first floor master, elevator, easy access garage with ample storage, separate guest suites for visiting kids etc, basement playroom for grand kids, wheelchair/walker friendly, walking distance to shopping/town

First all living on one floor that includes laundry , media room actually nice ranch with no stairs you have a nice big piece of property so it will cost a bit more to build but you will love no stairs as you age beleive me I am 73 and we have basically all our needs on one floor we have a walkout but we can live without out as the stairs become an issue. Make sure all hallways are wide enough to move freely with a walker or god forbid a wheelchair the bathrooms need to accessible for both those too so a good idea is to find a designer that understands accessibility. Think of how you will live in the future we wanted a place hwere our grand kids could come for visits . I love to garden but tried to keep that simple .My kitchen has always been my priority as I love to ccok so designed that first .

Thanks, that is an excellent guide! We have built 2 accessible homes in our47 years of marriage so have the accessibility down pat. The home will definitely be a one-story - but how much room do you really need? Anyone have solar or back up generators in their homes? Natural landscapes to reduce outdoor work? Materials to use - Vinyl, Concrete, other siding, metal roofs?

Build to Universal Design/CAPS standards, which are all about aging in place and building in accommodations as you get older and less mobile. Think about things like shower/tub grab bars (or at least put in the blocking for them now so you can add them later), a first-level master suite so you don't have to climb stairs, and really good lighting. Put lever handles on all interior doors which are easier to operate vs. door knobs if you have arthritis.

Lots of storage in the bathrooms....2 or 3 x reasonable! No toilet closets.

I think I would have a walk-in shower and/or wheelchair accessible if needed. A shower seat and grab bars. No tub. No stairs inside or outside.

A 2 car attached garage with one large automatic door. You can enter/exit the house without getting wet when it rains, and you will have lots of room to get into and out of the car. A few exterior video cameras showing your driveway and exterior doors so you can see who is there from your computer and phone without having to go to the door.

lots of great ideas above but the one I most agree with is the walking to town (although since you already own land that may be a moot point). If/when driving becomes an issue walking to be able to pick up a few groceries or have coffee sounds great to me

Extra lighting, especially in the kitchen, at expected reading spaces and for a home office location. Reading lights at the bed, perhaps wall sconces on sepate switches for each person or maybe separate recessed ceiling light with very focused spotlight for each person. Room light for master bedroom on a three way, or even four way, switch so can be turned on or off from the bed.

Some outlets raised above counter height for desk or table area. Motion sensitive or door switch activated lighting in storage areas. Motion sensors in mudroom, laundry and other utility spaces.

I'd include two separate non-bedroom areas for watching TV as some times in retirement you each need your own space to escape to. OK- more than some times-lol...

I'd also look at an Induction Cooktop rather than gas. I think it is safer on many levels both for both young and old. Tankless water heater, whole house generator which I wouldn't live without one, kick toe motion sensor lighting, bathroom heater (as when we age many of us get colder) and dimmer switches throughout.

When you get your plans drawn up, layout your furniture to scale on the plan and make sure everything fits that you want and that there is enough room to maneuver around. And don't depend on someone else doing it as there is a chance that it won't fit and then you are the one that has to live with it being a problem. It also makes it easier when you move in as you won't be second guessing where something should go.

Think about the exterior materials and how maintenance free they will be over time. Especially if you are in an area that there are not many contractors as you will be at their mercy- been there, done that and that is why I'm in an all brick home now. Which is great for temperature and noise insulation, too. Whatever material you decide on, just do your homework and make sure you understand the maintenance requirements. And just don't take the word of one person. I can't tell you how many times someone has given me wrong info. Plus, you learn a lot if you do your own research. And sometimes what you thought you were going to use ends up not being that product as your research takes you down a different path. You mention metal roof. From my understanding they can be noisey from rain, hail or whatever hits them. Also, if a panel is damaged that panel can't just be lifted and replaced like shingles as they are interconnected to each other.

And to answer your question about size. Since everyone's needs are different you might consider taking measurements of your furniture and then make little cut-outs of paper that shows the furniture to scale based on the graph paper. Then place the cut-outs on the graph paper and draw the room around it. Once you are satisfied with the layout you will know what size of room you need. Do this for every space and then add up the square footage and determine if that is the "right" amount for you. And circling back to my earlier comment, still layout the furniture (again) once you get the plan drawn up.

I know some people will use apps but I know a few of those people that did and ended up with not enough space for their furniture. I'm not saying this will happen to you but its just a FYI if you decide to go that route.

We are retired and have a 2000 sq ft house on a slab which suits our needs well. The only stair is the one from the deck down to the garden. Showers in the master and second bathroom are low threshhold. Besides the Master, we have two spare bedrooms, one of which is an exercise room (hubby has his ancient stereo system in there as well, plus a sofa bed). Generous kitchen with good storage makes life easier. Lots of natural light makes it happier.

