Future Proofing (is this a solution?)

You’re right re ‘bungalow knees’, *notspaghetti’. In their mid 60s my folks moved to a bungalow - not because they particularly wanted one, but because it was all they could find that ticked most boxes in their chosen area.

After 3 years they decided they didn’t like the area after all, though, and moved again, to a house. And promptly found that lack of stairs had markedly affected their fitness. It did of course eventually return, and my mother was still well able to manage stairs when she finally moved to a care home at 89.

It’s a different matter of course for anyone who already has mobility problems - my parents were lucky enough not to.

I have not reached a point where this is relevant - but of course cannot know about the future. But someone who ran a home for old people said to me that a good alternative to going into a home was - if your house has the space - to have a live in carer or carers. So you could convert your upstairs for a carer or carers should you ever need to and if you can afford it. Free accommodation is a good offer for would be carers - and of course you'd need excellent legal advice and other advice too - but if it works, it could be really good. The man who advised me said this would be better than moving to a home - but added that of course getting the right people to live in and provide care would be critical. Just a thought! It would need lots more thought if you ever went down that route - but maybe worth considering.

NotSpaghetti

My 99 year old mother-in-law bought her current 3 bed house at 96 in order to be closer to us.
It does have the possibility of bringing a bed downstairs or putting in a stairlift.

She says she doesn't want a bungalow as she would get "bungalow knees" - which I discovered via a doctor friend is a thing (use it or lose it).

I'd make sure the roof, electrics, plumbing etc is sound. Decorating on rotation maybe? One room this year and another next? Make the garden as easy as possible - raised beds and terraces perhaps?
My mother-in-law is talking about installing a simple watering system this year.
If happy there why not stay?

I used to think the answer was to move. I don't think like this now.

My mother always said that moving to a bungalow reduced your mobility if you were older.

Franbern I think that's what I will do. First floor would be fine for me as long as there was a lift to use if necessary. There's no possibility for me to stay here. Hate stairlifts, would need whole new bathroom, so it's what I'm going to do in about 4 years at 75. At least that's the plan.

We've moved to a maisonette so do still have stairs, but we've changed the whole staircase to add extra steps and make them less steep which has made a big difference to my knees.
Although our kitchen and living room are upstairs I don't even try to carry anything heavy up there, Ocado drivers are happy to take the shopping up and other things are manageable. Several neighbours have put in stairlifts, but most seem to manage without.
Although I used to be a keen gardener we no longer have a garden, just a large terrace balcony with big plants in pots which is actually challenging enough to be interesting.

Applegran

I have not reached a point where this is relevant - but of course cannot know about the future. But someone who ran a home for old people said to me that a good alternative to going into a home was - if your house has the space - to have a live in carer or carers. So you could convert your upstairs for a carer or carers should you ever need to and if you can afford it. Free accommodation is a good offer for would be carers - and of course you'd need excellent legal advice and other advice too - but if it works, it could be really good. The man who advised me said this would be better than moving to a home - but added that of course getting the right people to live in and provide care would be critical. Just a thought! It would need lots more thought if you ever went down that route - but maybe worth considering.

My MIL would have liked this option, but you need plenty in the bank, as the care costs are about the same as a care home. The house had to be sold to pay for her care.

Also the carer would need time off/holidays etc, so best to have at least 2 people on a rota, especially if the care needs to be overnight as well.

My husband was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's, but before his diagnosis we had already decided to future proof our home, downstairs wet room & if need be our dining room would become a downstairs bedroom. We may eventually need help with the garden & cleaning, but we are in walking distance to shops, drs, library & we like the area. Besides, due to his Parkinson's, my husband would not be able to handle a move it would be far too stressful.

That's what we planned when we bought our house last year. The downstairs room we use as an office-cum-guest overflow will be our downstairs bedroom if and when, and we expanded the downstairs loo to fit in a shower.

My parents were in a huge old house as my mother refused to move, even in her 80s. After she died suddenly my father downsized although it still has 4 bedrooms! This new house can easily be adapted for downstairs living as he won't move again and the location is perfect being in the middle of a small town.

VBOO - yes, very good points. if you had modest care needs, maybe it would be affordable? But I didn't take into account the important issues you raise. Thank you.

Still referring to ‘bungalow legs’. Perhaps the people who move to one then complain after a time they have lost mobility, maybe it would have happened anyhow, just part of ageing?

Yes, most of us would like to think we could remain in our own homes with live-in carers, but even with accommodation offered, they would still want paying, you would need two or even three on a rota, and you would still have all the expense of running your home, cleaners, gardeners, household bills….

