How Prepared Is Your Home for the Unexpected?
Your home is your place of rest, of family, of JOY and of memories made.
How prepared are you, though, for certain unexpected things that are likely to occur at some point that DISRUPT your home life?
Your home will be ill-adapted for certain things that come up. It’s certain. There are parts of your home that will invariably break down someday, for starters. And even if you’re a young and mobile homeowner with no thoughts about aging in place…what if you break your leg? Will you have inconvenient or critical mobility issues in your day-to-day?
We can prepare for challenges, but we prepare better when we know the possible spectrum problems we’ll face.
How prepared are YOU right now? How prepared is your home?
Ask yourself these questions to find out…
Are your bathrooms designed for all ages?
Some designers call it “aging in place,” and others call it “universal design.” You’ll learn from our design team at Signature Home Services that “design for all ages” is a more fitting name.
Yes, this specialty helps clients who are looking to age in place in their homes. It ALSO includes families with children who need certain areas of the home designed for smaller people!! Design for all ages also includes designing for different mobility needs. Perhaps a member of your family is in a wheelchair. Perhaps everyone in your household is super tall. Perhaps you prefer design for left-handed people!!
Design for all ages encompasses all these things. This means it’s not just about adding grab bars to bathrooms!
Ask yourself how well-designed your home is for the youngest and oldest people who live there or visit frequently. Next, ask yourself how well-designed your home is for anyone recovering from an accident or surgery. What are the other ergonomic considerations that are important in your households?
Think about the possibilities and get ahead of potential mobility challenges.
The solutions to design for all ages are graceful, too. Curbless shower entry is a classic feature of well-designed spaces…benches in shower areas, too…textured tiles is another feature, especially for kids.
Do you know where all the shut-offs are in your home?
This is a simple yes or no question:
DO you know where ALL the shut-offs are in your home? That includes…
- The main water shut-off for the house
- Water shut-offs for specific rooms or parts of the home
- Your electric panel (and what each switch connects to)
- The gas shut-off
One of the biggest takeaways from the major winter storm in 2021 for us was that MANY homeowners don’t know where their main water shut-offs are. This led to a lot of calls to us about burst pipes!
BONUS QUESTION: can you name RIGHT now which appliances and devices in your home are run on electricity versus gas? This includes everything from your AC to your oven and your water heater…
Do you have a whole-home generator?
This is another simple yes or no question, and some homeowners might shrug it off thinking, “not necessary.”
Just think about this, though:
- How many devices do you use that are charged regularly?
- What critical work, school, or general life stuff would you struggle to handle if your phone, tablet, and computer were all dead?
- How many of your appliances run on electricity? Could you cook without power? Would you have hot water?
- Do you have a home security system?
- Do you have electronic entry into your home (which, without a Wi-Fi connection, wouldn’t work)?
Consider a whole-home generator for those unexpected cases (most of which come during storms and other events when you DON’T want to be left in the dark).
Is your home designed for work-life balance?
Do you work from home now, at least some of the time?
Do you really know whether you’ll work from home permanently in the future? What will the future of work even look like?…
Setting up the “perfect” home office has been talked about before…we’ve written about it twice (here and here)! But are you prepared for the eventuality of technology and virtual work flipping our idea of “home life” and “work life” on its head???
Start by looking at the key design considerations for the separation of work and home…
Know what you’re getting into for your next renovation…
OK, so the next home renovation you do won’t be something unexpected, because people typically spend months (or years!) planning it.
However, what happens AFTER you start the project will DEFINITELY bring some unexpected stuff your way.
Very few homeowners know what to expect in a renovation. Why would they (unless they’re designers, architects or contractors)?…
Start with this article to learn what your renovation priorities are (and should be)…
Your home’s design is about MUCH more than looking good (satisfying though that is). It’s also about the quality of life you live. And life WILL throw some curve balls at you, so recognize now how prepared you and your home are for the unexpected.
Did your answer to any of these questions surprise you? Share your thoughts in our private design group on Facebook!
