Most people want to stay in their own home as they get older. According to AARP’s 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey, about 75% of adults age 50 and older want to remain in their current homes as they age. The same survey found that more than half say they need a home that supports independent living, and many expect to add features like grab bars and safer entries later on.
That last part is the catch. Most homes are built for young families, not for the years that follow. The good news is that a home designed the right way from the start can carry you through decades without a major renovation. This guide covers the features that make that possible, why each one matters as your needs change, and what to look for when you tour a home. It also shows how these features show up in a home built for 55-plus living.
What Does “Aging in Place” Mean?
Aging in place means staying in your own home safely and comfortably as you get older, instead of moving to assisted living. It depends less on your health than on how the home is built. A home with the right layout and details supports independence. A home with stairs, tight spaces, and trip hazards works against it.
Why Home Design Matters More Than You Think
Small design choices decide how a home ages with you. A step at the front door is a minor thing at 60 and a real barrier at 80. A bathtub you step over is fine until it is not. Buying a home that already handles these things costs far less than retrofitting one later, and it means you are ready before you need to be. Here are the features worth looking for.
1. Single-level living
Look for a home where everything you use every day sits on one floor. The bedroom, a full bathroom, the kitchen, the laundry, and the main living space should all be reachable without stairs.
Stairs are one of the most common places people fall at home, and they get harder to manage over time. A single-level home removes that risk from daily life. Every home at Winfrey Estates is single-story, so there is no stairway between you and anything you use each day.
2. A main-floor primary suite
If you do want a second floor for guests or storage, keep the owner’s suite and a full bath on the main floor. That way the space you use most stays on one level even in a larger home.
At Winfrey Estates, the primary suite is always on the main floor. On the plans that offer an optional second floor, that upstairs space is set up for guests, so your own bedroom and bath stay downstairs.
3. Step-free entries and smooth transitions
Look for at least one entrance you can reach without a step, often from the garage. Inside, look for low or flush thresholds between rooms and out to any patio, so there is nothing to trip over as you move around.
Raised thresholds and entry steps are common trip points, and they block a walker or wheelchair if one is ever needed. A slab-on-grade single-story home like those at Winfrey Estates keeps interior level changes to a minimum. When you tour any home, ask about the step height at the garage entry and check the thresholds to the outdoor space.
4. A walk-in shower with a low threshold
Look for a shower you step into with little or no lip, ideally one with no curb at all. A bench or room for a shower seat and a handheld sprayer are worth having too.
Climbing over a tub wall or a high shower curb is one of the riskier movements in a home, and it is easy to design out. Winfrey Estates primary baths include a separate walk-in shower rather than a step-over tub-shower combination. If a low or no-curb threshold matters to you, ask about the threshold height and seating options on the plan you are considering.
5. Comfort-height toilets
Look for toilets set a couple of inches taller than the standard height, sometimes called comfort height or chair height.
The extra height means less bending and less strain on the knees and hips when you sit and stand. It is a small detail that makes daily life easier for years. Every bathroom at Winfrey Estates comes with a comfort-height elongated toilet as a standard feature.
6. Wider doorways and hallways
Look for doorways and halls with room to spare. Standard doorways can be too narrow if a walker or wheelchair ever comes into the picture, and widening them later is expensive.
A home with generous doorways and halls stays comfortable to move through no matter what. Widths are not always listed on a floor plan, so ask the builder for the clear door and hallway measurements on the plan you like.
7. An open floor plan
Look for connected main living spaces with few tight corners to navigate. An open plan is easier to move through with a walker, and the clear sightlines let a spouse or a visiting family member keep an eye on things across the room.
The homes at Winfrey Estates use an open plan where the kitchen opens into the dining and living areas. For a closer look at how that layout works day to day and when you are hosting, see how an open floor plan makes holiday hosting easier.
8. Bright, layered lighting
Look for a home with plenty of light and more than one source per room, such as overhead lighting plus task lighting in the kitchen and bath. Switches at every entrance to a room help too.
Vision changes with age, and low light is a quiet cause of falls and eyestrain. Winfrey Estates homes use LED recessed lighting through the main living areas, bedrooms, and baths, so the light is even and easy to add to.
9. Easy-to-use hardware and smart-home options
Look for lever-style door handles instead of round knobs, rocker light switches instead of small toggles, and easy-grip cabinet pulls. These are simpler to use as grip and dexterity change. Smart-home features like a keypad lock, an app-controlled thermostat, or a video doorbell add safety and let family check in.
Winfrey Estates homes come with a Schlage keypad smart deadbolt and an automation-ready security system, and every home is pre-wired for Wi-Fi and smart devices. If lever handles and rocker switches matter to you, ask ROC which come standard on your plan.
10. Flexible space for guests or a future caregiver
Look for a home with an extra room or suite that can serve guests now and adapt later, ideally near a full bath. Needs change, and a home that flexes can save you from moving again.
At Winfrey Estates, several plans offer an optional bonus suite for guests or grandkids, a flex room that can become a hobby room or a bedroom, and an optional second-floor living area. That range gives you room for visitors today and options if your needs change down the road.
Build it in, or Add it Later?
The AARP survey found that many older adults expect to add safety features to their current homes, with grab bars and safer entries at the top of the list. Retrofitting works, but it costs money and disrupts your home, and most people wait until after a fall to do it.
Buying a home that already includes these features avoids that. You get single-level living, a walk-in shower, and easy-to-use details from day one, before you need them. One more thing to ask about when you buy new is grab-bar reinforcement. Reinforced bathroom walls let you add grab bars later without opening up the wall, and that is easy to plan for during construction.
How Winfrey Estates is Built for This
Winfrey Estates is a 55-plus community in Tomball, northwest of Houston, with single-story homes built around a private garden courtyard. The design carries most of the features above as standard: single-level living, a main-floor primary suite, a walk-in shower, comfort-height toilets, LED recessed lighting, and waterproof vinyl plank flooring that is easy to walk on and to clean.
The community handles the upkeep that gets harder over time. The HOA takes care of the lawn and the common areas, so the yard work is off your plate. The private courtyard gives you a safe outdoor space for morning coffee or gardening, without a large yard to maintain. Homes start in the high $300s.
Aging in Place: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important aging-in-place feature?
Single-level, step-free access is the one most people point to. A home where daily life happens on one floor, with no stairs and low thresholds, removes the most common fall risks and works with a walker or wheelchair if one is ever needed.
Should I buy a home built for aging in place, or modify the one I have?
Both work. Modifying an existing home is possible but costs money and takes time, and AARP’s data shows most people put it off. Buying a home that already includes these features means you are ready before you need to be.
Is Winfrey Estates designed for aging in place?
Yes. It is a 55-plus community of single-story courtyard homes in Tomball, with single-level living, a main-floor primary suite, walk-in showers, comfort-height toilets, LED lighting, and HOA-managed lawn care.
Where can I see the floor plans?
You can view the Palazzo, Portico, and Promenade III plans for layouts and square footage.