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 Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports more than half of remodelers (56%) take on this kind of work. Some of the most common projects are installing grab bars, curb-less showers (walk-in showers with no ledge to step over), and wider doorways.
Now, that’s not to say you can’t go this route. You most certainly can. But if this is how you’re leaning just know you’d be living with contractor noise and dust until the work gets done. Some people don’t want to live in a construction zone. Not to mention, having to manage the contractors and schedules, etc.
Your Equity Could Pay for Your Next Move
If that sounds like something you’d rather avoid, here’s the good news. The money for your next home may already be sitting in your current one. It’s called equity, which is the difference between what your house is worth and what you still owe on it. After years of mortgage payments and rising home values, it adds up. Jess Catorc, Co-Founder of Carry, explains:
“The way home equity builds and is used changes a lot depending on your stage of life. . . . For older homeowners, decades of mortgage payments and home-value growth can turn equity into a financial cushion.“
When you sell, that cushion can go toward a home that’s ready for this stage of life. No demo required. You just get the keys and it’s all there, ready for you. That means less time on projects and more time for living. And one option you may consider if you’re entertaining a move is a 55+ plus community.
Estimated Costs for Basic “Age-in-Place” Improvements
With help from AI, here is an outline of reasonable “ballpark costs” for a typical Minneapolis-St. Paul homeowner looking to make the three most common aging-in-place upgrades:
| Upgrade | Typical Cost Range |
| Single-level living (main-floor bedroom, bath, and laundry) | $5,000-$25,000+ |
| Walk-in/curb-less shower + grab bars | $4,000-$15,000 |
| Widen doorways and improve accessibility | $1,000-$8,000 |
These costs involve the following detailed changes to your home:
1. Create Single-Level Living
Lowest-cost approach: Move existing bedroom and laundry to the main floor.
- Furniture/layout changes: $0-$2,000
- Main-floor laundry addition: $2,000-$5,000
Moderate renovation:
- Convert an office, den, or dining room into a bedroom.
- Add closet, lighting, and outlets.
- Cost: $5,000-$15,000
Major project:
- Build a new main-floor bedroom suite and accessible bathroom.
- Cost: $20,000-$100,000+
2. Walk-In Shower and Bathroom Safety
Basic safety improvements
- Grab bars: $200-$800 installed
- Comfort-height toilet: $300-$1,000 installed
- Non-slip flooring treatments: $200-$1,000
Walk-in shower conversion
- Tub-to-shower conversion: $4,000-$10,000
- True curbless shower: $8,000-$15,000+
- Add shower bench and handheld showerhead: $500-$2,000
For most homeowners, this is often the highest-value aging-in-place investment because it directly addresses fall risk.
3. Widen Doorways and Improve Accessibility
- Widen one doorway: $300-$1,000
- Widen several interior doorways: $1,500-$5,000
- Replace doors with 36-inch accessibility doors: $500-$1,500 each
- Minor hallway modifications: $2,000-$8,000+
Most Cost-Effective Aging-in-Place Package
If someone wants the biggest impact without a major remodel:
- Grab bars and bathroom safety upgrades: $500-$2,000
- Improved lighting throughout home: $500-$2,500
- Lever door handles and faucets: $500-$1,500
- Main-floor laundry relocation: $2,000-$5,000
- A few widened doorways: $1,000-$3,000
Total: roughly $5,000-$15,000 and can materially improve safety and independence without undertaking a full renovation.
For many homes in Bloomington, Edina, Eden Prairie, and other Twin Cities suburbs, homeowners usually get the best return by prioritizing a first-floor bedroom/bathroom setup and a walk-in shower before spending heavily on broader accessibility renovations. Those two changes address the issues that most often force a move later in life.
Why 55+ Communities Are Worth a Look
From the homes to the shared spaces to the activity calendar, these communities are planned around this stage of life. And that means everything you need is already rolled into one place. Rocket Mortgage lists some of the biggest perks (see visual below):
Instead of spending time and money to make your house easier to live in, you’d move into a community that’s designed with that in mind from the jump. That frees you up for the good stuff, like a morning walk with a neighbor, a game night down the street, or finally trying the hobby you’ve been putting off.
Bottom Line
Staying and moving can both be good choices. What matters most is finding the place where you’ll feel comfortable and at home for years to come.
If you’d like help weighing the two, let’s connect. We can look at what your house could sell for and what 55+ communities in our area have to offer, so you can decide what feels right for you. And we can look at what might be necessary to age-in-place for your situation. Let’s make it a win-win situation for you!
