Renovate your home for senior living. Here's how
Stairs, a high bathtub, and narrow corridors can all be challenging in old age. Many people consider improving their home’s accessibility so that they can remain independent as they get older. Read what measures you need to take to make your home accessible and what to bear in mind.
Renovate your home for senior living so you can age in place
Many homeowners want to be able to live in their own familiar four walls for as long as possible. However, ordinary fixtures, such as a bathtub, can become obstacles in old age, and stairs can become a stumbling block. So it's worth renovating your home for accessible senior living. The scope of your renovation will depend on the current state of your home and on your personal needs.
When is it worth renovating your house for senior living?
Deciding whether to renovate your home for senior living or move to a place that already meets all your needs can be an emotional business.
To reach a sound decision, you should evaluate your circumstances realistically: Is the house well located? How good are your public transport connections, and are there doctors and shopping facilities nearby? The financial aspect is particularly important. You need to be able to afford comprehensive renovation work.
Save taxes on renovations for senior living with value-maintaining measures
There is no golden rule about when the time is right to renovate. From a tax point of view, however, it is advisable to distribute the work over several years. Because you can deduct measures to maintain the value of your home from your taxable income. As a result, you can save tax.
By contrast, if you need to make several small investments, it makes more sense from the tax perspective to do all the work at the same time. That will allow you to pass the threshold for a flat-rate deduction.
Renovation measures for senior living
The measures you need to take to make your home accessible will depend on your property's current state and your individual needs. In principle, your renovation work should ensure that you can live safely and optimize your independence. Tripping hazards should be eliminated, and your home should be designed to be as practical and accessible as possible.
Useful renovation measures for accessible living
Outside:
- Step-free access to the house
- A wide parking space nearby
Inside:
- Remove all raised thresholds in the home
- Stairs must be wide enough for a stairlift to be installed if necessary
- Doorways must be wide enough for all rooms to be accessible, even in a wheelchair
Bathroom and toilet:
- Spacious bathroom
- If necessary, replace the bathtub with a walk-in shower with a seat
Kitchen
- Retractable work surfaces
- Smoke detector
- Easily accessible storage space
Smaller measures for accessible living
- Organize the objects in your home carefully so that they are easy to access.
- Install standing aids and anti-slip pads
- Combine the doorbell with light signals, so you can both see and hear that you have visitors.
- Install light sources with dimmers for optimum lighting in your living areas.
Smart home systems optimize senior living
You can install centralized smart home systems to automate the technical processes within your own four walls. You can then control your heating, lighting, and other similar functions remotely and conveniently via an app on your smartphone. For comfortable, accessible everyday living.