Advice needed re possible extension to house

Thank you for the very informative posts 👍

I meant to say, a higher toilet is a "must".

We did exactly this about five years ago when I was 70. I needed a knee replacement and although I could still manage up and down the stairs, we thought it wise to bite the bullet and extend our dining room to include a downstairs shower room. The extension includes a nice wee seating area overlooking the garden. In the event of us becoming infirm, our dining room will become our bedroom. It is comforting to know that we can remain in our family home for as long as is physically possible.

My mother-in-law's walk-in shower was large enough to get a shower chair in (like a wheelchair).

She had this walk-in shower using up the whole space of the bath which she had taken out.

Apparently not all walk-in are big enough for a whefled shower chair... and some are very slippy and/or have a trip-over lip!

I have a level access shower - no door; just a glass screen along one side. If I were building from scratch I would include a drop down seat.
I do have a freestanding seat in there now which has arms and just a word of warning - if you get one of these do not lean on just one arm! - it tips over!
My concern at your age would be the loan, but if it is agreed and you feel confident about affording the repayments, then your plan makes total sense.

Jenthehen

Yes, I think it is a good idea, I have done the same. If necessary I can live downstairs have added a shower room and extra living room so could have a bedroom. Self contained ground floor living. I work as a community nurse and have often seen people struggling with accomodation not suitable for needs. There is always the option of a stair lift to access upstairs easier. A downstairs loo would help you a lot. Best of luck.

Jenthehen,
I have had quite a number of relatives and friends who recently, have not been able to return to their homes because the homes were inaccessible to their needs and it is this experience which has probably prompted me to do it.
Thank you

I'm another who would probably choose a stairlift instead.

My mother-in-law had everything in a greay position to make a downstairs bathroom attached to her downstairs cloakroom by using part of her (large) garage... she decided it would be nicer to sleep upstairs than to live in half a house.

I have thought a lot about this and even a top-of-the-range stairlift with three turns (like hers) is almost certainly a lot cheaper.

Tusue

We had one built on the side of our house for a shower/loo, it’s great for guests visiting and last year when my husband had major surgery it was invaluable as it saved him going upstairs all the time.
When my mother was alive she often fell and ended up in hospital and we lost count of the number of times they said if she’d had a downstairs loo/shower she could have been discharged earlier.
When she passed away we future proofed our house after lessons learnt from her experiences.

Tusue, this is so helpful. Thank you 👍

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to reply.
Great ideas.
I have spoken to my family and they have been very supportive in discussing many of the above issues with me.

Yes, I think it is a good idea, I have done the same. If necessary I can live downstairs have added a shower room and extra living room so could have a bedroom. Self contained ground floor living. I work as a community nurse and have often seen people struggling with accomodation not suitable for needs. There is always the option of a stair lift to access upstairs easier. A downstairs loo would help you a lot. Best of luck.

If the cost isn’t prohibitive I’d suggest a wet room, but if not a walk in shower with no tray, because even the smallest step is impossible with a bad leg/ankle. I speak from experience. No shower for three months! The other thing to consider is insulation if it’s an add on to your house. A friend had a bathroom extension and it’s absolutely freezing in the winter.

We had one built on the side of our house for a shower/loo, it’s great for guests visiting and last year when my husband had major surgery it was invaluable as it saved him going upstairs all the time.
When my mother was alive she often fell and ended up in hospital and we lost count of the number of times they said if she’d had a downstairs loo/shower she could have been discharged earlier.
When she passed away we future proofed our house after lessons learnt from her experiences.

I don't have that experience but I would advise you to talk to your family and any friends who have done it.

