Senior Living: Prepare Your House for Retirement

Fix Up Your House for Your Golden Years Before You Quit Working

Many of us who have reached the 50-year mark tend to start thinking somewhat more seriously about our retirement years. These thoughts invariably focus on how much we are putting into a 401K or a Roth plan, whether the mortgage is going to be paid off, and if we have some little hobby that can be turned into a part-time business to supplement our income.

There are other retirement considerations that should be made, however, particularly while we are still in our productive years, in order to make sure that our golden years are well-planned. Unless there are plans to move to another location, or a different house, making a few renovations to make our current homes more "senior-living-friendly" should be completed while it is more easily afforded. I'm not talking about turning your modern ranch-style into a nursing home, but there are a few remodeling tricks that would hardly be noticeable, and would really be convenient when those old football injuries finally start to become more than an occasional ache or pain during your retirement years.

1. Install a step-in shower. Making a bathroom more convenient for those retirement years can be one of the most expensive changes. If you have a tub on the main floor of your home that can be replaced with a step-in shower stall, your knees will thank you later on down the road. Opening a door and walking into a shower with a slip-proof floor is a lot safer than climbing over the tub wall, especially if there aren't any nearby hand rails to steady yourself as you lift one leg at a time.