Table of contents:
- Fit for the future
- Thinking ahead
- Check 1: Is the situation correct?
- Check 2: Is the outdoor area optimally designed?
- Check 3: Are the rooms barrier-free?

Video: Living comfortably: is your home fit for the future?

Living as it suits you: When the youngsters fled, many put their home to the test.
The desire to have your own four walls often grows with the children. But when the dream comes true, the youngsters almost think of moving out again. Home claims are changing again.
Fit for the future
Children's rooms and old furniture give way to more comfort and higher quality equipment. As part of this, far-sighted owners prepare the home for old age. After all, the majority want to live in the house or apartment without help, according to a TNS Emnid survey among tenants and owners aged 50 and over. Seniors often have a great need for security that modern smart home technology serves. An elevator can improve your mobility, and wall openings also guarantee more freedom of movement. And ergonomic furniture is comfortable.
Thinking ahead
The best measure: already plan a new building so that it easily adapts to the curriculum vitae. A guide from the Association of Private Builders will help you: "Build and renovate: barrier-free and age-appropriate", 66 pages, 5 euros + shipping here.
Check 1: Is the situation correct?
Equipment, environment and Co: Does the house still meet your needs? | Yes | No |
Is your property level? Does it live up to your ideal? | Yes | No |
Can you drive to the house by car? | Yes | No |
Check 2: Is the outdoor area optimally designed?
Is the entrance area secured, e.g. with an intercom? | Yes | No |
Are the entrances to the house, garden etc. built without thresholds? | Yes | No |
Is the mailbox mounted weatherproof and close to the front door? | Yes | No |
Are the access routes flat, without a trip hazard, but not slippery? | Yes | No |
Is the outside lighting sufficient? Is it equipped with motion detectors? | Yes | No |
Can the garden lighting be controlled from the house? | Yes | No |
Does the garage have an electrically operated gate? | Yes | No |
Check 3: Are the rooms barrier-free?
Can the house be redesigned according to age? Can living and sleeping areas, for example, be combined (using a sliding door)? | Yes | No |
Are the stairs straight and without protruding steps? Are there handrails and the possibility of installing a (stair) lift? | Yes | No |
Are the most important rooms accessible without thresholds? | Yes | No |
Do doors have a minimum width of 90 cm? | Yes | No |
Are the controls, light switches and door handles not higher than 85 cm? | Yes | No |
Do doors (e.g. from the toilet) open to the larger room, or do you have sufficient space behind all the doors? | Yes | No |
Do you have enough freedom of movement in the rooms? 1.5 x 1.5 meters of space in front of furniture and sanitary objects are enough to turn a wheelchair. | Yes | No |
Are cabinets and worktops in the kitchen tailored to your size and seat height? | Yes | No |
Do your kitchen appliances have a remote control and timers and the stove have an automatic switch-off? | Yes | No |
Is the wash basin accessible? | Yes | No |
Is there a floor-level shower with a non-slip floor (or can be retrofitted)? | Yes | No |
Are all floors flat, threshold-free and the surfaces non-slip? | Yes | No |
Sources: VPB guide "Building and converting: barrier-free and age-appropriate" / DAS HAUS