The 50+ Housing Council and NAHB Remodelers recently aired a webinar on strategies to encourage homeowners to incorporate universal design features in their homes. Titled “Reimagining Universal Design: Communicating Value to Your Customers,” the key message of the event was that “builders and remodelers should stress that universal design is first and foremost good design — and that good design is not only functional, it is also attractive”.
Here are some of the interesting insights that came out of the event:
- Make a house seem as if it always had universal design features
- Get clients to create a wish list of home features, then discuss current and future physical requirements
- Evaluate the current state and style of the home before recommending changes
- Define universal design for clients as “common sense design with the long term in mind”
- In most cases, designing for the long term will add very little expense to the project, especially in new construction
- Use phrases such as, “making entertaining easier,” and “good for everyone from grandkids to grandparents”
- Prepare a portfolio or PowerPoint of completed projects to show clients and community groups
You can still listen to the webinar. Just scroll down the page to the “Get the Replay!” section.
