I’ve always believed the places we live — our homes, our landscapes, our communities — shape the way we live our lives.
Living with MS has meant adapting, slowing down, and paying close attention to the things that make life not just manageable, but meaningful and safe. And right now, the house we’re in is no longer helping. In fact, with a recent osteoporosis diagnosis layered on top of the MS, it’s become actively dangerous.
For me, Andy, steps where I need flow are now fall risks with a critical fracture consequence. Irregular surfaces that snag my foot drop aren't just annoying—they're a direct threat to my skeletal health.
For Aneela, my wife and primary carer, our current home is a source of constant, low-level worry. Every tight corner I navigate and every uneven floor she watches me cross is a moment of tension. Her role is one of love, but it's shadowed by the fear of a fall that could lead to a life-changing fracture for me and a dramatically different care reality for us both.
This project, then, is for both of us. It’s about replacing that fear with peace of mind. It’s about building a foundation for happiness and fun again, in a place designed for safety and ease. We're designing a home where Aneela can be my partner first and my carer second, and where I can move with confidence.
So we’ve made a decision that feels equal parts terrifying and exciting: we’re going to build our own home. Not just any home, but an accessible, sustainable, eco-conscious basecamp that adapts with us, not against us. This is about fracture mitigation as much as it is about fluid living, and about creating a shared space that gives us back our joy.
This isn’t about some glossy “dream house.” It’s about protecting the life we’ve built here, staying rooted in this community we love, and creating a home that actually works for us now — and in the years ahead. It's a proactive step to secure our future in a place designed for our collective well-being.
If you’ve ever gone through a self-build, or adapted your home for health reasons, I’d love to hear from you. What worked? What would you do differently?
If you’ve built your own home (or even thought about it), what’s the one piece of advice you’d pass on? What mistakes or lessons do you wish you’d known before you started? Do you think a home should adapt to its people, or people should adapt to their home?