My folks are considering a renovation to have a main floor full bath and bedroom, and want a washer/dryer on the main floor now as well. This is a century old house with a root cellar and stone basement.
They have an entry off of the rear of the house that has a large unused side closet (it’s the size of a small bedroom, we have a frig in there, shelves of canned stuff, etc- like a large, unheated pantry). The kitchen sink is on the back wall of this closet, so easily plumbed. I’ve suggested stackables and to add a full utility room here.
They instead want to turn the formal dining room into her bedroom and plumb a shower and washer/dryer in there as well.
I’m concerned about decreasing the value of the house for short term, vs creating added value to the property over the long term.
Mom is mobile, drives herself to get her appts, goes shopping daily, and is very involved at church, so it’s not a crisis situation, but she’s tired of walking up and down stairs, and I get that. We do have 2 other smaller rooms on the main floor that could work well as a bedroom, and she seems resistant to using those; I’m not sure why.
Any thoughts, or should I butt out? I and my sibs will likely inherit this property, but neither of them has the $ to assist, and I can’t magically fund this alone, either.

As an emotional upheaving as it may be, they should consider moving to a house with with everything on the first floor.

As an aging parent myself, as long as they're mentally competent, my advice is MYOB.

The stackable unit is a good option, you said unheated, can that room get cold enough to be problematic for the washer pipes, or, your mom being out there in the winter? Don't forget that you'll need to run a 220 circuit for an electric dryer.

Relocating to something setup for the way they need/want to live might be a good idea if the numbers work. Remember in most areas the tax base changes significantly when buying a new home even of equal value, so watch those numbers..

I'd get a contractor in, look at the costs of doing the renovation, that could be a concern as well since the cost of everything has gone through the roof, or materials if you and your siblings have to do the work. Selling and moving could be less expensive than retrofitting.

Another option is a mobile stair lift, we have a local company here, Acorn Stair lift it is a big organization. You might find that's economically feasible.

https://www.acornstairlifts.com/

Thanks, I’ll look at that!

Stackable washer/dryer units can be too tall. The controls for the dryer are typically on the top panel, and the lip of the door can be too high to see over.

There are a few brands/models which have the control panel in the middle and which are smaller so that the upper door isn't too high. They are smaller capacity but fine for just 2 people.

I think it is ok for you to ask your parents what they thunk about different options, but in the end let them decide.

As we get older, we worry less about the long term value and more about the near term improvement to ease and enjoyment. Their house, their money, their everyday living.

quote:

Originally posted by irreverent:
Mom is mobile, drives herself to get her appts, goes shopping daily, and is very involved at church, so it’s not a crisis situation, but she’s tired of walking up and down stairs, and I get that.

We live in a two story house with bedrooms on the second floor. If my wife or I were disabled by a stroke, we'd have to consider options, but I'm going to avoid it if possible. I think a presently mobile person avoiding stairs is a sure way to not be able to climb them when they need to. I'm a firm believer in "Keep doing whatever it is you want to keep doing."

I appreciate the thoughts so far. If I know my dad, he will never move out of that house until he’s forced or until he dies. So that’s not an option as yet.

I’m actually hoping we can work something out so they can stay in their home until they pass, so reconfiguring is a good idea, I just was hoping to implement something that would add to the grace of the home, not jimmyrig a short term fix (that’s where I fear this is heading). The back hall side closet would be completely insulated and heated if we were going to renovate and I just thought it would be cheaper to build within this new framework and put things wherever we wanted vs try to make something work in a space that’s not designed for it.
I think the stair lift is a really good idea, but we did pitch that to her a few days ago and I’m not sure if it just didn’t grow legs or if she just didn’t want to do it.
PHPaul, I hear you, and am proceeding with caution. This is their home, I just grew up there, but I will say they asked for my opinion.

We're currently dealing with the tail end of this with my in-laws. They're upper 80s, and really need to be a nursing home, but keep insisting they 'take care of each other' and refuse all of our efforts to help.

They installed an acorn lift 5-10 years ago, and their mobility greatly decreased after. It turns out that the stairs were about the only exercise they got, and they lost their leg strength quickly. Now, they need motorized armchairs to assist getting up, and walkers thereafter to move. They are unable to help each other up if they're stuck - whether after a fall, which have been many, or in a chair that's 'too low' (desk chair that accidentally lowered caused a fall last week). LOTS of ambulance 'lift assist' and transport to ER.

Note that leg strength is directly linked to longevity. Once you lose it, you can't recover from a mis-step, stumble, etc. Making sure they do some level of strength maintenance would be highly beneficial.

Even with the lift, the upstairs of the house has fallen into neglect. If you or your siblings regularly visit, make sure to go look and intervene before it gets too bad.

Best of luck!

Since you'll be building a bathroom, be sure to factor in railings and a seat for the shower, and railings and a taller bowl for the toilet.

