My family needs more space.
I wrote about this recently, and we have since decided not to remodel our current home. Since there’s no room to add on, we’re now focused on finding a new, larger house.
We have a big family. My husband, Jason, and I share seven children: Lexi, 24; Max, 20; Chance, 18; Rowen, 17; Charlie, 15; Mary, 11; and Callie, 4. While our oldest is an independent adult, several children are still at home, including Max, Rowen, and Charlie, who all live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
Max and Rowen use wheelchairs full time. Charlie can still walk a little, but he has recently started using his power wheelchair at home more often. Our home is accessible for our sons, but when all three are in their wheelchairs, the available room quickly fills up.
Wish list starts with zero-entry, open-floor plan
Now that we know we cannot remodel, we are beginning to look for houses on the market while also considering whether building a house is financially feasible. The house we live in now is an accessible home with a walk-in shower, a ceiling lift system, a ramp, and wide doorways, so any home we move into would need those things, too.
But there are a few things we don’t have now that I would want in a new home.
The first thing is a zero-entry home to make getting between the inside and the outside easier. There aren’t many zero-entry homes for sale, and I realize we can always build a ramp if the rest of the house is right, but, ideally, we would want a home with seamless, step-free access from the outside and the garage.
I would also like an open-concept floor plan. Bedrooms and bathrooms should provide privacy, but the rest of the house — especially the kitchen, dining, and living areas — should be open, with plenty of space for furniture and power wheelchairs to coexist comfortably.
More outlets, more bedrooms on the main floor
We also need more electrical outlets. Max, Rowen, and Charlie all have so many things that need to be plugged in — wheelchair chargers, hospital beds, and cough assist machines. This, of course, is in addition to what they consider the most important part of their rooms — their gaming equipment. They have TVs, PlayStation consoles, controllers and chargers, etc. It all needs to be plugged in.
I’m using surge protectors, but there are so many cords, and they share too few outlets. In my next house, even if we have to have an electrician come in and redo the wiring, I’m going to ensure we have multiple outlets on every wall, strategically placed — like a hospital has.
More bedrooms on the main floor would also be a big help. I would love to have a one-level home. Right now, Max, Rowen, and Charlie never go into their siblings’ bedrooms in the basement. I do the laundry in the basement, and if the boys need me, they have to yell from the top of the stairs. I work out down there, and the boys have to wait to see me. I would love for them to have access to every part of our house and their family.
Of course, our bedroom and bathroom needs would make finding a home with enough square footage on the main floor and in our price range a challenge. So I’d want at least four bedrooms on the main floor, one for Jason and me, and then Max, Rowen, and Charlie in their own rooms. We want to be on the same floor as them so we can reach them at night when they need us.
It’s also important that each boy has his own room. They shared one large room for many years, but when Max reached high school, he moved into his own room, and Charlie and Rowen still share one. They have never had their own room, but they’re young men now and need privacy and their own space.
I think a lot about finding a new home. I’m regularly checking the market to see if anything could fit our needs and thinking about what I would include if we built. I’m anxious to take this next step toward an accessible home where we can fit comfortably.
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