Bathroom renovations for aging | Real Estate Newsletter
And Airbnb openings for the World Cup
A bathroom can be a dangerous place as you get older.
Tiles can be slippery, and falls can be devastating.
That’s why seniors who plan to stay in their homes long term are focusing on bathroom renovations. And we have some advice about what aspects of the space to focus on.
Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:
Waiting for a surge: So far, fewer than half the Philly region’s short-term rentals have been claimed for FIFA World Cup matches.
Stunned customers: These local homeowners put deposits on kitchen remodels. Then, their design company abruptly closed.
Deed issues: Philly’s sheriff says her office has fixed problems with processing deeds, but property buyers say that’s not true.
Whimsical wonderland: Peek inside a colorful, frog-filled Montgomery County home where “nobody can be sad.”
— Michaelle Bond
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As my grandma got older and a growing list of tasks became difficult for her, she used to quip to me, “Don’t get old.” (She turned 95 last month, so she didn’t take her own advice.)
But I knew what she meant. There are certain challenges that come with aging. Your eyes don’t see as well. Your body doesn’t bend or reach the way it used to. Your legs don’t hold you up like they once did.
These realities mean tasks in the bathroom can be more difficult or dangerous.
If you’re renovating this room with an eye toward your future needs, here are a few things to consider:
grab bars in the shower and next to the toilet
low-curb showers
wider doorways
nonslip flooring
extra heating
Keep reading for more adaptations that make bathroom tasks easier, and see how local homeowners renovated their spaces to support them as they age.
When I first heard that Philly was going to be a host city for the FIFA World Cup, 2026 seemed very far off. Now here we are. Matches start next month.
And people who own short-term rentals want to cash in on an expected flood of visiting soccer fans.
In December, Airbnb said it anticipated that its hosts across the Philly region would welcome 17,000 guests for this summer’s World Cup.
But just over a month out, more than half the Philly area’s short-term rentals remain unbooked during the games.
Local short-term rental hosts say they’re not worried.
The latest news to pay attention to
Philly’s sheriff says property auctions are now running smoothly. Buyers say that’s not true.
These Philly-area homeowners put deposits on kitchen remodels. Then, their design company abruptly closed.
The Main Line home of a rock DJ and radio icon who died last year hit the market for $1.25 million.
This banker used his know-how to buy a four-bedroom home in Brewerytown with only $1,400 out of pocket.
The land around a New Jersey lake that Walt Whitman called “the prettiest lake in either America or Europe” was just protected as a nature preserve.
The restoration of a historic Society Hill landmark is beginning with a $1.5 million makeover.
City Council members want a Philadelphia homeownership program to be more affordable for residents.
Architecture critic Inga Saffron introduces us to the architect who’s trying to revive Market Street with a retail experiment.
House of the week: For $595,000 in Cherry Hill, a four-bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood.
I’ve never really thought much about frogs, especially when it comes to home decorating. But this is the second week in a row that we’re featuring someone living in a home where frogs are everywhere. Coincidence? Or is frog decor more popular than I knew?
(My thing was dolphins growing up. But I left that decor behind before I got my own place.)
Last week, Natasa Kostic shared her love for her magnets and thrifted ceramic bowl lined with frogs.
This week, Lindsay Carota is sharing her collection of metal, wood, and ceramic frogs in her house in Merion Station. She said she started her collection at 21 when she bought a ceramic amphibian for her first apartment.
Carota’s coffee table is two large frogs carved from wood with glass balanced on top. And that’s not even the only frog table in the home Carota shares with her husband.
But the number of frogs isn’t the only thing interesting about the home. The house is full of color and bold designs.
Peek inside the Carotas’ home, where Lindsay says “nobody can be sad.”
📮Now I’m curious: In your home, does any animal feature heavily in your decor? Tell me all about it.
📷 Photo quiz
Do you know the location this photo shows?
📮 If you think you do, email me back.
Last week’s quiz featured a photo of the rear of the renovated Greyhound bus station that just reopened at 10th and Filbert Streets.
Shoutout to Joe G., Bruce H., and Don. L for being among the first to get that right.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
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