Home Remodeling for Accessibility: Financing Your Remodel
This is the last of three articles on how to remodel your home for greater accessibility. The first article focuses on the first stage—how to plan an accessible renovation. The second article features a renovation success story about a real-life remodel undertaken by Jody and Drew Yarborough, a Californian couple who renovated their Silicon Valley home to make it more accessible, functional, and attractive. This article—article three—focuses on finding ways to finance your accessible remodel.
How People with Disabilities Can Fund Renovations
Cost is an important consideration for most people with disabilities. Having a disability can be shockingly expensive. People with disabilities often need costly modifications to use their homes safely and comfortably. It’s no wonder that many people put off renovating their homes for accessibility longer than they should. It’s hard to gather the money to make the updates. And people get used to their awkward workarounds. But when a home is no longer functional or safe, not being able to afford renovations often means people with disabilities can no longer afford to live independently. Losing that freedom can be crushing, and often permanent.
Below we’ll discuss some of the ways that people with disabilities can find funding to make necessary improvements to their homes. In addition to discussing ways to finance your accessible remodel, we’ll consider benefits of making renovations a little at a time. Implementing updates over time, before you need them, can ensure greater safety and comfort as we grow older in our homes.
Financial Burdens Are Greater for People with Disabilities
Most people with disabilities have expenses that people without disabilities don’t usually face, in addition to everyday living expenses. These can include necessities like caregivers, wheelchairs, accessible vehicles, and nursing. Some disabilities make it hard to work full time (or at all). But government financial assistance is often minimal. As a result, people with disabilities often have little to no disposable income. This means they can’t afford the latest adaptive equipment. They often have to make do with an old van with a wonky lift. Or they may be unable to use more than one floor of their homes because they can’t navigate stairs.
Having the money and other resources to renovate a home is a big challenge for most people with disabilities. And they may not be able to stay in the home throughout the renovation. There’s also the inconvenience of finding accessible living quarters during construction. That can result in significant additional cost that needs to be part of any renovation budget. But there are ways to finance your accessible remodel even if you’re low on funds. We discuss several options below.
Discounted or free accessibility improvements
Happily, many nonprofits exist to help people with disabilities solve problems at a discount, or even for free. Homeowner modification programs are devoted to installing grab bars, stair lifts, ramps, better lighting, and other assistive technology (AT). This equipment increases safety and independence.
If you need adaptations in your home, contact your local Center for Independent Living (CIL). A CIL can point you toward people and organizations that’ll help you make improvements or repairs. They can also help you access equipment that can increase your independence.
You may qualify for special tax deductions
You may be able to finance accessible renovations by employing tax deductions meant to improve accessibility. Let’s say you need to know how much you can spend on a renovation. My friends Drew and Jody Yarborough renovated their house to improve accessibility. (See part two of this series, Home Remodeling for Accessibility: A Success Story, to learn more about their experience.) They suggest you consider the value of tax deductions available for renovation work done to homes of people with disabilities.
In California, for example, home value isn’t reassessed after improvements if you prove you made modifications to provide or improve accessibility. You may even be eligible for a property tax reduction to offset renovation costs. Though the value of your home may rise considerably, your property taxes won’t rise. Your basis will stay the same.
As you make plans to finance your accessible remodel, build tax deductions and property tax reductions or exemptions into the final costs. And during the the remodel, keep careful track of all supporting documents.
Get a doctor’s letter to prove the need for renovations
Planning to renovate your home to improve its accessibility? You may need to get a letter from a doctor if you want to take advantage of tax deductions to help you finance accessible renovations. To provide a tax benefit, a letter must say that renovations were necessary to provide a safe and accessible environment. This requirement may apply to items like stair lifts or walk-in showers. It may also apply to installation of ramps or pocket doors, or zero-height shower openings.
Find out what’s required before you search for a contractor. Jody and Drew say it’s important to be sure you know what documentation you’ll need to gather throughout the process, so you don’t end up with higher taxes at the end. Check out federal resources for veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities. If you need a loan or mortgage for home remodels made to improve accessibility, look for organizations who specialize in them.
Is Investing in Accessibility Improvements Worth It?
Perhaps your household currently has no members with disabilities. However, it’s likely your home will require accommodations as household members age, or at some point after you move out.
Today, a quarter of adults aged 65 to 74 have disabilities. Nearly half (46%) of those 75 and older do. Most would like to age in place, but many homes aren’t accessible enough to allow that. This means people are forced to move into assisted living who could live independently if their homes were more accessible.
