Should you remodel or relocate?
Most families approach this question backward.
They wait until something goes wrong. Then they make a rushed, emotionally charged decision under pressure, without the right information, without a clear-eyed look at the finances, and without really understanding whether the home can support the years ahead.
This workbook changes that.
Developed by Esther Kane, CAPS, C.D.S., a retired occupational therapist with over a decade of geriatric experience and an Aging in Place Specialist, it gives your family a structured, honest framework for thinking through one of the most important decisions you’ll face together.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Section 1: Home Fit Assessment Score Rate your home on 10 key aging-in-place factors and get a clear score that tells you where you stand, and what it means for the years ahead.
Section 2: The Emotional Inventory Guided writing prompts to help you name what’s really driving this decision — attachment, fear, exhaustion, or something else entirely.
Section 3: Financial Reality Worksheet A side-by-side cost comparison of remodeling vs. relocating, with line items for every realistic expense, so you can see the true numbers, not just the obvious ones.
Section 4: Modification Priority Planner A phased, budgeted plan for home modifications organized by urgency, Now, Soon, and Later, so you’re never trying to do everything at once.
Section 5: Quality of Life Deep Dive Go beyond safety checklists to the questions that actually determine whether a home supports the life someone wants to live.
Section 6: Decision Summary Pull everything together in one place, scores, reflections, finances, and priorities, so the right direction becomes clear.
Section 7: Your 30-Day Action Plan Concrete first steps for whichever direction you’re leaning, including how to find qualified local professionals to help you move forward.
Stop waiting for a crisis to force the decision.
The families who navigate aging in place most successfully are the ones who plan ahead, who ask the hard questions early, gather the right information, and make thoughtful choices before the pressure is on.
This workbook is 9 pages of that kind of thinking, designed to guide your family through one of the most important decisions you’ll face.
Get the Remodel or Relocate Decision Workbook — $7
Instant download. Printable PDF. Use it once, or work through it together as a family.
This workbook is not a substitute for: A professional home safety assessment, a financial advisor, or a licensed contractor. It is a decision-making tool, one that will help you walk into those professional conversations better prepared and asking better questions.