worn and weak or ditching the carpet for some laminate flooring can modernise your home and add value if it was to go back on the market.
Featured image credit: Photo by Collov Home Design on Unsplash
3
Leave a Reply