Universal Design – does it increase home value?
AngelaFox
| Posted in General Discussion on
If someone remodels a home with universal design features, does it increase the home’s value? Does anyone know of a home appraiser that I can reach out to ask about a universally designed home marketability if it needs to be resold later?
Replies
Never heard of universal design.
https://www.google.com/search?q=universal+design+features
Any such value added question depends on three main points, location, location, location.
You would need to find an appraiser in the market. local realtors will be in touch with them, and have some idea of the accuracy of such estimates in the current market.
Over time, this can vary.
Once upon a time, was interested in the future sales price impact of geothermal heat. the soft, silent response led me to understand the expected impact then.
If your market is old people or people who've realized they might get old, yes, value added. For people who don't want to be reminded of their mortality. probably not so much.
My intro to UD was when my employer changed all the door knobs to levers. I thought it was overkill until I had to open a door with a heavy box in my hands. For me, that's the point of UD- it makes life easier and safer for everybody all the time. It's relatively cheap, IF it's not an after thought.
Adding grab handle backers when I was building my roll-in shower cost me $25, plus another $100 for the grab handles and installation. If they prevent one bad fall, they've paid for themselves. Meanwhile, every day, they make it easier to wash my 78 year old feet. A 3'0" door doesn't cost much more than a 2'8", but it's invaluable if you're in a wheelchair, either permanently or post-op from a bad ACL tear.
I am glad you have found UD features both functional and cost effective. When you say “people don’t want to be reminded of their mortality,” why would UD remind them of that? My understanding is that UD features is different than Aging-in-place.
Angela,
Above I mentioned my ignorance. What is UD?
Be my Google as you brought it up.
Thanks.
To me, Universal Design enables Aging-in-Place, a set of functional features that enable a desirable lifestyle in both the future and the present. UD, done well, is almost imperceptible. We had a gut-to-the-studs fire a few years ago and seized the opportunity to incorporate a number of UD features when we rebuilt, even though we don't "need" them yet. I have a friend who's in an electric wheelchair and we could invite him to our holiday party because our home is as accessible as his.
I hadn't considered the potential financial benefits of Aging-in-place, but given the price of even the most basic assisted living facilities, staying in your home for a few months more could give a good return on an investment in UD, probably even in a retrofit situation.
As far as reminders of mortality, it's really more the issues of aging, which mortality resolves quite definitively. I remember, 20 years ago, being disdainful of a 70 year old who was reluctant to get more than a few feet off the ground. Now, with the wisdom of age, I realize he was just being sensible and follow his example. Twenty-five years ago, before the doorknob lesson, I would have dismissed UD as "for old people, & I'm not old." I wouldn't have seen its benefits, either in the present or future. UD is valuable for everyone all the time and becomes more valuable as we age.