Accessibility Design Features
As our population ages, the homes we live in need to age with us. Whether you are anticipating a need to adapt your home for yourself in the future, or for aging parents or grandparents, there is a benefit to being prepared for future eventualities. Even active adults may suffer a broken leg, suffer an illness or need a hip replacement, so universal design features will be critical to making your surroundings adapt to these events.
One of the first design features to consider is having at least one zero-grade entry into your home. In other words, is there at least one threshold that can be crossed without a step? You should be able to enter into the home without lifting your feet, if necessary. Another design feature that should be considered for those age 55 and up are grab-bars in at least one bathroom. Grab bars can be beautiful, unobtrusive design features, that will come in handy when they are needed later. As a default, consider installing backer-board into the wall if you are doing a bathroom shower remodel, to make it easier to install a grab bar at a later date. Another corollary design feature for bathrooms is making one shower curb-less. Removing the step will also increase your home’s resale value as the population ages.
Moving onto the kitchen, do you have at least one cutting surface in the room that is at a height where you can sit and use it? A kitchen island, or a lower table area? Also, do you have plenty of cabinetry that is down low, and easily accessible? Also, how is your lighting where you have steps? Good lighting is critical to permit visibility of changes in elevation, as is task lighting in areas such as bedrooms, medicine cabinets and kitchens.
If you’re building a new home, you’re in the optimal position of requiring some of these design features being installed with much less expense. At minimum, consider installing 36-inch wide doors (at minimum at one entrance to the home and one bedroom and bathroom) in case a family member is confined to a wheelchair. Zero-grade entries to the home are another feature that is much easier to incorporate when a home is being built. Finally, consider having your builder install electrical outlets at a higher location on the walls.
Search Northeast Valley homes and neighborhoods
The Internet has absolutely made this often-stressful project much, much easier. Typing “senior housing” followed by the city in which you’d like to conduct your search (for example: senior housing Scottsdale) in your search engine will reveal multiple websites which list senior housing options. Using 
When it comes to prepping the exterior of your home for sale during the holiday season, curb appeal is still very important. So be sure your windows are sparkling clean, your driveway and front walkway have been power-washed, and your landscaping is as neat as a pin. With regard to holiday décor on the exterior of your home, be sure to take into consideration what your neighbors are doing during this time. Does your neighborhood generally decorate to the nines for holidays, or do HOA rules discourage such decoration? Follow those guidelines first and foremost, but if your neighbors are celebrating the holidays with decorations, definitely join in the fun. Be sure to choose tasteful decorations; wreaths for the front door or front gate are always appropriate, as are colored ribbons decorating planters containing seasonal plants. Perhaps forego the giant inflatable turkey or gingerbread man this year, however.
Rainbow Ryders
Whether you are in the market for a home, are enjoying your current home, or are interested in getting your home ready to sell, home maintenance is of utmost importance. Buyers are always better off if the home they’ve fallen in love with has been treated and maintained with care and attention. Living in your home means your safety and enjoyment of your home is of top priority. Sellers are better off if they’ve been proactive when caring for their home while living in it as deferred home maintenance can result in the need for annoying and often expensive repairs when it comes to the home inspection. To that end, here are some tips to consider when it comes to home maintenance. . .
First, you need to know the price of the house you’d like to purchase. This is a great starting point for your search because you will know very quickly if the houses in this price range will work for your actual budget. Then you will need to input the amount of your down payment. This amount will likely depend on the type of loan you’d be obtaining as certain loans require certain percentages of down payments. The next step will be to input the length, or term, of the mortgage you’re seeking. This term will typically be 30 years or 15 years. Finally, you will need to know the annual interest rate of the loan. Most mortgage calculators will have today’s interest rates handy.
Desert Ridge is one of the most popular shopping areas in north Phoenix. Desert Ridge is also bumping during happy hour thanks to its plethora of popular restaurants. Here are some from which you can choose . . .
First and foremost, do you have a home fire safety
Can you believe it’s already October? While the chill of fall may not quite be in the air, the time for ghosts, goblins and glittery princesses will be here before you know it. To that end, here are some upcoming Halloween haunted houses that will be around the Valley of the Sun this year.
Looking for something new and fun to do, instead of the usual dinner and a movie? How about drinking wine (or your beverage of choice) while painting a beautiful canvas? If you’re missing that crafty gene, no worries as part of the activity is learning how to paint, step by step, from an instructor who will lead you through each step. There are a few different venues here in the Valley of Sun at which you can try out this fun new activity . . .