Four Ways to Prepare Your Home for Aging-In-Place

For many seniors, the idea of leaving the home you raised your family in has little appeal. If that sounds like you, the question you should consider asking yourself is: “what can I do to my home to prepare it to age-in-place?”

Here are four things you can do to make it easier to live in your home as you age:

• Home modifications:  grab bars near toilets and showers, ramps, installing a shower without a threshold in case you need to enter a shower via wheelchair, and modifying the kitchen so that a walker or wheelchair can maneuver are a few modifications that help prevent injury and make it easier to live in your home long term.
• Green updates: switching lighting to LED, improving home insulation, energy-efficient appliances, and other green updates will help control your monthly living expenses. This will pay dividends later if your money becomes tighter as costs rise.
• Declutter & organize: having a professional organizer can help you get rid of what you no longer need and organize what you have, to make your home more user-friendly and accessible. Removing clutter reduces fire risk and makes regular maintenance easier.
• Smart home technology: an alarm system, smart locks, and video doorbell can help keep your home secure and allow you to provide access to your home if you are physically unable to for some reason. A voice-controlled smart thermostat allows you to manage temperature without getting up. All of these devices allow a family member (if you choose) to remotely check in to make sure you are okay.

Making modifications now helps you be prepared for later. Even if at some point you decide to downsize, these modifications are appealing to buyers regardless of the phase of life they are in. Having these features in place can extend the amount of time you can live safely and happily in your current home.

Michael Skay is a real estate agent in Chester County. He has over 20 years of client-focused experience helping people realize and achieve their financial & real estate goals.

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