The reality for us is that we seldom see the grandkids, first because they're scattered around the country and second because they're in their late teens to early 20s and have their own lives to live. I wouldn't necessarily design a house around visits that may or may not happen.

Someone above mentioned induction cooktop as a safety feature. Be aware that they aren't suitable for use by people with pacemakers, so you might want to avoid them for an age-in-place home.

Solatubes especially in interior spaces like hallways, or any baths or laundry room without a window. Maybe even one that does have a window, for better light without having to flip a switch.

No double doors. Even if one side is wide enough, light switch placement is a problem.

Consider how you manage laundry, Do you take dirty laundry to the laundry room every day, and wash loads when you have enough? Or do you keep dirty laundry in your closet or bathroom, then take it to the machines? That will inform the best place for your laundry room. But in general, it should be convenient to both the bedroom and your usual living space. Make it easy to change from washer to dryer, but also easy to get especially bed linens to the machines.

Straight, dedicated passageways. Even if you won’t have a lot of hallways, design “virtual hallways” into living spaces so you aren’t scooching around furniture.

Only build a retirement house that is truly handicap accessible (ie, wheelchair) if you have enough money to pay for an in-home caregiver. If you don't, it may well be useless. Yes, it is VERY useful for someone who develops MS late in life and has a healthy spouse, but that's not what happens to most of us.

In-home, 24/7 caregivers are the sun and the moon and most people simply move to a nursing home when such care is required.

I greatly disagree about "no stairs" as one ages. Stairs are good for you! Most doctors will say to keep doing stairs as long as possible. Yes, do put in an elevator if the time comes one cannot do stairs or there is a temporary illness of orthopedic surgery that makes it impossible.

Laundry should be near where you typically do laundry. It should also reflect how often it is done! My mother loved her laundry right outside her bedroom door. She would get up every morning and put her nightgown, underwear from the previous day and perhaps a shirt or pants and run a load. My mother loved doing laundry daily!

I don't! I do laundry once a week and prefer it to be close to my desktop computer, sewing machine, rotary iron, and nebulizer. I do laundry while reading email/onlne newspapers, doing breathing treatments. Works for me! I always have it done so either yard man or cleaning woman can carry it up to the 2nd floor for me. Friday, my cleaning woman suddenly informed me she was leaving early - as in "NOW" and the clothes in the dryer where not yet dry - she was supposed to be here at least another 1 1/2 hrs. So, when the HVAC people came late that afternoon (yes I AM getting a new furnace Mon AM!), they carried it up for me. I'm not shy about asking for help!

If one does have enough money for 24/7 in-home care, be sure to have a room for the caregiver, far enough away for privacy. A baby monitor can be used or some other system set up if help is needed during the night.

I don't know if this was mentioned but my hubby installed in drawer lighting and it sure is nice. My eyesight isn't that great and being able to see in the drawer is sure handy.

Did anyone mention using hard surface floors? We are in the "mature" age where one of us uses a walker and a wheeled chair. He does well with the walker on carpeting but leaves a lot of "tracks" and it is slow going, but in the part of the house with hard floors, he can whisk around very well with his wheeled chair. We took out our bathtub and put in a shower with low threshold, grab bars and space for a chair/seat. Also make sure your entrances to each room are wide enough and open for getting around. We have two steps in our TV room and have grab bars for getting up the steps. And definitely no "throw" rugs.

Illuminated light switches, so you can see them at night and don't have to fumble for them.

Electric outlets with built in night lights, the low glow type. These are low energy and last nearly forever. Properly placed of course: by the bathroom vanity, long hallways, front entry hall, kitchen etc. My aging mother has normal "decorative" push in night lights ALL over the house. People are always "rubbing" into these, breaking and knocking them out of the outlets or the bulbs keep burning out, total mess. Plus she goes around turning them on and off...

USB port outlets too, makes for less chargers and maybe less cords... or a charging station with plenty of outlets and ports? If everything is located in one spot, then less "lost" cords/chargers or phones etc.

The built in garage door is open alarm.

Where in Georgia? I may have a contact regarding the solar backup.

I agree with much of the above and will add these thoughts:

- The bathroom is likely to be your first real problem as you age; be sure you have a shower and toilet that will work well for you.

- An exterior door in /near your bedroom for fire safety.

- A place you can sit and see outside.

- A comfortable entry where you can enter without a key, and where you'll have a place to hang your coats /put down your things -- preferably a place to sit down too.

- In addition to avoiding stairs, avoid changes in flooring, which can trip elderly people.

- Lots of natural light.

- Low maintenance -- inside and outside. Who wants to spend his or her retirement years scrubbing toilets?

- Laundry adjacent to the master closet.

