Should you downsize or renovate as you age?

Getting older involves lots of decisions — including whether you have the time and inclination to take care of a house that’s been aging right alongside you. The question becomes: Do you

downsize or renovate and age in place? Kathy Wolf and her husband, Stephen, spent months trying to come up with an answer. They both loved their two-story, 2,400-square-foot house, as well

as their walkable, close-knit neighborhood. But they recognized that neither one could manage the place alone. They went around and around trying to decide how to proceed as they aged.  “We

had so many conversations,” says Wolf, 69, a library manager in Irondequoit, New York. “We’d talk, then go on to something else, then come back to it.”  TOP REMODELING PROJECTS If you

decided to stay and age in your current home, it's likely your space may need some upgrades. Here are the most popular aging-in-place projects, according to the National Association of

Home Builders: * Grab bars * Curbless showers * Higher toilets * Wider doorways National downsizing expert Matt Paxton has been witness to this decision loop for two decades. He sees

firsthand how difficult it can be to make changes to familiar abodes, whether that means modifying or moving out. At the same time, he has noticed the trend of aging adults taking greater

control over their situation than their parents did. “I’m seeing a different vibe of empowerment,” says Paxton, host of the Daytime Emmy–nominated _Legacy List_ _With Matt Paxton_, a PBS

series about the heirlooms and memories attached to our homes. Homeowners are “saying, ‘No, I’m not going to leave this to my kids. I’m going to make decisions now.’ It’s a cool, positive

switch,” Paxton says. ​ THE UPSIDES OF DOWNSIZING​ Before you can make the choice to sell and move out of your house, you need to focus on one question: “What do you really want?” Paxton

asks. “To be closer to your grandkids, better health care, a new girlfriend at age 75? You need to have a plan. I cannot stress this enough.” Only after you’ve answered this question should

you turn to the finances. If saving money is a priority, downsizing can help meet that objective if you move into a smaller house, one that already features friendly accommodations for older

adults or includes lawn service, for example, in the homeowner association dues. You also stand to save time on upkeep and maintenance. Let the numbers help take emotion out of the equation

by making a spreadsheet. Include information about where you might want to move and how much that move will cost. “Then go on site visits, just like people do when choosing a college,”

Paxton suggests.