If you have been dreaming of your dream home for years, you may also be planning on it being your forever home. That means that you need to plan not just for today but for in the future. If you are going to have your house custom built for you, there are a number of things that you might want to consider adding in that will work for you now and in the future. 

Low/No Threshold Doors

One thing to talk to your contractor about is doors that have low or no thresholds. The threshold is the bit on the floor where the bottom of the door sits when it is closed. The thresholds can be difficult for people who use crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs to negotiate. The contractor can install doors without any threshold in the interior of your house, and one with a low threshold on your outside doors. You may want to have a minimal threshold on those doors because the threshold can help keep leaks from happening. Your contractor may also be able to offer you better options concerning those thresholds. 

Wider Doorways

You should also look into getting wider doorways. The current standard is to have doorways that are 36 inches across, counting from the interior of the door jamb on one side to the other. A 36-inch doorway will easily fit most wheelchairs. Some specialty wheelchairs may be wider than the standard and may have a harder time going through the 36-inch door, but those aren't common.

Even if you don't have anyone who lives with you who currently uses a walker or wheelchair and you don't expect to use one in the future, a wider doorway can still be a helpful feature. It can make it easier for you to carry things throughout your house as well as moving in furniture and other items. If you have a wider doorway, you may have to have custom doors created as well, but your contractor will probably have some information as to where they can get oversized doors to fit in the wider doorways. 

If you are getting ready to build your dream house, you might be planning on this being your last house. That means that you are going to have to talk to your custom home builder about things that you can do now to make sure that your house is ready for you to live in years from now. 

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