Styling your forever sanctuary
A ffuture-proofedfd hhome can still be fashionable
OUR HOMES are life- enhancing. We make memories, welcome loved-ones and raise the next generations in these special spaces.
We add our own ‘ stamp’ through decor and quirks such as height markers up the door as children grow.
We retreat to these sanctuaries for stability in times of uncertainty or worry.
This means that moving can compromise our emotional and financial health.
So, finding — or staying in — a ‘Forever Home‘ (one that lasts a lifetime) is important to many.
Indeed, Stannah’s 2022 Silver Census study revealed that more than two in five Brits aged 55-plus plan to stay in their current home forever.
Three in five adults have no plans to downsize.
As we grow older, it can feel that a lived-in and much-loved home no longer suits our needs. In fact, nearly half of people over 55 don’t consider their current home accessible.
Yet any house or living space can become a ‘Forever Home’ with a little future-proofing — namely, adaptations that make life easier and help you keep on being you.
Changes can be subtle or sizeable, inexpensive or more of an investment, but the difference they can make is invaluable. So allow your home to evolve with you. You could start by minimising trip hazards and clutter, investing in a video doorbell, or installing grabrails in the bathroom.
And larger adaptations that can transform daily life include a stairlift or homelift, adjustable bed or a step-free shower.
Reframe your thinking and use this as an opportunity. And the good news is that a future-proofed, functional home can still be fashionable, as two in five adults agree, according to the survey. Making adaptations, now or to meet future needs, can empower you to enjoy your four walls to the fullest, turning your current home into your Forever Home.
THINKING about a stairlift? One of the biggest myths is that they have very high running costs.
Yet, based on energy prices in February 2022, on average it will set you back just 40p per week to use a stairlift.
This is equivalent to about £20 a year, and cheaper to run than a kettle! Stairlifts use two batteries that are continuously charged through ‘parking spots’, at the top or bottom of the staircase. In a power cut, charging can’t be done, but the batteries enable you to do around eight return journeys with a single charge.
Stairlifts can be made for straight or curved stairs. And extra features might include a powered swivel seat and footrest.
You can rent a stairlift on a monthly basis. And Stannah’s reconditioned stairlifts are fully refurbished, no more than a few years old, and have had a full safety check so are almost as good as new!