5 Tips for Designing Your Forever Home
If you’re searching for your forever home, it might make more sense to build a new custom home rather than purchase a used one that you’ll have to renovate to meet your requirements and design style. As you’re designing your forever home, there are a few things to consider to make sure that it is just as convenient and attractive tomorrow as it is today. Incorporating these features and finishes will ensure that you’ll spend many happy, restful, peaceful years in a home that you love.
What To Include When Designing Your Forever Home
1) Include Zero Step Entries & Showers
Whether you are 8 or 80, steps in and around your home can be a hazard! With zero entry steps at the front door, garage door entrance, and showers, there are no hurdles to navigate as you bring groceries in, step out to grab the mail, or wind down for the evening in your bath. And should you or a family member ever develop mobility issues, unnecessary steps into and throughout your home will never be an obstacle.
2) Install Grab Bars and Shower Benches
While you’re designing your dream bathroom, you might as well include all the features that will make it practical and comfortable for years to come. Two easy ways to ensure that the shower is never a challenge is to include both grab bars and a built-in shower bench in your owner’s bathroom. Both of these (along with a zero entry shower) will give you peace of mind that your shower will always be a safe, functional space.
3) Opt for a Ranch Floorplan
Single-level, ranch floorplans are great for any stage of life, but they are oh-so-wonderful as a forever home! From super easy cleaning (no stairs to vacuum!) to the fluidity of movement they offer (few walls to get in your way!), ranch homes are a smart and practical choice. Not to mention, it’s much easier to keep an eye on grandkids when they come for a visit!
4) Incorporate Classic, Neutral Selections
If you’re building your forever home, be sure to choose finishes and selections that you can live with for a long time! Items that require a smaller time and financial investment — like interior paint colors and fixtures — can be easily changed to keep your home feeling fresh and updated. But for larger-ticket items that are time-consuming to install — like flooring, countertops, and cabinets — skip today’s trendiest styles and opt for classics and neutrals that you’ll never get tired of.
5) Build on Land You Love
At Heartland Builders, we build on your land in the Grand Rapids/West Michigan area, so be absolutely sure that your land is where you’ll want to live today, tomorrow, and well into the future. Consider accessibility for you, family members, and future caregivers, proximity to medical facilities, and the peacefulness of your surroundings (making sure it stays that way into the future!).
If you’re ready to build your forever home in the Grand Rapids area, we’d love to be your custom home builder! Contact us or call us to learn how our process is easy, fun, and fast(er than you think).