5 Ways To Update Your Home After Your Kids Go To College

3. RIGHT-SIZE

You always hear about people downsizing – moving into smaller homes or apartments – when their kids leave the house. But maybe you want more space. Upsize if you plan to have the grandkids stay with you more often, need to accommodate your out-of-town adult children during visits or want to entertain more often. It’s all about making your home, whatever its size, work for the kind of lifestyle you want in this new phase of life.

4. CHANGE A ROOM

The kids are gone, so you change their bedroom into a guest room. Or a craft room. What about thinking a bit more creatively? Take a cue from The Spruce and create the walk-in closet of your dreams, complete with a washer and dryer, or a small vanity.

Plant an indoor garden. It’s an unusual option, we know. Go for potted herbs and flowers that would you normally grow inside anyway, ferns or other greenery you can hang from the ceiling. A vertical garden or living wall is unexpected, beautiful and environmentally friendly.

And if you’re looking for something even more dramatic, don’t be afraid to get rid of that bedroom entirely, like we see on Houzz.com. Give yourself a bigger living room by knocking out a few walls and designing the perfect entertainment space. Whatever that new space becomes, it should be something that helps you connect to your interests and keeps you feeling excited about your new lifestyle.

5. GET OUTSIDE

Gone are the days of treehouses and playsets. Improve your curb appeal or give yourself the backyard you’ve been wanting. NextAvenue.org suggests adding a garden – no stray balls to flatten the flowers – or a water feature like a pond or fountain, replacing or installing paved walkways, and building a deck or screened-in porch. Without kids’ busy schedules to contend with, you’ve got time to sit back and relax in your garden oasis.

We also think this is a prime opportunity to upgrade your front door. Give it a new coat of paint and replace the door hardware to something that is both secure and as stylish as your updated home. Smart locks, like the Schlage Encode™ Smart WiFi Deadbolt, provide lots of aging-in-place benefits as well, such as remote access and guest codes so that trusted family can check on you and your home, even if you can’t get to the door.