Just took part in a building blitz with Women Build, Habitat for Humanity yesterday afternoon here in Appleton (WI). Every year the local Fox Valley Area Habitat for Humanity builds at least one house that’s built with 100% women volunteers. The recipient is usually a single mom herself.
I ended up on the siding crew for the afternoon, which meant a lot of up and down a pretty tall ladder. They had some pretty large extension ladders (20 footers, maybe?) that really required 2 of us to move. I think if I tried moving one myself I’d surely put out a window! The day was great fun as I gained some experience with working with vinyl siding, which I’d never done before.
The evening meal was even provided by our Mayor, Tim Hannah! Whatta guy! He made us pasta with a pesto sauce, and cubed grilled chicken in its own yummy sauce on the side. That’s very thoughtful to have separated the meat into another dish for the vegetarians.
You don’t need any tools of your own to work on a Habitat job site. They have a tool trailer (with a “tool captain” that guards it like a bulldog) that you borrow tools from for your shift. So this is a fabulous way to get your feet wet, so to speak, with some building experience for just the donation of your time.
Just remember to put on lots of sunscreen and bring your own water bottle. They always have snacks that you can munch on when you feel your energy getting low throughout the day, so you don’t have to bring any munchies, either. They DO have water and lemonade, but it’s nicer if you can keep refilling your own bottle rather than keep taking a cup. They’re very conscientious about limiting waste and recycling on a job site.
And, putting in a six hour volunteer shift will give you a pretty good idea if you’re cut out to tackle your own home building project. It’s a small investment of your time to learn an excellent lesson about your aptitude for home building.
I also heard that this house is eventually going to be getting solar panels (probably PV). The front door faces south, so you can see that the roof will offer a great spot for some panels.
I am looking to move from my 2,000+ sq ft 130+ year old home to a new construction situation. The new situation will need to meet requirements of “Age In Place” (AIP). I am in the process of defining what AIP means to me.
I will be between 60 and 65 when I am done and can move in to my new home. I will have lived in the current home for over 30 years. Part of my process will be to understand what physical and mental situations I will need to deal with for myself and wife in the coming 30 years. This will take us over to 90 years old.
I live in Troy, NY. The property is here, one old home one vacant lot. The lot I have to build on, I own it, has a very small building site, that is with in set backs of the zoning laws. I can put on a 20′ x 30′ with some additional porch/patio areas.
The current property, with the old home, will come to market for a family who can appreciate the architecture, landscaping and area.
Hi Jonathan! Sounds like you’ve done a lot of thinking about the requirements of less mobility that may come with age. My belief is that many people don’t consider these adjustments to a house’s plan because they think they’ll always be as fit and able as they are today. It takes a lot of courage to acknowledge that age often brings less-mobile changes to your lifestyle.
If you’d like to share some pictures of the construction or your floor plan ideas please send them my way and I’d be happy to share them with the “small house community”. Best of luck with your project!
The important things to remember when designing for “Age In Place”:
You do not know if or to what extent you might become disabled with age related conditions
Most persons of considerable age are women
Most women have not thought through their younger years about strength training
Strength training can begin at any point in your life and return excellent results
THUS: All is not lost at any time you decide to take charge and be determinate about your aging scenario.
It may be good to start a new thread on this topic.
Jonathan Cassidy