When considering whether you can afford to make improvements to your home, think about the huge impact that being forced out of an inaccessible home would have on your comfort and wellbeing. If you can make changes now that will let you stay in place as you age, you can avoid the hassles and costs of home improvements once you’re older, and possibly on a fixed income.
Many accessible improvements benefit people whether they have disabilities or not. (See our article on universal design for examples.) Even people who don’t have disabilities are thinking ahead. They’re adding more universal design and accessibility improvements whenever they make renovations or update. That way, they can take advantage of better design now, and avoid a lot of expenses later. They can also spread out the expense, so they don’t have a huge, unaffordable cost when they become disabled.
Other deductions, rebates, and discounts
You might want to finance your accessible remodel bit by bit over time using savings, mortgages, or loans against your mortgage or tax-free savings accounts. Also look into tax deductions, and rebates for improved appliances or better insulation. Take advantage of special sales, and senior or veterans’ discounts. Also, look for service organizations that provide some improvements for free. (Check with your local Center for Independent Living to find out about such organizations in your area.)
However you finance your reno, spreading renovation costs over time makes the transition to more accessible living less costly, challenging, and urgent as you age, or if you should become suddenly disabled.
How Many People Need Accessible Homes?
According to Pew Research and the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) based on U.S. Census Bureau data, about 42.5 million people in the U.S. (not including those who are institutionalized or in the military) have disabilities. These include people who have hearing, vision, cognitive, walking, self-care, or independent living difficulties. Difficulties with walking or independent living are among the most common types of disability.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that one out of every four U.S. adults (61 million people, or 25% of the adult population) has a disability that impacts major life activities. As the U.S. population continues to age, the number of people with disabilities will only rise. Chances are very good that you, a partner, or a family member will need to make renovations to make a home accessible at some point, if you haven’t already. The earlier you can make and implement plans to finance your accessible remodel, the more likely you are to be able to stay in your home as you age.
Planning Ahead for Future Needs
The Yarboroughs and I talked about people who don’t currently have disabilities but want to make their homes more accessible for future needs. This might involve preparing for possible mobility limitations later, or making homes accessible for parents or other relatives who visit or move in.
Imagining ourselves with mobility limitations or other disabilities, or acknowledging them once we realize we could benefit from assistance, can be difficult for many people. Jody notes that some people don’t allow themselves to think more creatively about how they might solve problems of accessibility, because doing so forces them to acknowledge their limitations.
Sadly, some people feel ashamed or scared of thinking of themselves as disabled. But Jody and Drew say that when people finally acknowledge their limitations, and give themselves permission to make accommodations after ignoring or denying their needs for years, the one thing they always say is, “Why didn’t I do this earlier?”
Make a Plan to Help You Age in Place
Many people want to age in place in their homes. My partner and I are thinking ahead to a time when we may have more limited movement. We might need assistive technology like ramps or a small in-house elevator or stairlift someday. So we chose a house with fewer impediments to begin with, and are rolling other improvements in as we go along.
Lots of people make accessible updates into their homes a little at a time, or incorporate universal design elements while making other big renovations. Thinking ahead lets you spread costs and upheaval over time. This can make the difference between staying in the home you love, or having to move into assisted living.
Roll accommodations into place bit by bit
You might decide to make doorways bigger or hallways wider as part of renovations today. Need new flooring? Choose materials and layouts less likely to make you trip, slip, or fall later. If you update a kitchen, you might want a bi-level kitchen island. Or maybe more space around the kitchen to maneuver a walker or wheelchair. Why not choose a drawer-style microwave that you can install in an island? These are easily accessible to most folks in wheelchairs.
Your bathroom might include a roll-under sink and a zero-grade shower that a wheelchair could roll into. Touchless faucets are more hygienic and easier to use. These are convenient for nearly everyone, and needn’t look like accommodations, but can be attractive design elements for all.
Such updates are wise. Being unable to do something basic like enter and move around a bathroom freely forces many people out of their homes. Something as simple as a broken bone can require a wheelchair that can’t fit into your bathroom. That can lead to the permanent loss of your ability to live at home. Situations like these can take away a person’s freedom and independence forever. Plan ahead and budget carefully so you can finance your accessible remodel a bit at a time. Spread the effort and cost over long periods before the need to renovate becomes urgent. This will help you live safely and comfortably in the home you love for many years to come.
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