Renovate or Relocate? What To Know Before You Decide To Age in Place
You’ve spent years making your house feel like home, celebrating milestones, making each room your own, and turning neighbors into friends. As you look ahead to the next chapter of your life, it’s natural to wonder if this is still the place you want to spend it. Whether you’re leaning toward staying in your house as you get older or moving to a 55+ community, the goal is the same: a home that fits the life you want, with more time for the people and things you love. So, here’s what to consider before you decide. What It Can Take To Stay Put Wanting to stay in a house you love and are familiar with makes sense. But most houses need at least some updates to make aging in place easier. In fact, the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (JCHS) finds that fewer than 4% of homes have the basics, like single-floor living, no-step entries, and wide hallways and doorways (see graph below): That means for most homeowners, staying put means doing a remodel. The National ...
