17 replies to this topic

[Jana09]

I'm interested to know what sort of accommodation you all live in and how it's been made
accessible. I live in the UK and the only single storey properties are either flats or bungalows
and I don't like living in either of them. I'm AB and my partner is a T4 para. Currently we have
our own places but would like to move in together eventually. Also, I'm thinking of making my
home more accessible to him in the interim by putting in a stair-lift - currently he can only
access downstairs. My stairs are quite steep though so would this work?

He's lived in houses before which had a proper lift between floors but didn't seem to like them
much - he said it stopped him from going upstairs as much as he'd like because it was quite a
long-winded process. I hope we can reach a compromise and I think the ideal solution would be
to build our own property but that's a pipe-dream!

[dangerousdave]

I most definatly prefer a level I can manualy get to
Electrics .. Hydrolics..They can all go bang when least expected
So one level at ground level is my preferance
Saying that .. my access ramp is at the back of the property and composes of 3 angles
That is difficult enough when muscels are strained.
These disabled lift systems that are marketed .. are .. s l o w

Thats my choice

Self build .. now thats a intirely differant approach which only the 2 of you can answer

[russ1]

dangerousdave, on Jan 7 2010, 01:18 PM, said:

I most definatly prefer a level I can manualy get to
Electrics .. Hydrolics..They can all go bang when least expected
So one level at ground level is my preferance
Saying that .. my access ramp is at the back of the property and composes of 3 angles
That is difficult enough when muscels are strained.
These disabled lift systems that are marketed .. are .. s l o w

Thats my choice

Self build .. now thats a intirely differant approach which only the 2 of you can answer

Nothing wrong with bungalows if they're laid out right - my pet hate is a bungalow where the rooms including bedrooms are all accessed off one hallway. My house has the bedrooms all at one end with their own corridor and the lounge kitchen etc at the other. It's like having an upstairs but on the ground floor if you see what I mean.

[dangerousdave]

My pet hate is doors
Any doors .. all doors
So there is a front door for AB's .. back door for wheelies .. 4 internal doors always open .. no privacy in my loo .. 1 internal door removed
Last place I had the council ignored my requests for doors I could manage -- until they noticed they were in the garden

[Wheelsonfire]

My preference is the single story, when I hit the chair initially I was in a 2 story, never bothered with the stair lift( too slow) I use to jump out of the chair and use a dip like motion to get up all 26 steps, I had a mate grab my ankles(had carpet burn from dragging myself up so I said fiddlers to that).
Once I got a spasm and the leg smacked him straight in the chest and drove him back down to the bottom, of course, I had to lock onto the banister and couldn't stop myself from laughing.

Any-how's, the place I bought is single story, I made sure the only thing that is designed for the chair is the roll in shower, doors are two foot ten inches wide, everything else is the norm, no dropped light switches, counters, or anything else, when entering the house you wouldn't know a para lived there, and I live on my own, I don't have carers or anyone to do anything in house as a para has the capability of doing it all himself..

If I was you I wouldn't be too worried about making drastic changes to the house as long as he can get in the door

[SandieT]

I would say bungalow everytime.
My son lived in a house before his accident, whilst the downstairs was open plan, it was not suitable for a thro lift, bathroom upstairs plus a step down to it so totally unsuitable. Getting on and off a stairlift would take a lot of effort for him, and would need a lot of space top + bottom for chair. He has just moved into a bungalow which has made a huge difference to him. So much more space and far better layout. Large hallway, with kitchen/lounge etc one end and a corrider down to bathroom/bedrooms the other end. - Like russ1 said definitely the best layout.
It also comes down to width of doors, turning space etc.
If money was no object then pupose built to your own spec would be best option everytime.
Why don't you go and look at some flats/bungalows, you may be pleasantly surprised, and even quite like them.
Happy house (bungalow?) hunting!

[BillS]

I'm not sure what a bungalow is but here in the States we have ranchers. They're single story houses. I live in a rancher with no basement and I love it. It's important to me to simplify things as much as possible. If I can avoid using a lift or extra ramps then I'm happy.

[KeepTheFaith]

Moved to Bungalow/Duplex. All one level. wider doorways with sliding doors. Roll-in shower. Large open living room, dining room, and kitchen. Easy access back patio.

Big Plus: View of the Pacific Ocean and 7 minutes to Project Walk where I do therapy.

They currently have a studio and a one bedroom available - any takers? The complex use to be a retirement facility for Missionaries, hence the accessibility.

[Tetracyclone]

KeepTheFaith, on Jan 9 2010, 08:57 PM, said:

Moved to Bungalow/Duplex. All one level. wider doorways with sliding doors. Roll-in shower. Large open living room, dining room, and kitchen. Easy access back patio.

Big Plus: View of the Pacific Ocean and 7 minutes to Project Walk where I do therapy.

They currently have a studio and a one bedroom available - any takers? The complex use to be a retirement facility for Missionaries, hence the accessibility.

That sounds so nice. Where and how much? pM me if you like.
Pat

[Jana09]

Thanks all, it does seem as if a bungalow is the best option. Trouble is they are hard to find in the
area we'll be looking in and also we need to be near the right schools for my daughter. There just
aren't any in the catchment which is a real problem.

Anyone got experience of through-floor lifts?

[guido]

Hay Jana - my gf and I have the same issue at the moment. It's a bugger for sure. We're just looking to rent somewhere. I'll say that the longer the hunt goes on the less fussy you become!! I guess the key is to make certain places easy, such as bathroom and kitchen, and make sure that there are through runs everywhere else. I work from home too so need that extra space. Self build is definitely the holy grail!

