Accessibility Features Can Serve Homeowners of All Ages and Abilities
We all need a helping hand from time to time, but prefer to remain as independent as possible. Accessible features in a home are a way of lending ourselves a hand, and staying in our own house for much longer than we otherwise might.
“As more members of the baby boom generation reach retirement age, some, but not all, show a preference for aging in their own homes rather than moving to traditional assisted-living communities and facilities. This trend has created interest in designing and retrofitting of homes for ease of use. Heightened awareness as to the needs of disabled people of all ages, and increased legislative attention to their rights, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has also helped drive a trend which can benefit home buyers,” stated ERA Justin Realtor agent, Kristen Davis.
What has come to be called Universal Design is a set of standards for making every house a welcoming home for inhabitants of all ability levels. These include placing light switches and thermostats low enough, and electrical outlets high enough, for anyone to reach; outfitting hallways with railings and showers with grab-bars and stools; replacing doorknobs with levers; offering ramps as well as stairs, widening doorways to accommodate wheelchairs; and minimizing falling risks through secure, low-pile carpeting. Though there was a time when accessibility was considered an obstacle to resale value and desirability, attitudes and demographics have changed, and Universal Design is now considered a resale advantage. This potential extra salability can be achieved through minimal effort and expense. For instance, in many cases a room can be made wheelchair-accessible simply by changing the direction of a swinging door.
Kristen continued, “The simplicity of such measures, and their popularity with potential home buyers, makes it equally desirable to build a new home with these considerations, or to retrofit an existing home with them. No one has to feel they’ve turned their home into a medical facility –you can avoid this with some smart and simple methods that enhance convenience and are common sense for all homeowners. Talk to a local real estate professional about accessible-home options in any area where you may be interested in buying and find out about financing opportunities and other ways to keep your path to satisfying and secure home ownership a clear one.”
Kristen an active listing and selling agent throughout Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson Counties has received many five star reviews from her buyers and sellers and have written:
“Kristen was a fantastic agent, professional, caring, hardworking and incredibly helpful. We couldn’t have asked for better, and have already highly recommended her!!” Claire Hichtenstein
“We looked for a house for over a year, when we met Kristen she found us a home in less than 30 days. She is honest and we are very happy she was our agent. She made it all possible.” Patrick & Jackie Sullivan.
“Kristen Davis became a friend. Helpful, honest and an all around nice person. Very personable and patient.” Vitali
“We would not change a thing – the entire experience was great! Kristen was wonderful! She was patient and available to us at anytime for all sorts of questions. We had worked with a few other agents and we liked and trusted Kristen right away.” Kristen and Sean McAndrew
“Kristen was extremely patient and accommodating throughout our search for a new home. It was an absolute pleasure working with her. We’ll definitely be calling her when we’re ready for our next move.” Michele DeMarco and Sean Meyer
“Kristen is awesome! From advice for preparing to list our house, to helping with final negotiations she was diligent and proactive.” Brad & Lena Kloza
“We are very pleased that Kristen Davis was our listing agent with ERA. She is very professional. Her ethical responses enabled us to trust that she was fully supportive of our well-being as the sellers. We highly recommend her.” Michael & Jeanne Matthews
“Working with Kristen exceeded any of our expectations. As a first time home buyer in New Jersey, my wife and I were not familiar with the process and terminology. She was very helpful in explaining the entire process and really relieved our stress level, even though we were on a tight time frame and budget. Kristen was willing to meet us at any time to view our house and was a clear communicator throughout the negotiation. We truly believe her expertise helped tremendously in out offer getting accepted. We highly recommend Kristen!” James Leighton Fenwick
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