Future proofing your home is a term you may have heard of over the past few years. In practice, it is one of the most worthwhile things you can do when working with qualified architects in Wilmslow.
Taking the time to anticipate any changes in your future lifestyle saves time, stress and financial burden over the coming years, providing a home you can truly relax in no matter what circumstances may arise. As a Manchester architect, we work with every client to envision what the future holds – saving them considerable costs by aligning their current home requirements with those the future could bring.
Here are some of the main things clients have thought deeply about in their home redesign projects.
Changing Mobility
The challenges of growing older within our homes circle around the ability to still do everyday tasks even as our mobility changes. A good proportion of the elderly are consigned to wheelchairs or walkers when they age, which many homes fail to anticipate.
Many clients have started to consider this, especially if they already have existing back, leg or health problems. This has created more emphasis on wider doorframes, downstairs bathrooms and low-tread staircases that prove much more suitable for homes you plan to retire within.
Another example has been utilising existing downstairs cupboard space that can be transformed into a working domestic lift.
Multiple-Use Space
Repurposing areas of the home has been one of the biggest drivers for rebuilding the home. Family units are forever changing – as soon as one child comes along, within 20 years they are leaving to start out alone.
It is difficult to see what the future holds, and with a global pandemic and a cost of living crisis causing many children to move back in with their parents out of financial problems, it is always good to have this factor into your plans for your home. Rooms can transform into a nursery or a hangout space for teenagers – then transform into a study and a downstairs bedroom. So much potential if you plan it right for future use.
Open-Plan Living
Open-plan living is great, and many clients of Cheadle Architects push for this type of home design. One thing we always recommend is having a plan on how you may segment the space in the future.
Privacy and separation can be powerful design tools when looking at creating a modern flowing space, making one area independent from another whilst remaining stylish and integrated – allowing for peace and closeness to co-exist without being stuffy.
Future proofing your home is all about having foresight with how you live. Contact the team at Cheadle Architects today for a future-proof home design that takes in your considerations for later life living.
