Fresno remodeling companies are busier than ever helping retirees complete renovation projects. As more and more people in the U.S. decide to retire in their current homes, they’re realizing that they need to make a few changes to ensure that the homes will be comfortable and accessible in the years to come.
Remodeling Makes Your Home a Safe Place to Enjoy Retirement
If you’ve spent years decorating, repairing, and improving your home, moving to a small apartment probably doesn’t sound like an attractive option. Many people in the U.S. share your feelings. In fact, 77% of people surveyed by the AARP, said that they wanted to stay in their homes as long as possible, but only 46% thought that would be a real possibility.
Concerns about safety and accessibility may have prompted nearly half of those surveyed to express doubts about aging in place. Fortunately, a home remodel can remove barriers and make retiring at home a viable option. If you’ve recently retired or retirement is on the horizon, remodeling your first floor offers several important benefits.
A First-Floor Remodel Improves Accessibility
Although you may be strong and healthy today, you never know if your health will change as you grow older. When everything you need is on one floor, you won’t have to worry about climbing stairs (and possibly falling) if you develop a mobility issue.
Falls can be devastating when you’re older and can cause broken bones, head injuries, and other serious injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 million older people are treated in emergency departments every year due to falls. If you’d like to decrease your risk of fall-related ER visits, remodeling your home makes sense.
Decreasing stamina can also be a problem when you’re older. Including everything you need on the first floor saves steps, allowing you to conserve your energy.
Depending on your preferences, you may decide to:
- Create zero-step entries for your home
- Widen doorways and hallways
- Move your laundry room to the first floor
- Add easy-to-operate door handles and light switches
- Lower kitchen cabinets or add pull-down shelving
- Install additional lighting, including motion-activated lights in halls and bathrooms
- Add a higher toilet and grab bars to your bathrooms
- Put in a curb-less shower with an integrated sink and grab bars
- Install attractive railings on walls
- Eliminate walls and create an open floor plan
A Renovation Gives You Peace of Mind
Remodeling your first floor ensures that you’re ready for anything that can happen during your retirement years. If you fall and break a hip, recovering at home will be difficult if your bedroom and laundry rooms are on the second floor. Adding a first-floor master bedroom suite ensures that you’re ready for anything that may happen. If you don’t want to move into the suite now, use it as a guest suite, family room, or office.
Do you think you might need the assistance of a live-in aide or family member at some point during your retirement? Adding a small, self-contained in-law suite for aides or relatives will make it easy for caregivers to help you, yet still, ensure privacy.
Renovating Now Saves You Money
Just like everything else, remodeling costs will increase as the years go by. When you’re on a fixed income, and you’ve exhausted your savings, you may not have the money to spend on a remodel. Unfortunately, at that point, the only option may be a move to an apartment if you develop mobility issues.
Remodeling your home now, long before you have any issues, will help you avoid an unplanned move. Although a remodel may seem a little costly, renovations not only improve the function of your home but also increase its value. Should you ever decide to sell, you’ll probably be able to get a higher price for your home than your neighbors who haven’t made any changes.
Is your Fresno home a safe place to retire? If a first-floor remodel could improve your retirement, give us a call and we’ll explore all the possibilities.