Mate lives in Germany and just outside Hanover there is a row of architects shops (to do with german planning regs...) who all sell a different plan. The Huf House was made well known in this country after Grand Designs but there are loads of different prefabs. Then you can just plan nice big open plan, and avoid all the aggro of all the different trades on site. I'm hoping to take a drive out there in the Spring, combine it with a few other things.

As for lifts, I prefer anything that I don't have to get out of my chair - hence the remote controlled pallet stacker at her last place to get up to the 1st floor flat!!

Good luck. Patience!

Edited by guido, 10 January 2010 - 10:33 PM.

[jules]

We had the same problem with lack of availability of bungalows, especially because the area we live in has a high elderley population so any available bungalows are snapped up pretty sharpish. We ended up going for a house, with downstairs toilet and a stairlift with a second chair upstairs. We also have a study downstairs in 3rd reception room so the only reason to go upstairs is generally to go to bed.

Hope this helps

Jules
x

[gordonr]

jules, on Jan 11 2010, 07:42 AM, said:

We had the same problem with lack of availability of bungalows, especially because the area we live in has a high elderley population so any available bungalows are snapped up pretty sharpish. We ended up going for a house, with downstairs toilet and a stairlift with a second chair upstairs. We also have a study downstairs in 3rd reception room so the only reason to go upstairs is generally to go to bed.

Hope this helps

Jules
x

I

I bought a nice older two sory with basement in 1992. It was fairly beat up, so I wasnt shy about making idiosycratic modifications. The basement was unfinished (open floor joists for the first floor overhead) so passing pipes and wires was easy.

Downstairs, there were two large rooms facing each other across a corridor, and at the end of that was a kitchen/dining area the whole width and nearly half the depth of the house. I took one of those rooms as bedroom, eventually with both a piano and fireplace. The second room, I took as my office, and at one end I installed a bath and a toilet. At that point I didn't even put in a dividing wall, just a big studio with bathroom fixtures. I used to joke that some people have bathrooms in their offices... well, I had an office in many bathroom!

So, I never went upstairs. I hate having to change levels as a routine anyway and I had no money for a lift.

My wife had the run of three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs for her clothes and dressing and female toilet. Exercise equipment. Hobbies. Whatever. Lots of room.

Then the kids started coming. First a couple of little babies/kids in our bedroom, and then when they got older and new babies pushed them out, my office got cut in half so half could be a kids bedroom. And when the second wave of little ones had to move out of our room, the two older ones had to go upstairs. A that point, almost twelve years after we had bought the house, we finally put in a lift so that I could look after the kids properly, and I also got access to the basement where I could keep a permanent tool set up, and practice my pistol shooting.

But here is the point: All of this was done on a shoestring budget. We paid the plumber a few thousand to put a bath and a toilet at one end of a room and a sink beside the bed in another. We did the separation and the childen's room ourselves. It has been a constant ongoing project. We live in an evolving environment.

The basic idea is that needs change over time. As Guido says, just get into the place, and as time goes by you can modify it on a small budget, especially if you are able to rough it a little and are happy living in a house that looks a little like a shack.

Forget the magazine pictures. Buy the most square feet that you can, because as time goes by you will need/want them, and if you don't have them you will be unhappy or have to move.

The more adaptation and general comfort you build into one home, the less you will want to move.

So my attitude is Old and Big rather than Small and New.

Work paid by someone else (govt, insurance) will always cost three times what work paid and done by you will cost. That is the basic collectivist illusion revealed. (Thirty dollar hammers and two hundred dollar toilet seats.). And if you avoid the big renovation you will also avoid the high taxes. An old home equals low taxes. Bit by bit with no major upgrade equals low taxes maintained over time.

Best Regards,

Gordon

Edited by gordonr, 11 January 2010 - 02:44 PM.

[Jana09]

Thank you for your experiences, it's really helpful. I'd love a Hufhaus Guido but not much land on
offer in deepest Surrey! GordonR, your project sounds most interesting, I especially like the idea of his and hers floors, that could solve everything! I love my own space and could see it working. I'm already planning it out in my head - his bedroom/bathroom, kitchen, living area on the ground floor. Mine and the kids bedrooms (aged 10 and 12) on the first. I could go to sleep with him and then go to my own room when he starts snoring.....

[guido]

gordonr, on Jan 11 2010, 02:42 PM, said:

Forget the magazine pictures. Buy the most square feet that you can, because as time goes by you will need/want them, and if you don't have them you will be unhappy or have to move.

The more adaptation and general comfort you build into one home, the less you will want to move.

So my attitude is Old and Big rather than Small and New.

Work paid by someone else (govt, insurance) will always cost three times what work paid and done by you will cost. That is the basic collectivist illusion revealed. (Thirty dollar hammers and two hundred dollar toilet seats.). And if you avoid the big renovation you will also avoid the high taxes. An old home equals low taxes. Bit by bit with no major upgrade equals low taxes maintained over time.

Ain't that the truth! At the time of my accident I was living in one emptied out room of a disgusting old commercial building in a seedy area of town and joined a local gym so I could use their shower! Was a squat really though I (well, the bank) owned it. Life sure was uncomplicated then.

Square metres and patience are always the best in the long run.

Jana, point of my last post was to say there are cheaper alternatives to the hufhaus, but sometimes I think quicker than i type!