How to Get the Most
From a Remodel Project

When remodeling a home, it can pay to plan ahead. Decades ahead.

When Jon Pynoos's father-in-law Harry Salend, struggling with cancer and Paget's disease, came to live with the family, Mr. Pynoos made modifications to a guest house adjacent to his home to make it more accessible and comfortable for Mr. Salend.

"We put in anti-scald shower devices, grab bars fitted to his height and weight, excellent lighting, additional railings… everything I could think of," he says. "Even though he was well into his 70s, he managed to live independently in the home for five years." Mr. Pynoos estimates the total cost of the upgrades came to $15,000.

After Mr. Salend died, Mr. Pynoos rented the guest house to a college student, and the improvements came in handy again. The 22-year-old student had a hernia condition and was able to benefit from having grab bars in the bathroom and a seat in the shower. "We're all temporarily able, or we can be temporarily disabled at any point in life, so it's best to be prepared," Mr. Pynoos says.

Vince Butler, vice chairman of the Remodelors Council at National Association of Home Builders in Washington D.C., says the remodeling industry has put more focus on disability- and age-based home improvements.

"It used to be a very reactionary thing, someone in the home suddenly found themselves in need of a wheelchair and we'd be called in to make the home more accessible," he says. But a growing number of remodeling jobs today involve aging-in-place design -- upgrading homes to make them safer and more accessible, and make the improvements easy on the eye -- so that younger homeowners can enjoy them today and continue to live in them well into their senior years, he says.

Beverly Staal, a home designer with The Showplace Inc., in Redmond, Wash., says improvements in product design also are fueling interest in aging-in-place renovations. "For a long time bathroom fixtures like grab bars and shower seats looked very much like the kind you'd see in a hospital or nursing home, and that turned people off," she says. "But a lot of the accessory companies are making grab bars to match the towel bars, and you can do them in colors or stainless steel." Stylish levered door and faucet handles -- helpful for people who suffer from arthritis -- are also on more homeowners wish lists, she says.

This week, I'll look at some common renovations and home modifications that can make your home a safer place to live and may boost its resale revalue.

Some Minor Adjustments…

You don't need to start tearing down walls to make your home safer and more accessible. Inexpensive improvements such as staircase railings, non-skid wood or tile flooring, or brighter lighting on staircases can cost far less than paying for treatment later for injuries. For example, hip fractures among the elderly end up costing on average about $18,500 for hospitalization, nursing home care and rehabilitation, according to research by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

What you'll pay for home upgrades depends on how extensive your remodeling needs are and your personal taste. Take the situation where a person has trouble getting in an out of a bathtub on his own. A basic ergonomic hand-held shower head may cost $20 to $30, while luxury fixtures like spa showers and vertical whirlpools may cost thousands. As with any other home remodeling project, custom work usually is more expensive.

Mr. Butler recommends younger homeowners ask their contractor to add "blocking," or sturdy wooden boards, behind the walls when doing a bathroom remodel in the event you may one day need to add grab bars or hand rails to the shower or bathroom. "It may cost $50 to do now when you're renovating and the walls are open, but if you decide you want them later and I have to tear down a wall to install, blocking the costs could run into the thousands," he says.

...Or a Major Overhaul

Wheelchair-accessibility issues typically are the catalyst for more costly renovations. Adding on a ground-floor master suite or installing a residential elevator are two of the most expensive alterations, says Mr. Butler. "Accomplishing one-level living is the biggest hurdle for aging in place," he says.

Depending on the size of a ground-floor suite with master-bath addition, an average homeowner could be looking at a cost of between $20,000 and $50,000, he says, though for luxury homes it could cost much more. Many homeowners are surprised to learn that a more cost-effective solution may be to install a home elevator instead. As this article notes, the cost of installing home elevators has come down significantly in recent years with the introduction of the pneumatic vacuum elevator. Developed two years ago specifically for the residential market, a basic two-story or three-story pneumatic version runs between $20,000 to $28,000, installation included.

The good news is these modifications can add to the value of your home. Mr. Butler says homeowners engaged in a major addition or home renovation consider building a hidden elevator shaft into the home design, even if they have no immediate plans to install an elevator. "It's much cheaper if the shaft is already in place, and if you ever decide to sell the home it can be an attractive selling point to the buyer," he says.

Aging-in-place upgrades can also be beneficial to families who are bridging the gap between two generations when adult children serve as caregivers for their parents. "Kitchen cabinet counters that are set lower can help the person who is unable to stand on their own, but also serve as a functional work area for young children to help out in the kitchen," says Elinor Ginzler, director for livable communities at AARP in Washington, D.C. Floor pedals that regulate the flow of water to a sink, in addition to traditional counter faucets, can also empower younger children who are not yet able to reach the back of the sink.

Lower countertops and appliances used to require pricey custom cabinetry, but as manufacturers see a growing market for these types of upgrades the prices are starting to come down. Still, a kitchen that requires a mid-range renovation project is likely to average about $42,000, while a high-end remodel will run you upwards of $75,000, according to Remodeling Magazine. (See the magazine's 2004 Cost vs. Value Report.)

How do you know whether it makes more sense to stay and upgrade or move to a home more suitable? A good rule of thumb: If your renovations cost 10% or less than you could sell your home for, it probably pays to stay and renovate, according to the American Homeowners Association in Stamford, Conn.

Evaluating Your Home

For $19.95, Lifease Inc., a home-evaluation Web site in Minneapolis, will give you a customized report of suggested improvements, both costly and inexpensive, based on your home and individual circumstances. (Click here to see a free sample questionnaire and report.) Or you can download a free checklist to identify hazards and accessibility problems from the non-profit Rebuilding Together in Washington, D.C.

The NAHB, working together with the AARP, also has introduced a special industry designation, a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist. Since its inception in 2002, 695 remodelors, designers and occupational therapists have been awarded the CAPS designation. To find a CAPS certified professional in your area to evaluate your home, click here.

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