McClelland Minute - October 11, 2009

Housing for Mature Adults

There is a shortage of quality and affordable housing within the city designed with the needs of mature adults in mind.  Any time that an accurately priced unit within one of the existing projects is offered on the market, there is a great deal of attention given to it.  So what are some of the critical success factors for these types of homes today?

It needs to be a bungalow style with a minimum of stairs to access it from the outside; an open living design, lots of natural light, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a semi-private deck or patio.  The laundry station should be integrated into one of the bathrooms. Why two bathrooms?  One should have a full width shower with built in bench and hand rails so you can sit down safely.  The other can have a normal tub for soaking out aches and pains.  The other reason is that two older adults may need the bathroom at the same time!

There should be an attached oversized single or double garage, large enough to permit passengers to enter or exit a car out of the weather.  I like to see it wide enough that you could build a ramp at a 1 to 12 pitch up one side if need be.  The door from the garage to the house plus the ones into the master bedroom and bathrooms should be 36” wide to allow ease of access for furniture movement (including hospital beds), wheelchairs, walkers, and even ambulance gurneys.

Of particular interest to the younger baby boomer is a developed basement with at least one bedroom and bath for guests plus a multi-purpose room.  Lots of storage for all those precious items gathered over the years.  And of course, a good sized utility room with counter space and kitchen sink that you can make wine in!

Kitchen and dining areas should provide lots of space between counters and tables to make it easy to move around in, especially if you are using a cane or walker.  Cabinetry must incorporate rollout pots and pans drawers.  A good central dining bar or island makes transfer of meal dishes from stove to dining table safer.  Install easy clean flooring with non-slip surfaces.  Lots of area specific lighting for aging eyes placed throughout the entire main floor.

All of this can be achieved within a single family home, a duplex, or condominium complex.  Each has its advantages and disadvantages.  The privacy and flexibility of a house or duplex is great for the gardener or woodworker.  Having snow removal and yard maintenance done by a third party supervised by a condo board is a great benefit for those who don’t have the ability to do so anymore or simply feel they have better things to do with their time.

We are seeing an increasing number of empty nesters wanting to downsize into a smaller residence, and spend part of the year somewhere else, either at the cottage or in a warmer winter climate.  It’s too bad that most local developers these days appear to be preoccupied with multilevel high density townhouse or apartment structures, and not seeing the opportunity that the older citizens in our region present.

Vern McClelland is associate broker with RE/MAX of Lloydminster.  If you have questions or comments on this article or other real estate matters, he can be reached at 780.808.2700 or through the McClelland Group website www.mcclelland.ca

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