Stay, Adapt or Move
Stay, adapt, or move? Decide while it's still your choice.
Most people want to stay in their home as long as they can. Many do, until a fall, a diagnosis or a long winter makes the decision for them. These thirteen questions look at the house, the next ten years, the people and places around you, and the money, and give you a starting point: stay as you are, adapt the house, or plan a move.
Before you start
Your answers stay on this page. If you send me a note at the end, only the result comes with it.
1 of 4
The house
How the house works for the way you live in it now.
2 of 4
The next ten years
Nobody likes this part. It's also the part that decides most of the rest.
3 of 4
People and place
A house that works is only half of it. The rest is who and what is around it.
4 of 4
Money
Not the whole picture, just whether the house is costing you peace of mind.
How to read your result
Decide while it's still your choice
Most Ontario seniors say they want to stay in their own home for as long as possible, and more of them are doing exactly that, well into their eighties. For a lot of people that's the right call. The trouble comes when nobody plans for it, and the decision gets made in a hospital corridor, by a doctor or by the kids.
This isn't a test you pass or fail. It's a way to see the house clearly, and to have the conversation early, when every option is still open.
What the three results mean
Stay means the house works as it is. Small things like grab bars, handrails and better lighting cost little and help later, but nothing big is needed.
Adapt means the house can work for the next ten years with some changes. Price those changes honestly and compare them with a move. A well-done renovation doesn't have to look institutional, but it rarely pays back its full cost when you sell.
Move means the house and the life around it are pulling apart. It's a reason to start planning, not to rush. The Right-Size Report shows what a smaller home could leave over, and the Move Planner works out whether to sell or buy first.
What the changes typically cost
| Change | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| A stair lift to the bedroom floor | $4,500 to $12,000 |
| A through-the-floor lift, or bringing the bedroom and bath to the main floor | $30,000 to $100,000 |
| A porch lift or ramp at the entrance | About $9,000 |
| A bathroom with a walk-in shower, grab bars and a comfort-height toilet | $20,000 to $30,000 |
| A bathroom rebuild, moving walls and widening the doorway | $20,000 to $30,000 |
| A kitchen with lower counters and pull-out shelves | $40,000 to $80,000 |
Most of this comes out of your own pocket. If you or the person living there is 65 or older, the federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit covers up to $20,000 of eligible work a year. March of Dimes Canada runs home modification grants, and an occupational therapist can assess the house and point you to what's available locally. Ontario's own seniors' home safety credit ended after 2022.
What moving costs that people forget
Moving usually costs more than people expect: commission, legal fees, land transfer tax on the next place, movers, and sometimes condo fees or storage. In one survey, more than four in ten downsizers said they didn't know the true costs going in. The biggest regrets weren't about money, though. They were about losing the yard, the neighbours, and room for family to visit. Weigh those as seriously as the numbers.
Limits
A starting point for a conversation, not medical, financial, tax or legal advice. Costs are typical ranges and vary with the house. For health and safety at home, an occupational therapist's assessment is the gold standard.
Sources, from The Globe and Mail: What aging-in-place renovations cost; Why seniors are staying in large houses into their 80s; What downsizers wish they'd known; The downside of downsizing; Start planning now to age in place.