- Affordable -- you don't want to spend all your retirement resources on your house. Before you spend lots of money on multiple guest rooms, ask yourself how often you're actually likely to have guests.

- While planning for aging is good, be sure you're putting your efforts into the right things. For example, only a tiny sliver of Americans need wheelchairs, and IF you become one of them, you're probably going to end up moving ... whereas, a walker is much more likely.

In the bedroom, you might eventually want or need two separate beds instead of one big bed. Plan for room for that. Come to think of it, I know several senior couples who now sleep in separate rooms due to snoring, night trips to the bathroom, etc.

A place to keep paperwork. Medical paperwork (and there is plenty) comes with the territory. Perhaps a work area in the kitchen by the table, that you can close off? Something like a closet office?

Seems like as we get 65 and up, we all take something whether it’s medication or vitamins. Where/When is the best to take them? Have space in your bathroom and kitchen for the bottles.

Our forever home bought a couple years ago is a single level 3 bedroom, 2 bath home that was built by a couple who had a parent living with them with a wheelchair. 36" interior doors and a ramp to the entrance instead of stairs made moving in easy. Love the common living areas in the center of the home with master, laundry and garage access on one side and 2 bedrooms and bath on the other. Gives everyone more privacy when you have guests. Tv is far enough from the bedrooms that you can't really hear it if the bedroom doors are closed so sleepless nights watching tv doesn't affect others sleep. I always wanted a 2 level craftsmen home my whole life but dealing with parents aging with laundry in basements helped make our decision to buy this home at 64.

Your home sounds perfect. What size is it? Thank you!

Hire a local architect that is near retirement.

We actually bought a larger house for a retirement home 2180 sqft. One level, lots of storage and lots of large windows for natural light. I can't stand having to turn lights on during the day. We open drapes and blinds in the morning close every night. And follow the sun to heat or cool the house naturally when possible. We have a dedicated office and a sunroom that I didn't think we really needed but my plants love it and I love it too. Because the master is opposite the living rooms from the other bedrooms, Those bedrooms could easily be used for a renter or live in care taker if ever needed. Or BNB.

Think about the exterior materials and how maintenance free they will be over time.

I second this!

I've been debating between stone and stucco for a Spanish Colonial, and decided that stone is the way to go, purely for maintenance reasons.

Low maintenance -- inside and outside.

Could we expand on this idea? I've read a few specific mentions of lower maintenance materials (masonry) in this thread, but can we get specific with other things, both inside and outside?

Toilets were mentioned, but which kind? I'm not necessarily looking for manufacturer names, but design-related elements, like, "Wall-mounted, and glazed throughout the bowl, so the underside of the rim is easier to clean," type of advice.

What about showers? Corian (or other solid-surface) walls without grout and minimal seams? Is glass too much work? What kind of glass is better? Are 360* shower curtains the best, since they can be thrown in a washing machine and/or replaced for relatively little money?

Flooring was also touched on... Is there really a "perfect" floor? Hard floors are easier to keep clean, but is carpet easier to navigate with a cane or walker (I honestly have no idea)? Hard floors are hard on the joints, right? Which types of rugs are safe, or are they all trip hazards?

All lower cabinets in the kitchen, for sure... But all drawers, yes? Or is there a benefit to cabinet doors that I'm not seeing?

No recessed lights, since changing a bulb/lamp 10'-15' feet up ain't gonna happen, lol. Lower light switches, of course. Someone(s) mentioned lighted/glowing switches so they can be more easily found, but at what point does increasing the complication of something make the maintenance (or the money to replace it) not worth it?

Considering outdoor spaces, not just vehicle parking and access to and from the house, but what about patios, decks, garden sheds, pathways around the property (especially from the outside world to the front door), etc.? Which materials work best for these things? Concrete? Man made composites? Crushed gravel?

How detailed would you like us to get, mstricklett? :-D I'm personally interested in every small little detail imaginable, lol, but don't want to derail your thread!!! lol

Are these all the kinds of things that a professional aging-in-place consultant considers for you? Both inside *and* outside?

Love the idea of going solar! But be sure to have batteries with it to supply your own power when needed. People in CA fire areas are finding too many installations just connect to the main grid so they still don't have power in blackouts.

The entrance to the house we bought has two steps. When we had the front yard re-landscaped, I had the front lawn regraded so eliminate the steps. The property was graded down from the front door on a gradual slope. The entrance from the garage into the house proper must have at least one step (I think that's for water control), so the front door became our go-to door.

BTW, any one at any time may need assistance of a walker, chair, or crutches. Having a house with accessibility is useful at any age. A low or zero threshold shower comes in handy.

I’m questioning the comment on walkability. If someone is too incapacitated to drive, how will they safely walk places and negotiate curbs, puddles, traffic, etc? And they could not do any shopping since purchases would have to be carried home. A better compromise would be to live close enough to a business center that they could Uber/Lyft into town, or have a relative or caregiver run them in. Maybe think about having purchases easily delivered and retrieved from the porch when designing the house.

