How to Find Disabled Access Property

If finding your dream house is like finding a needle in a haystack, then finding your dream disabled access house is more akin to finding a pea in a Cathedral size bowl of minestrone soup. It has long been the case that searching for accessible property is a mammoth task, requiring an undertaking that should not be necessary in this day and age. Many web-based tools have begun to arise, with an aim of filling this gap and becoming a middle man between new home and new home owner. Yet most have failed. Is it just the case that there is not enough adapted property to supply the demand? With government regulation in some areas of the country aiming to enforce that ten percent of new housing is wheelchair accessible or easily adapted for wheelchair users, and that all are built to ‘The Lifetime Homes’ standards, surely in the not so far future the search process will become much, much easier.

If like most of us, you cannot wait until the not so far future here is a quick guide that covers where to look for the house that you want!

 

So, you are looking around for a nice house that has easy access, which makes you feel: comfortable, independent and that most importantly one that you can call home. With around 98% of all house searches beginning online, the internet provides an amazingly powerful tool for you to filter your search, distil your priorities and get you to a suitable house. Websites such as thehouseshop.com provide an accessible property section for their potential buyers.

 

image source: http://www.lqgroup.org.uk/pricedin/property-developments/

Another good place to start is your local housing authority, who often have access to all of the disabled access properties in your area and can direct you to any: new build, shared ownership and affordable homes that are or can be adapted in line with regulations such as the California ADA, for example. Thirdly you have the option to purchase any home and adapt it to your needs. This can often prove time consuming and costly, but gives you the flexibility to design your accessible house in a way that suits you best. After trawling your inbox for updates and browsing these channels for new properties, hopefully you are at the stage where you have found ‘your house’.

The next stage in the search can often prove trickier than you may think. Arranging a viewing for an accessible property can often be a struggle. If it is a private sale or estate agency viewing it can often be the case – as sad as it is – that a seller may be reluctant to sell their house to be adapted. Or maybe, as in many cases, the property is inaccessible to be viewed in its current state. This restricts the market even further. New developments however, offer a targeted approach and are very accommodating at viewings. It is therefore best, especially if this is your first search, to enquire about a new build. Even if you have little real interest in the property, it will give a good overview of what to expect at a viewing.

Finally, your search should conclude with you finding a house that suits your needs and that you can love as your own. Good luck, and happy hunting!

 

 

by Tom Samuel