By Don Lewis
Finding an accessible home to suit your needs is not that easy, especially when your needs as an amputee are fairly specific. However, it’s not impossible to stumble across an accessible home that seems like it’s made just for you. Otherwise, there are alternative ways and means to make this possible.
Establish Your Needs
Since accessible homes can vary in terms of purpose, it may be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different types of accessible homes there are such as an aging-in-place home, an adaptable designed home, and a barrier-free designed home, just to name a few.
Search the Market
Once you’ve got an accurate idea of what you’re looking for, the next step would be to review the housing market in your area and then actively search for property listings with accessible homes in the location you’ve chosen. Now, this is not always the simplest of exercises to do, especially since accessible homes are highly customized in nature. In fact, some of the modifications you’re likely to find may not be suitable according to what you’re looking for. Contact a realtor who has experience in this area, as they will be able to locate a property much quicker than you would do on your own.
Determine How Much You Can Afford
It’s best to get your finances in order before you embark on your house hunting adventure. Create a budget for yourself and stick to it. If you have debt, try to pay down as much as possible and then start saving. Having more money to put as a down payment can make your monthly payments more manageable.
Your budget will obviously be affected by this decision as this will likely be a costly endeavor to take on. Then there is also the case of applying for a mortgage. If you are living with a disability, there may be programs that you qualify for.
And it’s important to leave room in your budget for accessible modifications or even a custom-designed home. Because, if you search high and low and you still cannot find a property that comes close to what you’re looking for, then you could always custom-design one yourself.
Search for Common Accessible Features
As far as accessible homes go, there are certain features that are more common than others such as handrails in the bathroom, non-slip flooring throughout the home, lowered faucets, and levers to easily grab hold of throughout the home. As for customized features, ramps aren’t always easy to come by — and neither are voice or touch-activated light controls or switches. So be sure to look into these as options for your next home.
Get Help Where Needed
You’re also likely to need extra assistance as far as the moving process goes. Therefore, accept as much help as possible to ensure you have many hands on board when it comes to moving all your belongings over to your new home. Also, choose a mover that is experienced in this area, as you are less likely to experience mistakes or misunderstandings regarding special requests.
Find – or Make – Your Perfect Home
These tips should prove to be helpful if you are considering going for an accessible home. Just be sure to make it a point of knowing what your options are financially from a budget standpoint as well as the lender’s point of view to see how well these two figures coincide to reach your property objectives.
If you have questions, feel free to contact the Amputee Coalition’s National Limb Loss Resource Resource Center for help finding information for your area.
Disclaimer
The Amputee Coalition does not endorse or promote any specific company mentioned in this article. The information provided is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as an endorsement or recommendation. It is always advisable to conduct thorough research and consult with relevant professionals before making any decisions related to medical devices or services.