Becky Stein
Aging in Place Home Improvements Under $200 – Start Gradual Upgrades Now
Planning aging in place home improvements with large price tags, is daunting in anytime, despite pandemics and poor economic times. Take the time now to make gradual improvements that won’t trigger dramatic sticker shock and will yield welcomed change for future home readiness.
Lighting
Fumbling in the dark and groping walls for light switches happens at all ages. Prevent aggravation and most importantly, potential falls with improvements to lighting.
Nightlights are an easy, quick, and low-cost fix. Ranging from $2 at your grocery store or just like anything, night lights with pizzazz will cost more. A standard night light can remain on all night requiring a surplus of bulbs. Opt for night lights with motion sensors which can be found in most hardware stores, including in 3 packs for under $30.
Oversized does not mean orthopedic or old. These days oversized light switches are found to be stream
lined and modern. Larger switch panels can help in those locations not suitable for nightlights. Sound activated switches, like “The Clapper” may invoke bad memories of the television commercial, but for under $20 it is easy upgrade. “Clap on. Clap off.” Genius in times of need or laziness!
Bathrooms
Bathroom hardware upgrades take a little more patience to install but also are a future insurance when the time comes for their use.
Grab bars in bath, shower, and toilet can range from $30 to many hundreds if you are in the market for gold brushed and designer. 18-inch bars are common, and price will increase with additional length and metal finish, but easy to find under $200. Installation videos abound for those who are confident to do it themselves and there are methods to install grab bars without studs, if that is a limitation.
Garage
Do you manually lift your garage door? Avoid unnecessary movement – or aggravation by taking care of this first. Lifting or pulling the door, plus the steps in and out of the car is high probability for injury. Overhead garage door openers price around $125 with familiar brands like Genie and technology will vary with the use of chains or belts. Investing in the opener will also provide an overhead light as an additional advantage for safety. For smaller garages, roller door openers can be found starting around $150.
Security
Video doorbells provide dual purpose of doorbell and security camera which limit the need to get up and answer the door. They include the feature of a built-in microphone allowing you to talk to the visitor, “Can you come back later?”. Or, to see the UPS delivery person walking away after leaving a package for you to retrieve at your convenience. The brand Arlo’s video doorbell packages begin around $150 and reviews are favorable compared to the pricier Nest or Ring brands.
These are just a few suggestions for low cost fixes or additions you can do in your home to help it make it age in place ready.