Both will be needed shortly anyway, so might as well include them in the planning and building now.



I wouldn't consider the loss of a separate formal dining room to be a big hit to resale value, as long as there's somewhere to eat besides the couch. Many/most average-sized new construction houses don't have formal dining rooms anyway, with the trend being eat-in kitchen islands, bars, and/or breakfast nooks instead.

But for resale value purposes, make sure the new bedroom meets the formal definition of a bedroom. IIRC, it must have a closet and a window, and be accessible from the common areas of the house, in order to be considered a bedroom for real estate listing/appraising purposes.

Thank you. I visit them almost daily during the summer when they’re in town, but I rarely venture upstairs out of respect for their privacy. I’ll start adding that to the to do list. They are mid 80s and really starting to slow down. My mom used to do daily walks, but was diagnosed with COPD a few years back, and though she still does a number of things, daily walks are now off the menu.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Since you'll be building a bathroom, be sure to factor in railings and a seat for the shower, and railings and a taller bowl for the toilet.

Both will be needed shortly anyway.


I wouldn't consider the loss of a dining room to be a big hit to resale value. Many/most new construction houses don't have formal dining rooms anyway, with the trend being eat-in islands and/or breakfast nooks instead.

Normally, I wouldn’t either, but this is kind of a grand old room with 10 foot? ceilings, 8 or so foot windows that run most of the length of the room on 1 side, crystal chandelier, etc.

Now that I hear myself, I guess I’m just falling into nostalgia of wanting to keep things the way they are. Thank you for the perspective.

I have a stackable W/D set, it's my second set and I really like how well the front load washer cleans yet is gentle on the clothes.

However getting clothes in and out of the bottom washer is not quite as easy as a conventional top load washer. (I usually kneel down on my knees to load and unload.) So make sure mom considers this.

quote:

Originally posted by irreverent:
work something out so they can stay in their home until they pass, so reconfiguring is a good idea, I just was hoping to implement something that would add to the grace of the home, not jimmyrig a short term fix

You're doing well by your folks!

You may want to see if your area has 'Aging in Place' experts who can suggest modifications that will make staying put a reasonable choice.

Couple of references: National Association of Home Builders: webpage on Aging in Place certifications

Magazine article on Aging in Place, in practice

RE: $$ tradeoffs.
One never knows how these things will go.

Specifics of health issues, when they occur, durations, as well as real estate market situation when the house is inherited, etc. will all play a role in the eventual cost/benefit. That said...given the costs of assisted living, etc. having a home set up that reduces the risks of one or both of them needing very expensive housing for an unknown duration, factor that in as well.

I am pushing 70 now. Live in a two-story townhouse. I want to keep my stairs and keep on climbing them. And I walk a couple miles every other day. While your folks may be tired of the stairs, you might talk to them about stairs being needed exercise. And for safety, make sure the stairs have hand rails on both sides of the stairwell, if feasible. My doctor told me "move it or lose it".
As far as the alterations to the house, it seems pretty extensive in an older house. Could the changes affect the structural stability of the house?

If done correctly, this will add value to the house.

I just added a 14x14 addition to my 120-year-old house.

We did this for the same reason: my wife and I are aging. We wanted a full bath on the first floor.

It now has a bathroom with a curbless shower and a large pantry with exits into the back yard and the garage.

If no one involved has design experience, have an architect or contractor at least go over some layout options.

It can be done rather cheaply or high-end, depending on the budget.

I know you're thinking of the cost and location of where to put the bedroom. A few considerations. You said there is a sink, but just a sink will likely have 1.5" piping for a full bath, the toilet will need 3". If the main stack is in a basement, even old and stone, if it's accessible, the location of the stack will affect the cost.

Are they gas or electric appliances? How old is the panel? Are they getting rid of the current washer/dryer? Adding a second electric dryer will require room for a dual breaker. Adding a gas dryer to a new location at least around here, is expensive because of newer venting regulations.

I would put it where your parents want it. Explain the options, but it's their choice. My parents are getting to that point, and we have looked at options in their home.

If you build a bathroom, I highly suggest making the door big enough for a wheelchair/walker. Also, look at zero-entry showers. I would also look at a custom shower build with a bench. Look at reinforcing areas behind drywall in the shower/bathroom where you will put grab bars.

Comet24's suggestion about the zero-entry shower is spot on. My limited experience of supporting older parents is that they will want to stay in the home as long as possible and stairs aren't possible after a certain point. Making modifications to the home is expensive, but have you priced assisted living? They may need it anyway, but I'm in favor of adapting the home if you have the means.

My Dad got used to his curbless shower in assisted living. I checked him out for what was to be our last big weeklong roadtrip. He wasn't comfortable getting in & out of the tub/shower on the trip, so he didn't shower for a week. He was a little ripe in the car on the trip home!