As you may know, with my mobility worsening, we've been looking for a bungalow. I'm managing just fine at the moment, what's wrong with climbing stairs on your bum and using hands to lift legs behind? I know a stair lift might be theoretically possible in our lovely Victorian house, but really? And a proper wetroom shower with seat would be a dream!
Thing is, there aren't many bungalows around in Street and we're fussy! Most of all, having lived in our quiet home with its South facing garden, a short level(ish) wheel to town, swimming pools (yes, Street boasts two!), theatre, parkrun, Clarks Village (occasionally useful) and a slightly longer wheel to Glastonbury for the hipper alternatives.... location is everything!
We viewed a bungalow in Wells that ticked some of the boxes and John's always had a hankering to move away from Street when he retires in May (gulp, that's only two months away!). But at huge cost, needing a ton of work and still quite a few negatives.
So we got to thinking, there's nothing wrong with where we are that can't be adapted.
Phase 1: relandscaping to raise patio to level threshold, remove steps and provide smooth paved path to back road. Why didn't we do this when we bought the place in 2001? Oh, I was 31 and fully fit, guess steps and gravel weren't an issue back then.
Phase 2: reconfigure ground floor layout at front to extend and convert WC to wet room. Whilst we're at it, may as well remove chimney breast on both floors and gain a bit of space.
Phase 3: here's the magic bit, one of these:
If all goes to plan, this nifty little thing should tuck in next to the front door. Future-proofing, my new made-to-measure wheelchair is so small it fits in too. All subject to very careful survey and reconfigured stairs. According to my tape measure and back-of-an-envelope geometry it should just be possible.
Now I've just got to find a good Structural Engineer and someone to draw it up. Better get on with it before May.....
In case you're wondering about the tortoise photo, it was the result of a spot of out of the (lego) box thinking by a vet in Germany in 2014:
https://metro.co.uk/2014/12/03/tortoise-fitted-with-lego-wheels-after-he-lost-the-use-of-his-legs-4972889/
http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Turtles-Tortoises/Information-News/Vet-Attaches-Lego-Wheels-Onto-Tortoise-to-Help-it-Walk/
Now I've just got to find a good Structural Engineer and someone to draw it up. Better get on with it before May.....
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In case you're wondering about the tortoise photo, it was the result of a spot of out of the (lego) box thinking by a vet in Germany in 2014:
https://metro.co.uk/2014/12/03/tortoise-fitted-with-lego-wheels-after-he-lost-the-use-of-his-legs-4972889/
http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Turtles-Tortoises/Information-News/Vet-Attaches-Lego-Wheels-Onto-Tortoise-to-Help-it-Walk/