With LED fixtures, recessed lights won't need new bulbs for many years to come. It is much easier to install more lights than needed when you build than trying to add more later. Perhaps add an extra circuit to the garage, or empty 3/4 inch conduit, for possible electric car charging station or hobby equipment.

Add railings everywhere you have a change of grade, even if only one step. For the step up from the garage, you can use a small wall mount grab bar.

Plan for a space to sit down and change shoes at your main entry point. If you plan to do gardening and lawn care, plan a storage spot for the lawnmower where you will have easy access to the exterior and a good place to store the gas can or convenient outlet for charging a battery power unit.

Shady - I'm one of those who chose to move in close to the center of things in anticipation of a day when I can't drive. I've seen too many older people behind the wheel who shouldn't be, my own father included. It's not a matter of being incapacitated as such - my father had arthritis in the neck and couldn't properly check when merging or changing lanes, while others I've known have had vision problems, or suffered "medical events". And how often do we hear (or see) someone who hit the accelerator rather than the brake by mistake? We're none of us invulnerable to the impacts, physical and mental, of aging. That means a lot of us must (or should) give up driving while we've still got years in us. My father lived in an apartment close to town for ten years after he gave up his licence, and although he used a walker in his final years, he made it into town almost every day. I see older people bringing home their groceries in a basket on their walker all the time. And while I do still drive myself, I do almost all my shopping on foot, with a wheeled shopping trolley. No Uber for me! Plus the supermarkets deliver here.

So, by living close in, I get the benefit of regular exercise, I can have wine with lunch or dinner and not have to worry about breath tests, and I don't burn gasoline (and dollars) on routine things like going to the doctor or dentist. When I figure I've become a menace on the roads and give up my licence, my life will go on.

“Someone above mentioned induction cooktop as a safety feature. Be aware that they aren't suitable for use by people with pacemakers, so you might want to avoid them for an age-in-place home”

Actually for most of the newer pacemakers (meaning if you have gotten one or had your battery changed in the past 15 years, you are probably fine. It’s best to check with your pacemaker company.

My DH has one and when we checked we were told as long as he kept the pacemaker at least 6” above the hob when it’s on,he would be fine

I agree with Anglo about stairs. I have stairs and an elevator if i eventually can’t climb them safely, but for now the exercise going up and down 20x a day is great exercise. Make the risers a bit lower than the maximum height. 7” instead of 7.75”

With LED fixtures, recessed lights won't need new bulbs for many years to come.

I often *totally* forget this!

(My house eats bulbs like nobody's business... Doesn't matter if they're incandescent or LED. My old house did the same thing, strangely.)

Agree on maintenance.

As for the toilet thing - enough room around the toilet - but not TOO MUCH room so that you can install a grab bar if necessary. Toilets that are ADA height at GREAT. And I also prefer ones with smooth sides that are also called 'hidden trap' - they are all smooth and don't have exposed bolts / covers and don't collet dust / crud around the base. Also - way easier to sit down / get up.

My new build has 2 bedrooms that connect to the master bath. That could be separate beds if a spouse was a loud sleeper - or also could be used by a caregiver.

I am going to have hard surface flooring (mostly a dog decision) but the hardness can be mitigated by having some decent "indoor shoes" (that can also help with things being slippery, etc).

I have no steps from garage to house, nor from house to outside. I have 36" wide doors everywhere. We recently installed the metal door frames and it's weird now that that feels SMALL!

We will also have the ability to put grab rails anywhere by using 3/4" heavy duty, marine grade plywood behind all our showers. Sheet tiles / large format porcelain / sintered material, etc. and a zero threshold shower. Handheld sprays. A tub with a ledge so you can sit and swing your legs over - but the shower is the key - it will actually hold a bathing chair AND a caregiver.

My inlaws had care 24/7 for a few years. They also had a 1620's historic home. While it was their dream ho me, it was sad to see how the usable portion continued to shrink as they could no longer handle the stairs. My parent, OTOH, have a single floor condo, with a garage and a stair lift that is now allowing my Dad to be super mobile while he waits on his knee replacement surgery. It was a Godsend after Mom's hip replacement. (It also works fairly well to send up the groceries...). While their straight stairs are a design no-no, it worked well for the stair lift.

I hope the best set of decisions we've made center around very low maintenance materials - metal roofing, concrete exterior, windows that are large, but not super tall, a plinth around the house to facilitate cleaning / spiderweb removal, accessible systems for HVAC, water heating, home automation, etc. Home automation that will work more and more with Alexa, Google home, Siri, etc may come in handy, too.

For the kitchen - induction, as well as ovens that the doors open TO THE SIDE with ballbearing slides for the racks to make removing items easier and safer.