24 RETIREMENT LIVING


MY PROPERTY, MY HOME 29 JULY 2018


Future-proof your home


When the time comes to retire, many of us are already right where we want to be, so what can you do to ready your home for your later years, asks Barnaby Dracup?


Whether you’re looking to improve your home’s accessibility, or simply just give it a new lease of life, there are a multitude of options for you to explore. Whether you’re thinking in terms of refreshing the interior, exterior or effi ciency of your home, there are a wealth of plans, plan- ners and planters out there to turn your vision into reality.


REDESIGN YOUR HOME If you’re feeling in need of a change of scene, but the thought of leaving your familiar home turf


leaves you cold, then why not


consider some interior design tweaks and structural changes to your home? Architects such as Arch Plan and macAr-


chitect off er a bespoke interior remodelling consultancy and advice service, providing personal solutions that, while still stylish and modern, can off er you additional space, more natural light and increased accessibility throughout your living space. For example, staircases can be moved, bathrooms expanded and glass doors fi t- ted into garden-facing walls, off ering you more freedom to move and enjoy your space. Providing an upstairs bedroom, kitchen or bathroom that’s accessible and appealing to both the able and the less able is a chal- lenge that house remodellers are increasing- ly being asked to meet. Choosing the right, well-designed fi ttings can make life easy and companies such as Vitra and Gartec UK of- fer a range of diff erent solutions. is


Gartec


cialists lift


the UK spe- in home and


design


installation and is able to provide any design project with a fully designed and integrated


home lift, allowing homeowners to regain control over their future in the most stylish way possible. Vitra has also brought sleek, modern design


to this sector of the market with V-Care, a multi-function, hands-free toilet, designed by German studio Noa. V-Care can be integrat- ed into the most stunning of contemporary bathrooms without looking out of place and features a sensor that opens the lid as the user approaches, adjustable washing and drying functions, a heated seat and much more.


ENJOY YOUR GARDEN Future-proofi ng your home means consider- ing all aspects of your personal space, both inside and out. Garden designer Jenny Bloom creates practical and eye-catching gardens to enhance your home and the way you live. Making the most of your outside space means incorporating a balance of both style and ac- cessible function to off er gardens which fi t the space you have and your changing indi- vidual needs. Garden Transformations off ers a wide


range of services including advice on more accessible, low-maintenance gardens that use sustainably sourced materials. To truly make the most of your garden, it can also off er ad- vice on creating a space that can become a ha- ven for wildlife. If you’re simply looking to make your gar- dening life a bit easier, then look no further than robotic lawn-mowing specialist Husqvarna. Its Automower is the most


advanced model on


the market and means you never have to mow the lawn again. The Automower can be controlled via an app on


your Aritco smartphone or watch and cuts lawns


unassisted, day or night, rain or shine. Cutting little but often, there’s no need to clean up after it as the robotic mower clips grass into tiny pieces and directs it back into the lawn to act as a natural fertiliser, before automati- cally returning to its charging station when in need of power.


BE MORE ENERGY CONSCIOUS When it comes to a comfortable retirement, being fi nancially responsible is paramount, so why not consider not only future-proofi ng your home, but also safeguarding your ener- gy requirements in the years to come? You can harness the energy of the Sun


to power your home by installing solar pan- els that convert sunlight into electricity to be stored in an at-home battery and used at any time. Energy company EON estimates that by doing this you could generate up to 50% of the electricity you need and save, on average, approximately £400 every year. Furthermore, not only will you be saving money on your energy bills year-on-year, but with the government’s Feed-in Tariff , you could generate an ad- ditional income stream by selling any un- used electricity back to the grid. You can choose from a range of solar panels and battery storage set-ups to create a system suited


that’s


your needs. EON’s


to


Match this with self-read-


ing Smart Meter and tado Smart Thermostat to en- sure there’s


zero


energy waste and your home is com- fortably warmed at all times.


CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: SOLAR PANELS;


GARTEC UK LIFT; TADO SMART THERMOSTAT APP; AUTOMOWER 450X


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