What is "Livability" in regard to a home? You will find a lot of information on the Internet about "Livable Communities". But not very much about what design features create a "Livable Home".
Livability or Liveability? Both spellings of the word are used across several topics. There is information about how to make your existing home better with maintenance and decorating ideas, and how to improve your lifestyle in a small home.
The American Heritage® Dictionary has two definitions for "liveable":
(adj.) Suitable to live in; habitable: a liveable dwelling.
(adj.) Possible to bear; endurable: live able trials and tribulations.
It also includes the spelling "livable" as an acceptable variant!
We believe there is a lot more for the individual to consider beyond this definition. The various pages of this website will help you expand your analysis and exploration of what it means for you. For your home to be "Livable" - it will depend on your lifestyle, preferences and priorities. The home that is right for you, might not be for anyone else! Just you! It again depends on your personal life and family circumstances.
Some of the homes we have lived in have NOT been livable for us! We have asked ourselves "What was the architect thinking"? Did the designer s ever live with this floor plan layout or experience the problems caused by small counter tops, misplaced doors, etc? If you have made your existing home customized or unique it may have features incorporated which will make it difficult to sell without changing the features you may have added. Don't be surprised if a Realtor recommends that you paint over a hand painted mural or special decorations and built in furniture in a child's room.
This excerpt from an architecture article illuminates this point: "I think that great houses have to be both exhilarating and livable, but what does “livable” actually mean? - Long ago, when Philip Johnson’s famous Glass House, in New Canaan, Connecticut, was new and startling, a woman visited and said rather huffily to the architect, “It’s very nice, but I certainly couldn’t live here.” “I haven’t asked you to, Madam, ” Johnson replied. - It’s a good reminder that livability is something that all of us determine for ourselves."
From the New Yorker Online 2004 - Article by Paul Goldberger, Suburban Chic
Each place you live will have both good and bad features which contribute to it's ability to enhance your life and lifestyle. We hope you will learn from the experiences, techniques & tips incorporated into this website, and also contribute your views and experiences.
Start with writing down on paper, on your computer or in your cell phone notes all the things you love about your current home and would not want to do without in your next home. Then, make a similar list of the things you do not like or are missing.
Good luck with your individual evaluation!
Look for our customizable checklist with the best of 'A Livable Home' tips - coming soon.