Homebuyer’s Guide to Finding an Accessible Home
The above picture is of a woman in her kitchen sitting in her wheelchair and petting her cat. Photo by Marcus Aurelius from Pexels
When it’s time to buy a home, there are so
many things to consider. Whether you’re buying for the first time or looking to
upgrade from your current digs, it’s critical to make sure you’re crossing your
I’s and dotting your T’s when it comes to house hunting.
This advice goes double — or perhaps triple —
for people looking for accessible homes. Finding a home with the right
accommodations is like finding a diamond in the rough, but if you follow a few
key tips, you can make the process easier and more enjoyable.
Do your research
Depending on the accommodations you need, you
can search for accessible homes in your area using helpful websites or by talking to a realtor.
Make a list of your needs, and make sure that the homes you’re looking for
offering all of the things on that list. Take a look at your current home and make
note of how it does or doesn’t accommodate you. The important thing to remember
in this phase of the home-buying process is that you have plenty of time to
decide; don’t rush into anything before making a concrete plan.
Make modifications
If you don’t find a home that meets all of
your needs, you can always consider homes on the lower end of your budget that
could be changed to accommodate you. For instance, you can search for
ranch-style houses where you could feasibly add a wheelchair ramp.
Remember that as you’re hunting for your dream
home and looking for ways you can modify the houses you’re seeing, you will
need to have a budget for these modifications. For instance, widening exterior
doors to accommodate a wheelchair may cost up to $500 per door, and a wheelchair
ramp can cost up to $3,047. You have to fold these into your
home buying budget.
Design to your specifications
An accessible home is one that allows you to
move freely between rooms and gives you autonomy and safety. You may find that
building a bespoke house is an available option to you, which makes things a
little simpler from a design perspective. When you’re building your own home,
you have free reign to make modifications that allow you the accommodations you
need, without having to modify it later. The same caveat about the
modifications applies here, too, however; you will need to have room in the
budget for such an endeavor.
Things to keep in mind
Is this your first time buying a home of your
own? For first-time homebuyers, you have a few more things on your to-do list than the
veterans who have been around this particular block. You will need to ensure
your credit score is high enough to make loan
officers think that you are a good investment, find a great real estate agent to partner with throughout
the process, and determine your budget much in advance of beginning the actual
home search. The good news is: As a veteran, you may qualify for assistance from government programs like
Special Adapted Housing (SAH) grants, Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) grants,
or Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grants.
Use what you know
Finding (or building!) your dream home is much
like finding
a new job. Draw on past experiences (such as your time in the
military) and use your ability to learn quickly in order to make the most out
of this home search. You will thank yourself later