"It was a mission, but well worth it," she said, while giving the Bay of Plenty Times a tour of the home that took a year to build.
Simple things most of us take for granted, such as chopping vegetables, filling a pot with water, drawing a bath for her daughters, were now all possible.
As a former chef the kitchen was Ms Lowry's main focus when designing the home.
The kitchen has an adjustable bench that rises up and down at the touch of a button.
The $8000 bench also made it possible for Ms Lowry to fill a pot with water and drag it over to the heating element in one movement.
After hand surgery five months ago Ms Lowry was now able to close her fingers and grip things.
"I'm slowly getting back into cooking. I've got a crazy knife that's like a cleaver to chop with."
The surgery took tendons out of her forearms and wove them into her hands.
"When you're really good at something and then you get your physicality taken away it's quite a difficult journey to relearn what you used to be expert in.
"My head knows what to do but my hands need to learn a new way," she said.
The rest of the home was packed with features - some little, some big - to make life easier.
Wide hallways with plywood on the walls to withstand her wheelchair dings, a huge shower and a hand basin to wheel under, an accessible wardrobe Ms Lowry can open drawers and get clothes out on her own.
A wheelchair lift helped Ms Lowry get upstairs to the office and spare bedroom.
The house was made with real vision and it gave Ms Lowry the independence she had not had in years.
Fellow tetraplegic and architect Neil Cudby helped her nut out the house plan.
"He said you have to make everything possible in the house - even if you can't do it yet - otherwise you'll never do it.
"I wouldn't have had that vision, he's a bloody legend."
She said the family were getting into the groove of the new house, and it would feel more like home when new memories were made.
BOOK PROCEEDS TO GO TOWARDS HOUSE
Ms Lowry's long-time friend Barry Rosenberg has written another novel with all proceeds going to paying off the new house.
The Day the World Went Completely Mad would be for sale for $30 from the Salveo Therapy Clinic in Tauranga on 16th Ave.
"Amanda has always been a very giving person, often going out of her way to do for others, so helping her out in this way is, for me, a privilege.
"Since the accident she has shown remarkable courage."
Just recently Ms Lowry finished the Bridge to Bridge 1.6km swim in 18 minutes, beating several able-bodied swimmers.
