When working with a home builder to design and construct a home for you and your family, you may have certain features in mind for your family's immediate needs. However, it's always good to think about planning for the future when you're thinking about how your home will suit you once the kids move away and you start getting a bit older yourself. Note a few things you might be overlooking when discussing your home's features with your home builder and which can affect your future use of that home.
Second stories
Family homes often include a second story to accommodate all the bedrooms needed for the family. However, as you get older, you may not be able to so easily manage stairs. Consider having an elevator added to your home as it's built so you can more readily manage a second story in the future. Residential elevators can be very small and compact, taking up no more room than a coat closet, and can be added to a back area of the home where they're out of sight but very convenient. Having it included in your home as it's constructed can be much easier than trying to retrofit the home with an elevator once it's needed for health reasons.
Flexible rooms
Once children move out of the home, what will you do with their bedrooms? Consider how a child's room can convert into something usable even after they've left the home. Closet doors that can be easily removed can mean turning that bedroom into a study, a den or even a sitting room or room for hobbies. The closet can be a built-in entertainment center or be space for a desk if there are shelves inside and a removable door. Think of the child's immediate needs for storage but also consider having your builder incorporate built-in shelves, a built-in desk and other such features.
Low maintenance surfaces
As you get older, you may not have the energy or even the ability to maintain wood floors, expensive tile countertops and the like. You also may not want to constantly shampoo carpeting in the home as this can be difficult to do on your own and expensive if you plan to call a professional to handle the work. Consider low maintenance surfaces that will fit your future lifestyle and choose laminate rather than real wood or tile, carpeting with a low nap that doesn't get dirty so quickly, and other options that are easier to maintain and more durable overall.
