Incorporating universal design into the homes you build will make household tasks easier for all of your buyers.
Here are a few general universal design features you should consider putting in your homes:
- Open floor plans that are easier to maneuver
- Front-loading laundry appliances
- Adjustable closet shelving
- Roll-out shelves and drawers in cabinets
- Lower work surfaces that allow a person to sit while preparing food
- Side-by-side refrigerators and freezers
Each of us becomes a different person throughout our lives as we age. Universal design takes that continuum of change into account. It ensures that the house that answers the needs of your customers today will meet them just as well in the future, while also remaining aesthetically appealing.
Building a home answering the widest possible needs of the population makes good business sense. It will increase your sales and speed them up. Universal design is what home buyers want, and increasingly, it is what builders want, too.
Louis Tenenbaum is a Potomac, MD-based Independent Living Strategist, consultant, trainer and speaker who specializes in aging-in-place and universal design. He also is a member of the NAHB Seniors Housing Council. Tenenbaum can be reached at 301-983-0131 or via e-mail. Information also is available on his Web site at www.louistenenbaum.com.
For more information on universal design and the burgeoning 50+ market, contact the NAHB Seniors Housing Council and Jeff Jenkins at 800-368-5242 x8292 or e-mail.
BuilderBooks.com offers a variety of seniors housing publicatioins online. To view or purchase these publications, click here.
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