Getting ready for retirement - upstairs or main?
#61
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Pleasant Hill CA
Posts: 411
We bought a nice home 51 years ago and moved in with out family and a cat. It is a tri-level with eight steps up to the bedrooms and down 8 to the family room and garage from the main level. So life has had it's ups and downs ever since until today it's just me...and a cat! The stairs are harrder and harder although I have two knee replacements but to be fair the years are more and more for me too. On my birthday in a couple of months I will be 88 so I'd vote for on the main floor for the sewing room. But stairs are good exercise and I still love my home and especially my big yard.
#62
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Lowell, MA
Posts: 14,083
As I've gotten older, my ability to move up and down stairs has become a challenge, so I would recommend you put the sewing room and bedroom on the first floor. You may not feel it will happen, but you never know when you could fall, hurt yourself and then be unable to use the stairs, so a little foresight might be recommended.
#63
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Lemoore, Ca
Posts: 1,467
Consider the knees 1st and foremost. To me downstairs is always better, you don't have to run downstairs when someone rings the doorbell, when you want a cup of coffee, or when you are cooking something and have to check on it, etc. etc. Just my opinion.
#64
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 226
I've always been pretty mobile but now have 3 steps to the family room & garage (storage, freezers, & extra frig) & due to bad knees, have trouble making those 3 stairs. Moved from multi-split to one level w 3 stairs, never thought knees would be this bad at 69. Go with main level, you won't be sorry.
#67
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: sonoma county CA
Posts: 134
Main level - no doubt. DH and I just moved to a single story mid fifties ranch. We are going to remodel (I grew up in one of these and didn't realize how little closet/storage space there was!) He retired and was starting to have knee issues. I wasn't, but now the first few times I go up a flight of stairs I think my arms get a better workout than my legs. But I would definitely put the loft in for the grandkids AND for as long as you can, go upstairs once or twice a day - just because you can and you want to keep it that way. I sometimes go for weeks without climbing stairs because no place I go has them - rural Sonoma is a single story world. On the guest room aspect. If you have enough space a queen sized wallbed, when chosen for a flat front, can make a really nice design wall. You can take it down if you have guests.
#68
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Carolina, just south of Charlotte
Posts: 425
I also suggest the main floor sewing room. I'm a young retiree with no knee problems, but I really think if my sewing room were on the main floor I would wander in there more often. Since we moved to this house, I have a beautiful sewing room upstairs but don't go up there very often.
#69
How are your knees? The reason I am asking that is my sister is entering retirement this year and they are adding a main floor bedroom on their house. Her knees are not good and she can't handle the stairs anymore. If your sewing room is on the main floor you can just walk in rather than climb the stairs to get to it.
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