Visitable Home – for all ages and stages of life

People are living longer, in fact, every 8 seconds another baby boomer reaches the milestone age of 60.  There are more people that are over 65 years old than under the age of 25, and the majority of people prefer to avoid living in an assisted care facility.  As we age, our vision, mobility, and strength changes. Making a home an ideal environment to age in place will be a marketable bonus when it is time to sell your home.

When a person is unable to live independently in their home, and sometimes that happens suddenly, the next choice frequently is living with one of their adult children. Close to 30% of the population is involved with caring for the seniors among us, with over 16 million of them caring for both their children AND their parents in their home, making them the “sandwich generation”.  How ready is your home if you had a loved one in a wheelchair?

Unfortunately, few homes are built with entries, hallways, or bathrooms that are easily accessible. You can make remodeling improvements using universal design elements to your home to make it user friendly whether you, or a visitor, are navigating a stroller or a wheelchair.  It is much less expensive to consider making your home user friendly for everyone at all ages and abilities at the time of remodeling, than trying to retrofit later.

According to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, over seventy percent of homeowners doing a remodeling project are planning ahead for future needs for themselves or their parents.  In addition to the popularity of adding grab bars when doing a bathroom remodel and widening doorways when doing a home renovation, sixty percent of the projects include in their remodeling design upgrading to a curb-less shower, and enhanced lighting and task lighting.

At Cook Remodeling, we encourage our clients to plan ahead and remodel smart by utilizing our Certified Aging in Place Specialist or Universal Design Certified Remodeler.  As we become older, our vision, strength, and mobility will change. You can make your home more safe and ready to go through your life with you. It can save you both money and duress to plan ahead and incorporate universal design principles when you remodel.  We want to help make every home a visitable home.

Consult our Certified Aging in Place Specialist on staff.

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Cook Remodeling Tips

Here are some significant changes you can make that will mean a lot when you need them:

Have at least one zero level entry into your home.  Fill in sunken rooms.

Having interior doors with a minimum 32” wide opening and 36” hallways are not only great for wheelchairs to pass through, but also for those carrying laundry baskets or sacks of groceries!

In the kitchen, raise the height of the dishwasher, oven, and have base cabinet shelves roll out; your back will love you for it!  Incorporate visual cues in the floor or countertop to help prevent accidents.

Raise the level of the washer and dryer too, as well as electrical outlets.  Faucet and door handles should be levered hardware for ease of use.

In the bathroom, brace walls around the tub, shower, and toilet for grab bars. Have anti-scald controls, adjustable/handheld showerhead and a fold down shower seat.

Gaining in popularity is having dual master bedrooms or a mother in law suite in the home, with at least one on the first floor with a universally designed bathroom.  One can be for used for guests, or caretakers if need be when building a guest house is not an option.

Sign up for a FREE In-Home Remodeling Consultation Today!

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Universal Living Client Reviews

My house wasn’t working for me.  Cook Remodeling designed and added an office and expanded my master bedroom.  They were completed on time and on budget and I could not be more pleased with the results.  Soon afterwards I got an unexpected job transfer.  My home quickly sold because the attractive addition looked like it was original to the house!

L. Mulla

Office, Master Bedroom Remodel in Queen Creek, AZ

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We were well pleased with the quality of the remodeling   Cook Remodeling’s team suggestions covered everything.  The lead carpenter did outstanding work & finished quickly.

Cliff & Karen T.

Master Bedroom Addition in Sun Lakes, AZ

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We had an older home in which a room was “sunken.”  Cook Remodeling and Custom Construction removed the old carpet and pad, cleaned the underlying foundation, and raised the floor to be level with the rest of the house.  Even though it was a small job, I was provided with an estimate in a timely manner, and the Project Manager went through the contract thoroughly, making sure I had no questions.  Cook Remodeling’s workers are skilled professionals.  They did a thorough job and were very pleasant guys.  It was a great remodeling experience.

Barbara F.

Living Room Remodel in Mesa, AZ