How to enhance your ‘Forever Home’

Our homes are life-enhancing. We make memories, welcome loved ones and raise the next generation(s) in these special spaces.

We add our own ‘stamp’ through décor and quirks like height markers up the door as little ones grow up. We retreat to these sanctuaries for stability in times of uncertainty or worry. This means that moving can compromise our emotional and financial health.

So, finding – or staying in – a ‘Forever Home‘ (one that lasts a lifetime) is important to many. Indeed, our 2022 Silver Census study revealed that more than two in five Brits aged 55+ plan to stay in their current home forever. Three in five adults have no plans to downsize.

As we grow older, it can feel that a lived-in and much-loved home no longer suits our needs. In fact, nearly half of over-55s don’t consider their current home accessible. The good news is that any house or living space can become a ‘Forever Home’ with a little future-proofing – namely, adaptations that make life easier and help you keep on being you. These changes can be subtle or sizeable, inexpensive or more of an investment, but the difference they can make is invaluable. Allow your home to evolve with you.

That’s why we’re proud to share our ‘Forever Home Checklist’. It details all the adaptations you may need to make to your home, now or in the future, depending on your accessibility needs. These changes are designed to empower you to enjoy your four walls to the fullest.

Broken down into three stages, the checklist shows how easy it can be to turn your current home into your ‘Forever Home’. You can download your copy of the ‘Forever Home Checklist’ here. Why not print it out to tick off the options? Watch your home transform into a haven that’s both stylish and functional, without losing your unique ‘stamp’.

Our inclusive design expert, Vaila Morrison RIBA advises acting sooner for longer-term peace of mind and greater mobility:

“Any home improvements we do, we should be thinking about how what we do could make our house work better for our future selves. Oftentimes people end up in a position of making do or have to start thinking about intrusive adaptations at critical points in life, sometimes resulting in barriers coming home after an illness or injury. The earlier we think about the principles of inclusive design, the better, which can only be a good thing for helping make our homes more welcoming for older or disabled friends and family too!”

Keep on living in and loving your home; keep on being you.