Spending: Remodeling for life - with style - Chicago Tribune

When the kids move out and you are in your 50's you start thinking about the next phase of your life. You need to take a good hard look now and determine if you can remodel your home and what needs done to make it more accommodating as you age. Will you need a first floor Master bedroom, low curb showers, a kitchen that will hold up? These projects can all be very costly and it is wise to not only start planning for the future but start making the best economic choices for a budget friendly upgrade.

Key Takeaways:

The moment that the kids have been successfully launched into their careers or they have gone to school, one suddenly finds he has more disposable income.
It is wise for people to consider the fact that while remodeling their house they are updating it for style but also so they can age gracefully in it.
Many homes in the US were not built the accommodate the needs of senior citizens and one estimate notes that most of them lack accessibility features.

“That has long been a no-no because it could reduce the house's resale value. But that's becoming less of a concern for homeowners today, says Dan Bawden, owner of Legal Eagle Contractors and a certified aging-in-place specialist in Houston.”