Be cautious- in these turbulent times the future for our near and dear might draw on our finances so beware. I cleared all my debts and then my son’s marriage broke down and it was bank of mum

MG55

Hi, I have the opportunity to add a single storey extension to my house to create a downstairs shower room / bathroom.
The builder has said it can be done and I have a loan pending, which I feel I can manage.
However, I am panicking about doing it now.
I am trying to future proof the house for when I am older and infirm. 71 now and I have a few medical issues which will worsen but at the moment I am not too bad.
I live in my own. I will talk to my children as well but just wondered if any of you have gone down this route or not.
Or just generally have any advice / things to consider 💐
Thank you 💐

We decided to put an extension across the complete back of the house which entails an en-suite bathroom and a conservatory. It is the best thing we have ever done. It was originally for my mothered who could no longer do the stairs, but when my late husband had a massive stroke, it was the only reason I was allowed to have him home. We had everything in place for him and just changed the shower to a wet room instead. Now I am on my own I used it as my main en-suite bedroom. Just wonderful. My neighbour did the same but opened the whole house up more than we did, they extended the lounge instead of adding a conservatory which is fabulous too, but I do not need a bigger lounge. I love my conservatory though I use that every day in the summer. Good luck with your extension. I have also extended upstairs but wish I had all that space downstairs instead. Mind you it is always beautifully warm upstairs.

MG55 I have a level access shower - out of necessity I'm afraid. I woke up paralysed 21 years ago, and the shower that was in this downstairs shower room was too small and too high for me to get into. I was futureproofed in that she showertray was large enough to accommodate a shower chair, which I now have to use each time I shower. I wouldn't go for a wet floor - I fear that they may be a slipping hazard.
It may be worth getting more than one quote, and do speak with the council - ask if there are any grants available (you never know)

Please make sure you have a contingency in your budget - renovations / additions rarely come in under budget - far better to be able to finish the project than it be left 10% unfinished - if it does come in on budget then you'll have a bit left to pay off the loan quicker

Get a few quotes.

Use someone with good reviews and who you trust.

Also as tanith said above, have one or all of your children with you, when discussing things with the builder.

BlueBelle I'm with you on this. I'll do what's necessary when necessary. No point making alterations, especially expensive ones just in case.
We don't know if it will be physical or mental disabilities that get us or we can just drop down dead.

Do you really need to build an extension? How about re-jigging the existing rooms to create a downstairs shower room and bedroom.

I am doing it my way DianneAngel as I said I have my eyes wide open. I m a fairly sensible person and I don’t want anything done until it is necessary, it may never be necessary I may die before it’s needed, or a I may be like my Aunty who lived alone and was still going up and downstairs at 92

Thank you all for the really good ideas and suggestions 💐

If you have the space in your new extension. A wet room would be wonderful. hugs

Blue Belle, if and when is too late. If you become incapacitated (a stroke, heart attack or lose your mobility) do you really want the hassle and mess of finding builders, doing paperwork and the sheer mess of all the building work? hugs

I did this, when I had to retire on health grounds, it was one of the wisest decisions, I have ever made.

I now have a large walk in shower, with a seat and grab handles. I love to have a bath, but after getting stuck in the bath a few times in recent weeks, I have started using the shower room.

We were impressed by a builder, who was building in our area and observed the men working. They weren't the cheapest, but had an excellent reputation.
What impressed us was that they cleared up every night, leaving the street clear for our neighbours.

We paid in stages, architect, planning permission etc.

One word of advice: we informed our neighbours of our plans and asked the builders to try and cause the minimum disruption in our cul de sac.

While you are considering this , perhaps it would be a good time to look generally at your situation. So is it easy to get to shops, doctors etc , and is there public transport, to places you need to get to?

I am not trying to make it harder for you to make decisions, but just to look and see if other things will affect your ability to remain there. I lived in Richmond on a hill and was fine driving, but could see that I could have problems in the future, and though I was very sorry to leave my garden especially and the upheaval it caused, I actually moved to a ground floor flat, in a quiet area of a town, with good train and bus services. It turned out to be a good move, as I am still able to live my own life here, despite various problems. If I had remained in my house I would certainly be having difficulty. So wishing you good luck with whatever you decide to do, and I do think GN is very good at giving suggestions to consider, which we sometimes have not thought of.