Thinking about a home remodel as you head into retirement or want to make sure your home is prepared for your golden years? Smart thinking! While some homeowners are looking to move away from their larger houses, many now want to stay in the community, neighborhood, and home they’ve created memories in for so long. In this post, we’ll outline the best way to remodel your home as you head into retirement so you can enjoy your independence for years to come.

Why remodel your home for retirement?

Remodeling with your golden years in mind, often referred to as aging-in-place remodeling, leans into the concept of independent living being the best way to enjoy your retired years. While this is not possible for everyone, remodeling with an eye towards these years can help ease the transition and make the goal of independent living more achievable.

It also allows you to live in a home you feel comfortable in and have grown to love over the years. With some strategic remodeling, you’re able to make improvements to your home to reinvigorate the space you already love.

A remodel to enrich your life

While some homeowners have (maybe even you) remodeled previously to maximize value, when remodeling for retirement you have the luxury of making decisions based solely out of what brings you enjoyment. This means not worrying about what will give you a return on investment, but what will bring you happiness on a day-to-day basis. Your independence in retirement may even depend on a remodel - consider the benefits of opening cramped pathways, creating a first-floor master suite or adding a walk-in tub!

Since you’ll be staying in your home for the long haul, design your home to be cherished and lived in. Be somewhat selfish in your needs and wants — if there is an unorthodox home feature you love, don’t be afraid to invest in it. This remodel is for you to enjoy, not to make you 3% more when you sell your home down the line.

Our favorite strategies

Open spaces

Opening up kitchens and living areas is a great way to increase your ability to move within your home, while also making your home more modern and in line with design trends.

As you age and have more difficulty moving around, the added space throughout your home will make day-to-day life significantly easier. It also allows you to add health appliances you may need as years go on. Plus, it will be a safer space all around once there are grandchildren running around!

This is all on the top of the fact that open floor plans make your home a more open and inviting place. Since there are fewer walls to obstruct it, natural light will better fill out your space. It also provides a better space for your family to spend time together and enjoy each others company. It’s one of our favorite ways to update Ann Arbor homes!

In addition to opening up spaces, also consider widening doorways and entryways. Even if you don’t need additional space now, adding space will be helpful down the road and give you the ability to move more freely about your home!

First floor master suite additions

Another popular remodeling feature no matter the age of the homeowners, first floor master suite additions provide you with multiple benefits at once:

A custom sleeping space. Since you’re building from scratch, you can build this space exactly as you want and need. This includes the perfect bathroom, size, sitting area, and health applications you need.
A bedroom on your first floor. This is a popular choice for empty nesters who don't want to downsize. Moving the bedroom downstairs allows you to not use the upstairs space unless necessary, meaning less cleaning. It’s also great once you become less mobile, as you won’t have to go up and down the stairs repeatedly day after day.
More bedrooms for guests and family. Since the original master bedroom will now be vacated, this space now becomes available to guests and family members.

Spa-like bathroom features

There are few things as wonderful as having a bathroom you absolutely love. It gives you a place for serenity on a daily basis and allows for a space to truly relax.

Remodeling your bathroom to prepare for your retirement years also provides you with an opportunity to install safety features like handrails and walk-in showers. This makes one of the most dangerous spots in a home a lot safer and will give you peace of mind when spending time in your bathroom.

Some other aging in place and spa-like bathroom features we love include:

Large showers with seats
Curbless showers
Dual-vanities
Full-body and luxury rain shower heads

Other things to consider when remodeling for retirement:

Health and safety concerns

As you age, you may develop health consideration and limited mobility. Designing your remodel in a way that lets you move about your home just makes sense.

Make these considerations part of your remodel to help you live easier and safer. It simply makes sense to integrate features and parts of your home that will complement your lifestyle.

Luxury and convenience

A common request from aging in place clients is that they want to transform their home into a more luxurious and convenient place to live. This is great!

Adding convenience to any space is good, but one that you’ll be living in as you grow older will only make it make even more sense. You’ll be spending more time in your home, you might as well enjoy it! You are also wiser with age and can be more sure-footed in your decisions about what you love. You deserve a space you’re proud of.

What you’ll need

One of our favorite parts of these remodels are the requests — many times in the form of additions — that are to accommodate incoming grandchildren and family.

Many homeowners love the idea of expanding their dining rooms to host yearly Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, for instance. Another popular request is adding bedroom space for when children and grandchildren visit.

This could also mean spaces like a home gym, home office, or art studio. No matter your spatial needs, addressing them now is a great option so you can live your retired years to their fullest.

Living on your own terms

Everybody aims to love where they live; remodeling gives you the opportunity to create a home that makes this a possibility. We always recommend to homeowners that you should consider your lifestyle when thinking about how to remodel your home. Nowhere is this more important than with remodeling your home as you enter retirement. Luckily, you’ve likely entered the time in your life when you know what you love. You can afford to explore your interests and cater to what brings you pleasure. If you love cooking, this could materialize as a high-tech kitchen modeled after your favorite chef. If you love wine, it could mean a wine cellar with wine fridges galore. Now is the time to create a space unique to you.

At Forward Design Build, we’ll help you build the home you’ve always dreamed of

When retiring, we know you want a home you’ll love living in for decades.

At Forward Design Build, we offer a free consultation to discuss your goals for your Ann Arbor remodel. We’ll work with you to develop an understanding of your needs and execute your vision so your dream can be fully realized.

Give us a call at (734) 761-8403 or contact us online to schedule your free initial consultation.

For MORE INFORMATION: Visit our Home Page to learn about our complete list of services.

How to Remodel Your Home for Retirement