The children are out of the house - space for you!
As soon as the children are out of the house, it's time to start remodelling. Forget the "empty nest syndrome" and design rooms according to your taste.
If you start a family at an early age, you will have just passed the age of 50 when the children move out. No thought is wasted on assisted living or a retirement home, but rather active planning for the repurposing of the rooms. With simple conversion and renovation measures, you can adapt your property to the changed circumstances, give the rooms a new use and enjoy the generous space. Here you can find out what options are available and why it makes sense to keep accessibility in mind.
Conversion of the rooms
For some, it is an important step towards independence, for others it is hard work: the departure of the children from the parental home. The sudden emptiness puts such a psychological and organisational strain on some parents that the term "empty nest syndrome" was coined specifically for it. But instead of mourning the busy times, the focus should be on the future, because empty rooms do not have to remain empty, but offer tempting possibilities. Giving the walls a new coat of paint, furnishing and decorating the room according to one's own taste or creating spacious rooms by changing the floor plan are two basic possibilities for repurposing.
The "empty nest syndrome" primarily refers to the feelings of parents when or shortly after a child moves out. Women in particular are affected, as many of them have conventionally devoted themselves primarily to raising children and have reduced or completely given up their own professional activities. In severe cases, the emotional strain can lead to depression or addiction. However, moving out also brings upheaval in organisational terms and requires a rethink on the part of the parents.
The floor plan remains
A house lives and changes with the family situation and should optimally meet the needs of the residents at all times. As long as children and young people live in the house, parents often put their interests on the back burner. While the children have their own rooms and perhaps even a shared playroom close to the living area, a study for the parents is dispensed with.
Laundry is ironed in the bedroom or in the basement, the laptop is set up on the dining table in the evening. When the children have moved out, it's time to think of yourself again and use the orphaned children's rooms. Laundry room, study, TV room or simply a personal retreat, there are so many ways to fill an empty room. Renovation is easily done and doesn't have to be expensive at all: a new coat of paint or wallpaper, change the flooring and furnish and decorate according to use and taste. And in case one of the children does want to spend the night at their parents' house again, a sofa bed serves well.
Move walls
Floor plan changes allow for a far-reaching redesign of living conditions. Removing non-load-bearing walls creates spacious rooms, for example, turning the small kitchen, living and dining room into an expansive lounge area that brings residents together. Cooking, eating and living in one room promotes communication and does not make anyone feel excluded. With the installation of lightweight walls, parts of the room can be separated or redesigned and niches can be created. Even the long-cherished wish for a dressing room is finally realised by creating an opening to the adjoining adjoining room.
If you are planning something larger, you should work with an architect who can provide active support in all phases of the conversion. He has the appropriate expertise and knowledge of all building and planning law requirements and ensures that the construction measures run smoothly.
Accessibility
According to section 4 of the Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Act (BGG), "Structural measures and other facilities [...] are barrier-free if they can be found, accessed and used by persons with disabilities in the generally accepted manner without particular difficulty and, in principle, without outside assistance [...]". [1]. The concrete structural features and equipment that a barrier-free environment must have are regulated by DIN 18040.
Accessibility in one's own home is the basis for independent living in old age. It is therefore worthwhile to include accessibility in upcoming renovations now and thus benefit from it in old age. Often, it is already helpful to have an appropriate device that simplifies the conversion to barrier-free living if necessary. For the creation of barrier-free living space and the adaptation of existing dwellings to the requirements of accessibility, the state, the federal states and the municipalities provide support through numerous funding programmes.
Well-known, for example, are the programmes of the KfW Bank, which provide support in the form of a one-time grant and promotional loans at low interest rates; they are granted through the house bank. Among other things, the following structural changes can improve the living environment:
Outside the home
The installation of a passenger lift or the adaptation of existing lift systems, the creation of ground-level access, door enlargements and the construction of ramps and stair lifts ensure barrier-free access.
Inside the flat
In the kitchen, kitchen furniture that can be accessed from underneath with a wheelchair and motorised lowering wall units create barrier-free accessibility. In the bathroom, a level shower and a bathtub with an access aid provide safety and relief, as does the installation of touch-free fittings with temperature control and limitation. A sliding door or a door that opens outwards provides more freedom of movement. In the bedroom, access to the bed should be barrier-free and sockets and switches should be placed so that they can be reached from the bed.
In all rooms, sufficient space for movement should be created if possible and space for aids such as grab rails should be planned. When renovating floors, care should be taken to avoid or eliminate thresholds, steps and landings, and non-slip coverings should also be installed. Doors must have a sufficient passage width, and sufficient space for movement must be planned in front of and behind each door. Stairs become safer with non-slip surfaces and handrails. Sufficient lighting indoors and outdoors as well as numerous power sockets, preferably at seat height, make everyday life easier. Home automation with central control and remote control, for example for roller shutters, awnings, lights or television, saves many trips in old age.
Conclusion
When children move out of their parents' house, empty rooms are often left behind. With simple renovation measures, the rooms can be prepared for a new use without changing the floor plan. If the floor plan is changed by removing or retrofitting walls, an architect with the appropriate expertise and knowledge of all building and planning law requirements should accompany the conversion. In the case of upcoming renovations, it is worthwhile to include accessibility now and thus benefit from it in old age.
By removing non-load-bearing walls, several small rooms are connected to form a large living area. The combined cooking, dining and living area is popular, where the kitchen becomes the popular focal point of the house.
An architect assists in all phases of the conversion and has expertise and knowledge of all building and planning law requirements. He ensures that the construction work runs smoothly.
After the children have moved out, you can use their room for your own purposes. With simple renovations, new furniture and tasteful decoration, you can create a stylish study, a practical laundry room or a very personal retreat.
The creation of barrier-free housing and the adaptation of existing dwellings to the requirements of accessibility are supported by the state, the federal states and the municipalities through numerous funding programmes. Particularly well known are the programmes of the KfW Bank, which provide support in the form of a one-off grant and promotional loans at low interest rates.
It refers to parental feelings of grief, abandonment and emptiness when or shortly after a child leaves home. It affects women in particular, as many of them have conventionally devoted themselves primarily to raising children and have reduced or completely abandoned their own professional activities. In severe cases, the emotional strain can lead to depression or addiction.
