OCTOBER 2026 | CLIENT UPDATE

Should You Renovate or Move? A Guide to Aging in Place in San Diego

A message from the Gloria Shepard Team at Compass

For many of our long-term clients, the home they raised a family in has quietly become something else: a place with more stairs, more rooms, and more upkeep than daily life requires. The question we hear more and more often is a simple one. Do you invest in the home you love so it can carry you through the next chapter, or is it time to find a home that already fits your future?

You are far from alone in asking a similar question. In AARP's 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey, three in four adults 50 and older said they want to stay in their current home as they age, and 73% hope to remain in their community. Yet 44% of that same group expect to relocate at some point. Both instincts are reasonable, and the right answer depends less on the market than on your home, your health, and your plans.

In communities like Santaluz and Rancho Santa Fe, the decision can be especially personal. A home that once offered everything a growing family needed may now come with more square footage, landscaping, and maintenance than its owners want. The question isn't always whether you can afford to stay. It's whether the home still supports the lifestyle you want.

Here is how we help clients think through it.

What Aging in Place Really Asks of a Home

Aging in place is more than a grab bar in the shower. It means a home that will still work for you at 80 or 90, through a knee replacement, a change in vision, or simply less appetite for climbing ladders to change a light bulb.

The homes in our communities are beautiful, but many were not designed with this in mind. Beautiful staircases and primary suites on the second floor are common in Santaluz, La Jolla, Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe. Nationally, AARP reports that fewer than 1% of single-family homes are wheelchair accessible.

The modifications that matter most tend to be:

• A main-level primary suite, or a ground-floor room that can become one
• A walk-in shower with blocking in the walls for future grab bars
• Wider doorways and halls (36 inches is a good target) and lever-style handles
• Step-free entry from the garage or front entrance
• Better lighting throughout, especially on stairs and outdoor paths
• Smart-home features such as video doorbells, monitored security, and voice-controlled lighting

These are exactly the projects homeowners want. Among adults 50 and older planning to modify their homes, AARP found 72% want to upgrade a bathroom and 71% want easier entry and movement through the house. Remodelers are seeing it too: 73% told the National Association of Home Builders that aging-in-place requests have grown over the past five years.

The good news is that thoughtful universal design rarely looks clinical. Done well, a walk-in shower and a wider hallway read as luxury, not accommodation, and they appeal to buyers of every age when the time eventually comes to sell.

When Renovating Makes Sense

Staying and renovating is often the right call when the bones of the home are already working. If you have a bedroom you could convert on the main floor, a manageable lot, and a layout that flows, the investment tends to be modest relative to the value of the home and the life you have built around it.

Renovating usually makes the most sense when:

• Your community is your anchor. Neighbors, your club, your physicians, and family nearby are hard to replace.
• The changes are targeted. A bath remodel and a few doorways is a very different project than relocating the primary suite.
• Your property tax base is a meaningful advantage. Long-held California homes often carry a Prop 13 assessment far below today's value, and staying preserves it. However, your tax base may be transferable if you are moving within California.
• You expect to stay ten years or more. A longer horizon spreads the cost and lets you enjoy the result.

One caution: major renovation is disruptive at any age. Plan for permits, architectural committee approvals, contractor timelines, and possibly months living elsewhere. A clear scope before you begin protects both your budget and your peace of mind.

When It May Be Time for a Home That Already Fits

Sometimes the honest answer is that no renovation will make a home right for the years ahead. A hillside lot with long exterior stairs, a multi-level floor plan, or acreage that needs constant care can become more burden than joy.

Moving may be the better path when:

• The required changes are structural. Adding an elevator or rebuilding a primary suite on the ground floor can be difficult and expensive.
• Maintenance has become daunting. Pools, landscaping, and large roofs require ongoing attention and coordination.
• You want to be closer to family or to a more walkable, lower-maintenance lifestyle.
• Your equity could work harder elsewhere. Many long-time owners in our area have built substantial equity that can fund a beautifully updated single-level home with room to spare.

For California homeowners 55 and older, Proposition 19 has changed this math considerably. Since 2021, eligible owners can transfer the property tax base of their primary residence to a replacement home anywhere in the state, up to three times. If the new home costs more than the one you sell, the difference is added to your base, but you no longer face a full reassessment simply for moving. Timing, value rules, and filing deadlines apply, so we always recommend confirming the details with your tax advisor and the county assessor.

Questions Worth Asking Yourself

1. Could I live comfortably on one level of this home today, if I had to?
2. What would the necessary changes cost, and how long would they take?
3. How much of my week goes to maintaining the house and grounds?
4. Where do I want to be in ten years, and who do I want nearby?
5. What would my equity and tax base support if I moved?

The Bottom Line

There is no universally right answer to renovate or relocate, only the right answer for you. The best decisions come from clients who weigh both paths with real numbers in hand, well before a fall or a health scare forces the choice.

We are glad to help you do exactly that. We can share what your home would command in today's market, what comparable single-level homes are selling for in nearby communities or out of state, and introduce you to trusted contractors and advisors if staying is the better fit.

Warmly,

The Gloria Shepard Team | Compass

About Gloria Shepard

With more than two decades of experience in Santaluz, Gloria Shepard brings deep community knowledge, established relationships, and a highly personalized approach to buying and selling luxury real estate throughout Santaluz, Black Mountain Ranch, and North County San Diego.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Please consult a qualified professional regarding Proposition 19 eligibility and your specific situation.

Sources:
AARP 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey, via HomeCare Magazine
Most Older Americans Want to Age in Place, MBA NewsLink
Do Older Adults Want to Age in Place?, Builder
NAHB Expects Remodeling Growth in 2026 and Beyond
California Prop 19 explained, FirstService Residential
Proposition 19 Base Year Value Transfer Guidance, California BOE