You can't build a dream home without having a lot first because a lot of what you want will be determined by the lot. Go find your dream lot first.

Location, location, location. Seniors need to be not-too-far from shopping, medical care, maybe public transportation, maybe family too. Seniors need single story, with no stairs within or to get in. Do you want the house to face north, with living space on the sunny south? Do you have a favorite neighborhood?

Browse through our forum threads and you will see many home plans that could be modified to fit Seniors.

The house and the lot need to be integrated. I'd try not to fall in love with either before doing some serious thinking about the criteria for the other to make sure they work together.

One story, easy access inside and out, minimal lot and house maintenance, close to food and medical sources (not to mention the grand-kids), support for hobbies and avocations. Make a list of your "must haves" and another list of your "like to haves". Then go talk to a number of architects who are experienced in residential design for seniors. Don't finalize anything until you have your land and you've talked to professionals. Good luck on your project!

You start like any other home build: with establishing a budget for the project.

Then, like any other home build, you do research, and double that budget for your want list.

Then, like any other project, youstart cutting things out as you realize that you can't afford everything you want.

A retirement home is only slightly dissimilar to a ''regular'' home build in that it has additional design considerations. If you have the right architect involved, you don't even need to worry about that at all. Have him do a bubble diagram for you in some preliminary meetings, and he can guide you as to lot selection that would suit your dream home's needs. Or, buy a (relatively flat and wide) lot, and then do the diagrams overlaying the restrictions of the property and setbacks.

Either way, the budget will be the absolute most limiting factor that youare dealing with, not the Universl Design issues.

I would put no more than one bedroom on the first floor. That allows a larger yard, better exposure to the exterior and more sunlight in the the living spaces especially the kitchen.

And I would use a second floor bedroom as the master as long as possible because stairs are important for privacy, view and your health even if you plan to excercise; you need to move as much as possible over 60. I probably use the stairs a dozen times a day and think nothing of it.

It is important to buy the lot first but if it will be a flat suburban lot with no important view, you might take the risk of finding it later.

Use common sense when designing for accessibility. For instance, if you need a wheelchair you will probably use a motorized one that needs fewer special design consideration. I've left space for elevators but in the past 40 years none have been added.

You probably already have an idea of what type of house you like: Farmhouse, bungalow, modern, whatever.

Keeping that preference in mind, search for a location that suits your needs and will work well with the type of house you like (for example, I'm in a rural area; an ultra-modern design would look out of place here in my county). While you're searching, consider what services are nearby: Public transit, doctor's offices, etc.

Once you have secured your location and you know whether your land is flat or whatever else, which direction has the best sunshine and views, etc., then you're ready to think about a house plan. Do not rush yourself in putting together your plan; a year or more isn't too much to allot to this process. Start now studying plans and educating yourself about what you like and don't like (we started out with a list of "must haves", but after going through X number of plans, we've determined that three of them were always iron-clad necessities, while we're more flexible on the others). Likely you won't be able to fit EVERYTHING you want into one plan; compromises will be necessary. Most people here are enamored of the Not So Big House series, and it's a good place to start, but you'll find other books too.

As a part of that studying, be sure to pay attention to the things that'll make your life easy as you age; for example pay particular attention to the bathroom design -- what's popular isn't necessarily what's useful to an elderly person.

Yes, you should consider budget, but only you know whether that's a big deal or not. Speaking only for myself, we are building a house far beneath our means, so we're not really thinking about it much. Rather, we are choosing to build a modest-sized house that will be easy to maintain (both in terms of cost and effort).

I'd start by seeing what is available in your area. That will give you an idea of what you would like to include in your plan....and what you would not.

As you go through these 'retirement' homes' consider....would a walker fit through these doorways? Will an island make it too difficult to use this kitchen, if I'm in a wheelchair. Are there any steps (even from garage) that will make this difficult to use as I get older?

If you really want to get an idea of what will work, try taking a walker or wheelchair with you and explore the homes that way. Many retirement centers/independent living places have bungalows that will let you see features up close and personal. Just like going to a "Parade of Homes" this will allow you to see and touch features up close.