I moved from a lovely house 6 years ago due to family trouble (not me) and moved to a bungalow far away, which I love as am now disabled.

We decided to downsize several years ago as we lived in a big house with a big garden in a village with two buses a day. We moved to our nearby town into a not that much smaller house but with a much smaller garden and a wooded area behind so win win. The downstairs would be suitable for living in if we had to with no reorganisation needed. The garden has raised beds and a gravel area. It suits us perfectly but, as I said, in our nearby town so still near DD and friends. We did it when we were still young enough to be able to do all the necessary decorating, gardening etc. I wouldn’t have wanted to “start all over again” with no family or friends nearby …

Moving away from family and friends at our time of life is often not a good thing, as it is hard to find and make new friends, and if you buy a smaller, affordable property your family will need to stay at a hotel or B&B when they visit, which will involve them in extra expenses.

I would warn against a bungalow and against never using the upstairs. My parents bought a house where they could live entirely on the ground floor when my father retired. Within a very few years, neither of them coped well with stairs as they had got out of the habit of using them.

Future-proofing sounds like your best option to me.

I think I'd prefer to stay in my house and have a stairlift when needed. I could also have a gardener and cleaner. That would be cheaper than moving.

I think it was me who suggested mothballing the upstairs. Less housework motivated me! Also if you can manage it, you get to keep the home you love, garden, friends etc. We looked at flats but the cost of management fees was absolutely ridiculous.
We would prefer to spend that money on help with laundry ( hurrah - no more ironing !!) cleaning devices and M&S ready meals.
Hopefully a life of Riley when decrepit 😂

Callistemon21:

'They might come to stay rather than popping over' - well, it all depends.

My parents moved to the coast, getting a three bed bungalow, assuming we'd want to stay. We didn't. We stayed nearby a few times and once (reluctantly) I stayed over, but slept on the sofa.

My mother drove us all mad with her fussiness, moaning and meltdowns - worse as she got older - so we were keen to get home, despite the three hour journey.

inishowen

I think I'd prefer to stay in my house and have a stairlift when needed. I could also have a gardener and cleaner. That would be cheaper than moving.

Agreed.

Anything is cheaper and less wasteful than moving - if money is a serious consideration to how/where one lives.

I think that depends on circumstances* Norah*.
I would have at least £100,000 in my pocket if I moved to a flat in this area. The management fees would be instead of paying for maintenance and building insurance on this house.

Also remember that your heirs may have to pay to remove stairlifts etc in order to sell once you've gone.

Pittcity

I think that depends on circumstances* Norah*.
I would have at least £100,000 in my pocket if I moved to a flat in this area. The management fees would be instead of paying for maintenance and building insurance on this house.

Also remember that your heirs may have to pay to remove stairlifts etc in order to sell once you've gone.

Noted.

Interesting thought, I guess I've never considered heirs - rather what is good for the two of us (later one of us) in the here and now.

We know that when our current home becomes impractical, we will have to move. We live 100 and 200 miles respectively from our children abd we know from when DH was seriously ill in hospital 2 years ago, what a strain coming to us each weekend (which they chose to do) was for them.

Fortunately, while not living close to each other they live either ane of the same motorway and we are already talkin and looking round and considering whether we will go one end, the other end or in the middle.

We are not ready for the move, but we are putting our house in a fit state to be saleable. Exterior decoration this year, finally decorating the cloakroom and some clearing out, so that when the need arises we are ready to move.

We are just in the process of future proofing by having a downstairs bathroom built. It took a while to come to this decision, but decided we couldn't face moving .

We downsized 6 years ago and relocated near our kids. We especially wanted good medical care nearby, 1 story, less upkeep. But mostly,after spending 3 years of our life getting rid of my parents home and contents, we knew we didn't want to burden our kids with getting rid of accumulated stuff. We had many yard sales and many donations and recycling abd dump runs. If you need a big house to keep stuff nobody uses, needs or wants, maybe it's time to clean out.
Still have a lot of stuff, but at least the kids are close by so won't have to take off work to come clear it out.

We are still able for the stairs in our early 70s but decided 2 years ago that we should future proof and move from our house to a bungalow but could not find one for love or money. We wanted to stay in our local area. Eventually we found a two bed bungalow that had been converted by adding 3 upstairs bedrooms and a toilet. So we now still have a 'house' but with a downstairs bathroom. But the option is there to use one of the original downstairs bedrooms, currently the dining room. The second smaller downstairs bedroom could do for wardrobes and dressing. Fortunately the kitchen has a table and chairs.