If you or someone you love has recently become disabled or has been diagnosed with an illness that will change their mobility needs you have probably begun to think about your home. For many, staying in their current home is not an option and beginning to house hunt is a frustrating process. Not only are you taking into consideration the location of the home, the school district, the price, and the number of bathrooms/bedrooms, you are also factoring in the accessibility needs that you have. Finding a house that will meet all your needs is next to impossible.

Since you are unlikely to find a house that will fit all your criteria, the next best thing is to find a house that can be modified to meet your needs given a reasonable amount of money and effort. While it is easy to go through a home and visualize the modifications, being able to estimate what those remodelling projects will cost accurately can be difficult without having discussed the plan with an experienced contractor. As anyone who has bought a home recently in the Denver area knows, the market moves fast, and decisions need to be made quickly.

To Offer or Not to Offer

Before you decide to make an offer on a property, here are some of the most important accessibility factors to take into consideration:

Can you make modifications in stages?
Is it possible with a ramp constructed at one of the main entrances of the home that you could live there for a little while without making significant modifications immediately? If so, then maybe this is the right property for you. Separating the modifications that are immediately necessary from those that are not can help you know exactly how much work and money will be needed to make the home accessible.

Is there enough space for you to manoeuvre?
A wheelchair can require up to 60″ to turn around. Bathrooms that are too small or hallways that are too marrow can be a deal-breaker for a home. Ensure that you have adequate room to move throughout all parts of the space.

What is the flooring like?
Look at the flooring throughout the home. Is there lots of carpet? Is the tile or linoleum in good shape? Ceramic tile is a durable flooring option that provides excellent traction for wheelchair users. Solid rubber flooring is more forgiving than hard flooring should there be a fall in the home. Rubber flooring also gives non-skid traction to both manual and power wheelchair users. Consider whether you will need to change the flooring in the home to make it accessible for you.

Will the bathroom be usable without modification?
The bathroom is notoriously the most dangerous room in the home. When considering a property, be sure that you can work with the current bathroom configuration or make arrangements for an accessibility professional to evaluate the bathroom and give you an estimate on the cost of a remodel before you put a bid in. Doing a bathroom remodel in stages may be possible.