First and foremost, I do have mixed feelings on this whole new trend on the internet with CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialists) and all these classes you have to take to be awesome at it. I know there’s a lot of facts and statistics that can be learned along with studying the human mind and all that stuff. I do read quite a bit about it and know people that are way into it so it’s a good thing to have those connections. One thing I do find strange in general is being a younger person… that has no idea what it’s like to be old… that can tell an older person exactly how they need to live, breath, think etc… when the have no actual real experience with it at all. I know I can’t. I think that as a remodeler, I’ve been in tons of situations doing handicap bathroom remodels that I do have a great understanding of how it all works. My step daughter, Alexis, has disabilities as well, so I live with some of these challenges daily.
On my end, I spend quite a bit of time looking at all the new products but perfecting all the old ones. There’s a lot of great ways to plan out a bathroom remodel that will last a lifetime and always be in great function. So while you’re looking around for ideas I can say that there’s probably several hundred “essentials” when it comes to planning out a bathroom remodel so I will start with some general things to think about before you look deeper.
Know your House Layout
Even if you’re just thinking about a bathroom remodel that will suit you in the future, it’s a good idea to know your surround rooms and pathways. For instance, you may have a closet in a mirrored room that you really don’t use or have stuff piled in there that is just taking up space. Sometimes eliminating that and making the bathroom larger makes more sense. One thing you don’t want to have to deal with as you become older is knowing that there could’ve been a possibility of doing things after it’s too late. In regards to your pathway… take a look at your daily travel around the house. How many steps to here or there? Is the doorway wide enough? Sometimes the smallest of projects can be taken care of while a bathroom remodel is going on which will save you money since production is already in progress.
Plan the Right Way
My apologies but I don’t know what the right way is… everyone is different and only you know how you operate and walk in your shoes. There really is no expert that can feed you 100% factual information on the topic but can only offer suggestions from education and experience. Some of the tips that I can offer is to spend time on your own first looking at all the different products that you may like to have and do things like drawing up some general layouts on scratch paper. Have all of your ideas and budget in order. You may have to keep you budget flexible until you reach a final plan with a contractor that you trust and feel comfortable with.
Be Selfish
Sometimes the most important aspect is the hardest to do but being selfish is a must especially in this area where many homes have smaller bathrooms or only one bathroom. Many folks think that taking away their only bathtub will absolutely destroy the value and chance of resale, also passing that problem down to their kids. Think about it – How big is the house? Will a family of 5 or 6 buy it? The answer is, “Who Cares…!”
You have to be selfish in the fact that it’s time to make your life and surrounding as simplistic as possible. You should engage in a remodel of choice that suits your needs for the time that you’re here and not worry about who’s next in line. Typically a smaller home would not be purchased by a huge family but a single person, young or older couple. These days when you sell your home… new buyers don’t even care about the remodeling you did anyway. They’d rather make sure it will hold up long enough for a few months down the road when they rip it out and re-do it their way.
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