A good portion of the aging population wishes to age in place, given the comfortable nature of doing so. That said, not all homes are created equal because there are various amenities that can make it easier and safer to age in place. Read on to see three of the most important steps to take when looking for a proper home to age in place so that you enjoy every moment you can spend with your family.

1. Hire a Real Estate Agent

The first step to take is to look for the best real estate agent in your area. They can help you find the right home easily because they probably have knowledge of a wide range of homes. If you explain to them exactly what you need, they may be able to find the perfect home for your family a lot faster and more easily than you could by yourself. Note that many people selling a home use the FSBO route so that they avoid having to pay a real estate agent commission, which is typically 5% to 6% of the sale price, according to Investopedia. This means that you should also look at alternative options for finding the right home, as not all of them may be listed with real estate agents.

2. Learn Average Costs

Next, you need to find out the average costs to expect to pay for a home of your specifications. This may call for you to search online and also check with real estate agents in the area where you’d like to find a home. Note that the average cost of a shared or semi-private room in a nursing home in New Jersey is about $11,000 per month. This may help give you a perspective on some comparative prices to use so that you know every option that exists. Depending on your budget, you may decide to change your plans, but make sure that you’re duly informed before you settle for anything.

3. Know What Important Amenities to Look for

Another thing that you need to do is to keep in mind the important nature of certain amenities that can make it easier for you to age in place. These include ramps instead of stairs, grab bars in spaces like the bathroom, proper lighting, and knobs that are easy for everyone to grip and turn. Don’t settle for a home that doesn’t offer you every amenity that you need, because you’ll have to pay to get it installed. Unless the price is unbeatable, keep searching until you find the perfect home.

Remember to also look at elements like the roof; consider the fact that more than five million new roofs get installed every single year. The perfect home should be in a state that’s practically ready for your family to occupy so that you don’t have any additional hassle to deal with before you settle down. This is an important consideration to make in terms of money and time since remodeling and making improvements will cost you both of these resources.

Keep these three suggestions in mind so that you have an easy time finding the perfect home for you to age in place. When you do, you have a better chance of being satisfied with the home that you get. Your family will also be happy to settle down right away in a home that will be able to cater to various needs without having to get a lot of work done in the process.