Future-proofing in home design refers to anticipating future trends and creating homes for today that can seamlessly adapt to the needs of tomorrow. Many people choosing to have a custom home built these days are future-proofing it to account for the likely impacts of climate change. But there’s another way to future-proof your home: design it in a way that ensures all areas of your home are still accessible as you age and can keep up with tomorrow’s trends.
Design for Accessibility in the Kitchen and Baths
No matter how old you become, you’ll be using your kitchen and bathrooms for as long as you remain in your home. Therefore, when having a custom home built, think about future accessibility. For instance, install an elevated oven so there’s no need to bend over as you cook your food. You should also think about equipping your kitchen with pullout corner storage units, motorized countertops that rise and fall as you need them, and remote-controlled exhaust fans. For the bathroom, consider leaving extra space around the toilet and shower for eventual wheelchair access and installing grab bars. Many grab bars double as towel bars, so you can get two functions for the price of one.
Make Your Kitchen and Bathrooms as Energy-Efficient as Possible
Of course, future-proofing your kitchen and bathrooms is much more than just aesthetics. You also need to consider your energy and water usage, especially as energy costs continue to rise. Here are a few design choices you can make today that will pay dividends long into the future:
- Consider incorporating a boiling water tap, which gives you immediate access to hot water for coffee, tea, or boiling food. There are also models available that allow you to get cold, hot, and boiling water from the same spout.
- Invest in an energy-efficient refrigerator and freezer. Combined, they account for about 10-15 percent of your household’s monthly energy usage and are two of the longest-lasting appliances you will have in your home. Therefore, it’s worth investing in energy-efficient models.
- Look for low-flow plumbing fixtures for the toilet, showerhead, and faucets. These will allow you to use less water without sacrificing water pressure or cleanliness.
- Install energy-efficient lighting fixtures and consider investing in motion-detecting lights. Lights with motion detectors will ensure that you don’t waste electricity even if someone forgets to turn off the lights.
Ensure Your Electrical System Can Carry the Load
While many of the electronic devices we use these days are wireless, the network that provides the data to your home is wired. Plan for future smart TVs, computers, gaming units, and other devices that will eventually be in your home. Having an extra conduit and buried trunking to allow for future upgrades without retrofits is an excellent idea.
Keep Property Value in Mind
Don’t forget that while your custom build is meant specifically for you, it’s still a piece of property with value. Do your best to increase that value by considering not only the costs of your build now, but also the ramifications of your design choices in the future. For example, it may make more sense to add an extra bedroom instead of a solarium, as a bedroom will give you a better return on your investment down the line.
Make Things Convenient – For Others and Yourself
Keep your home’s design flexible enough to account for changing needs throughout the years. Even if you won’t have elderly loved ones living with you now or in the near future, remember that you yourself will need easier access to things as you get older. Therefore, it may be worth it to add in a downstairs walk-in shower, so there’s no need for anyone with mobility issues to climb stairs or navigate the high sides of a tub. You may also want to consider adding an extra bathroom or bedroom to accommodate family members in the future.
Let Davis & Reed Help You Future-Proof Your Custom Home
Davis & Reed Homes is a full-service home builder serving Iowa, Nebraska, and the Liberty, MO and Houston, TX metro areas. We can help you incorporate innovative technology, energy efficiency, multigenerational floor plans, and more into your custom home design to help you plan for future living. We carefully listen to all your individual needs before any work even begins, ensuring your custom home meets every single one of your wants and needs. We get to know our clients on a personal level so we can deliver the best results to them.
Our experience allows us to work directly with people throughout the building process, so we can make your dream home come to life. We are locally and family-owned, and we’d be more than happy to spend as much time as you need helping you determine the optimal design choices for today, tomorrow, and decades into the future. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!