TransparencyMaking Home Accessible:
Home Modification for Disability
by Susan Luxenberg, Founder & President of HomeSmart LLC, Maura Horton, Chief Community Officer, JUNIPERunltd, Jamie Gold, Wellness Design Consultant, and Elizabeth Kennedy, Founder of Age Fearless Academy, Home Health Physical Therapist & Certified Aging in Place Specialist
Making modifications to your home can help you live independently as a person with a disability. How extensively you would have to renovate varies widely based on a homeowner’s needs and a house’s age and condition. You could install a taller toilet for a few hundred dollars or spend thousands of dollars on a walk-in shower or an elevator.
The good news is a rapidly aging population means more products are available to accommodate disabilities, and a growing number of contractors, mortgage brokers and real estate agents are familiar with what’s needed. But renovating a house can be expensive, and funding bigger remodeling projects can be challenging for many.
MoneyGeek put together an overview of how much common renovations cost, tips on finding help to pay for remodeling projects, information about your available mortgage options and expert advice on home modification. Those who don’t want to deal with renovations or find the task is beyond their economic means can still find help to live independently through other resources such as rental assistance in homes designed for people with disabilities.