SAFERhome Standards Benefits
A SAFERhome is the heart and building block of sustainable communities. To attain a sustainable community, the homes in that community must be designed to be both safe and sustainable, and be able to meet the needs of its occupants throughout their lifetimes.
SAFERhome Standards Society provides the only certification program in Canada and North America that addresses the issues of human sustainability and the application of universal design.
A SAFERhome provides a trademarked and measurable benchmark for all housing. More and more industries and governments are turning to the SAFERhome Standards to provide clarity in the promotion of safer and sustainable home building practices.
A SAFERhome is ergonomically safer and electronically pre-prepared; a home that anticipates the needs of the occupants through the application of universal design. Ronald L. Mace, internationally recognized architect, product designer, and educator, originally coined the phrase Universal Design, which is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for specialized design. SAFERhome's founder worked closely with Ronald Mace to create the SAFERhome Standards recognized today.
As the SAFERhome Standards are based on the principles of universal design, they create homes people can safely age-in, and live healthier lives through more purposeful design that provides better flow, functionality, and ease of use. Homes built to SAFERhome Standards meet the needs of everyone, at every age and stage of life.
The SAFERhome Standards is a design overlay for homes that brings flexibility, safety, and cost savings. Features include wider doorways and hallways so that people and things of all sizes can easily come through, wider stairways with less pronounced nosing on the front edge to prevent tripping and falling hazards, and aligned closets that can easily and inexpensively be changed into a personal elevator in future.
SAFERhome Certification is contingent upon the fulfillment of all applicable SAFERhome Standards criteria.
Benefits of a SAFERhome
SAFERhomes look better ……
Wider doorways, hallways and stairs all add up to a feeling of open space, creating a sense of flow that greatly increases the esthetic appeal and real estate value of any home.
SAFERhomes work better …..
They are designed to adapt right along with your changing needs.
SAFERhomes are worth more …..
They meet the needs of the largest buyer group while offering a stylish and more liveable environment for all people, no matter what age or walk of life.
- Why we need this type of housing
- SAFERhome is a better real estate investment
- Meeting demand for human sustainability
- How a SAFERhome saves money
- Reducing the risks of injuries at home
Sustainable building practices are becoming a necessity, as the world’s population ages. Statistics show that by the year 2032, 48% of North American will be 65 years of age or older. It is inevitable that homes, and home-related products and services, will have to adapt to the changing needs of the community. As a society, we are rapidly depleting our natural resources and it is imperative that we revisit the materials and processes used to construct our homes. The SAFERhome Standards Society offers innovative hands-on solutions to address these issues.
A Better Real Estate Investment
Sustainable building practices are becoming a necessity, as the world’s population ages. Statistics show that by the year 2032, 48% of North American will be 65 years of age or older. It is inevitable that homes, and home-related products and services, will have to adapt to the changing needs of the community. As a society, we are rapidly depleting our natural resources and it is imperative that we revisit the materials and processes used to construct our homes. The SAFERhome Standards Society offers innovative hands-on solutions to address these issues.
A Better Real Estate Investment
By investing in a SAFERhome today, increases the value of the investment tomorrow. By 2032, 32% of all Canadians will be over the age of 65 and will have specific housing needs. Those needs are addressed by a certified SAFERhome. This increased consumer demand translates to greater profit for the SAFERhome owner as homeowners are looking for these types of homes.
Meeting Demand for Human Sustainability
As physical needs change, so does a home owners' lifestyle. A SAFERhome has the built-in ability to support those changing needs. From toddler to senior, a SAFERhome provides a better standard of living for everyone in the home. SAFERhomes work better for 99% of the population.
How a SAFERhome Saves Money
Below are some examples of the cost savings when the SAFERhome program is included in the initial construction upfront vs. retro-fitting at a later date:
Traditionally built home retrofitted at a later date:
• Installing larger doors at a later date: $1500 + per door
• Retrofitting washrooms to add reinforcement in the walls: $10K or more
• Installing an elevator at a later date: $100K or more
• Widening stairs to permit a stailift at a later date: $$$$$$ Cost prohibitive in most cases.
Typically, widening of a staircase would not be an option due to structural, space, and cost restraints.
SAFERhome Standards included in initial construction:
• Total additional time to add all 15 SAFERhome Standards into a home at framing stage: 5 to 6 hours
Standard 3000 sq. ft. home:
• Additional cost to add all 15 SAFERhome Standards: about $500.00
• Registration fee for single family home: $450.00 per home
(Note: Registration fee includes inspection and certification)
Total Additional Cost to build a Standard SAFERhome: $1000 or less
Standard 1 bdrm/1bath unit:
• Additional cost to add all 15 SAFERhome Standards: about $250.00
• Registration Fee for unit(s): $400.00 per unit
(Note: Registration includes inspection and certification)
Total Additional Cost to build a Standard SAFERhome Unit: $800 or less
Below are some examples of the cost savings when the SAFERhome program is included in the initial construction upfront vs. retro-fitting at a later date:
Traditionally built home retrofitted at a later date:
• Installing larger doors at a later date: $1500 + per door
• Retrofitting washrooms to add reinforcement in the walls: $10K or more
• Installing an elevator at a later date: $100K or more
• Widening stairs to permit a stailift at a later date: $$$$$$ Cost prohibitive in most cases.
Typically, widening of a staircase would not be an option due to structural, space, and cost restraints.
SAFERhome Standards included in initial construction:
• Total additional time to add all 15 SAFERhome Standards into a home at framing stage: 5 to 6 hours
Standard 3000 sq. ft. home:
• Additional cost to add all 15 SAFERhome Standards: about $500.00
• Registration fee for single family home: $450.00 per home
(Note: Registration fee includes inspection and certification)
Total Additional Cost to build a Standard SAFERhome: $1000 or less
Standard 1 bdrm/1bath unit:
• Additional cost to add all 15 SAFERhome Standards: about $250.00
• Registration Fee for unit(s): $400.00 per unit
(Note: Registration includes inspection and certification)
Total Additional Cost to build a Standard SAFERhome Unit: $800 or less
Reducing the Risks of Injuries at Home- According to Statistics Canada, Falls represented more that two thirds (68.3%) of all accidental deaths in Canadians aged 65 years and older in 2021. [Source: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230828/dq230828b-eng.htm]
- About one in three British Columbians over the age of 65 will fall once every year, and falls are the main reason why older adults lose their independence. [Source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/injury-prevention/seniors-fall-prevention]
- 50% of falls among older adults that result in hospitalization occur in the home, and serve to highlight the need for seniors to be able to safely age in place. [Source: https://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/publications/public/injury-blessure/seniors_falls-chutes_aines/assets/pdf/seniors_falls-chutes_aines-eng.pdf]
- 80% of children in BC Children’s Hospital are there due to preventable injuries in the home. Falls among babies and children are the most common cause of injury at home that can cause broken bones and head injuries.
[Source: BC Children’s Hospital Safer Start Program, 1999, and http://www.bcchildrens.ca/Child-Safety-Site/Documents/GiveYourChildSafeStartBrochureWEB.pdf] - 11% of all ambulance calls are for falling accidents in the home.
The good news is that many of these injuries are preventable. Improved safety in the home from falls, scalds, and tripping hazards are just a few of the many benefits of living in a SAFERhome that make a difference everyday.
Contact us anytime to learn how to get started building your SAFERhome!
[Source: BC Children’s Hospital Safer Start Program, 1999, and http://www.bcchildrens.ca/Child-Safety-Site/Documents/GiveYourChildSafeStartBrochureWEB.pdf]