And if you find one you like, you could buy it. But more likely, you'll discover what you like and want to incorporate into your own home. Then look for a lot. No reason to find a lot with a fantastic view, but not adequate room to layout the type of house you might need.

We Just finished building our dream retirement house about 2 weeks ago and are still moving our "stuff" in. We started by buying a lot first in a location we felt we be a good fit for us. We then picked a house plan and then the contractor. We customized the house to make it what we wanted. It is a 1 story, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. We did away with the bath tub and put in a walkin shower with a seat. Be sure to not have a lot of steps at the entry and also make all doors 36 inches wide to fit a walker or wheelchair if that becomes a necessity. Make sure at least one bathroom has a straight shot to the toilet and shower in case a wheelchair or walker needs to get in to use them. Also, we had the electric plugins put at about 18 inches above the floor to reduce having to stoop over so far. You could even put them higher. Make EVERYTHING maintenance free. No wood to paint etc.

I agree that picking out a lot is an important factor in the design. Even if it is a small, flat lot, you want the proper exposure for energy efficiency and comfort. Building a house in FL with a west-facing screened porch, for example, would result in an unusable porch for half the year. If you're in cold, snowy country and your front door faces dead north, the ice and snow won't melt all winter long unless you remove it.

I like the idea of a small house with expansion space. Our house is only 1295 square feet, with only one bedroom on the main floor. There is a full sized walk-out basement, though which could easily be made into living space should needs change, or a place for the grandchildren to stay. It's dry and insulated with large windows, but we don't have to heat it unless actually using it. Right now, it's very useful for storage and woodworking, and we're not paying the additional taxes on finished space.

I'm also a big advocate of building a tight, energy-efficient envelope. Not only does it save money in the long run when we will be on a (small) fixed income, but the comfort is amazing, with no cold spots like all of the other houses I've lived in. As you get older, you become much more sensitive to drafts and cold rooms.

It should be near your relatives and near public transportation. A lot of seniors end up marooned in suburbs where they can't go ANYWHERE without a car...then their eyes go a little bad and they stop driving and become dependent. Being near public transit can reduce dependency. Being near relatives means it's easier to get a ride to the doctor.

It should have halls wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. A wheelchair ramp. You can get away with two story if you have a second story deck and a ramp attached to it.

It should have trees for shade and central air...summer heat can be bad.

Either enclosed hall to garage, or a short straight walk to the garage.

It shouldn't have a huge lawn. They are a lot of work, and realistically how often do older adults run around outside and use the yard>

Our retirement home will be in a resort community. When we have talked to retirees, they always say that 1800 sq ft is too small for the holidays. There is not enough for their 3 kids, spouses, and grandkids. Unless your children are within commuting distance, you'll want a bigger house than you had when raising them. My children chided me for my McMansion we are planning UNTIL we rented an 1800 sq ft for a week last Labor Day...and one family was missing! They realized we needed a big kitchen for multiple cooks, 4 big bedrooms, and a big dining area; we hang out at the table playing games. We use it more than the living room! And we'll need a room for all the grandkids to hang out pretty soon! So, you need to look out for future family too.

We are building our retirement home, and it's been an adventure learning about aging in place and ADA guidelines. We read a lot and then made our list: 42" hallways, 36" doors, decent turn radius, few stairs, one step entry (code), light switches 42-48" off floor, electrical outlets 18"-24" off floor, rockers switches, levered door handles, thermostat 48" off floor, curbless shower with seat, curbless shower, blocking for handrails, few upper cabinets, extra lighting, etc. We are going with one floor, and a finished basement with room for live-in help if we need it. Minimum of 2 bedrooms on that floor, and be sure to sound proof and night light the bathrooms for those late night trips. Laundry room next to closet. Throw a closet in with an office, and it can resold as a bedroom. Honestly, I can't imagine why anyone would not enjoy this strategy of making your house as easy to live in as possible.

We looked online to get an idea of the kind of floor plan we wanted. The Florida style homes are excellent resources--usually about 2000 sq feet, one floor, and well designed. We then talked to several architects and design build firms. We talked to one architect who specialized in ADA but we didn't want to go that far down the road--aging in place was enough for us. The finished floor plan was quite different from where we started, but every change was to make our life better. Good luck--it's a lot of work but also a lot of fun!