Does Your Parent's House Still Work for Them?

To tell whether your parent's St. Louis home still works for them, check six things: the entry, the main-level bedroom and bath, the stairs, the shower, the night path and the upkeep. If most are a no, compare fixing the house with moving.

In February 2026, Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services launched a 10-year Master Plan on Aging. Housing and aging in place is one of its seven focus areas. More than 10,000 Missourians gave input, and affordable housing came up as a top priority. That tells me what many families already feel. Most people want to stay in their home, and the real question is whether the home still works for them.

That question comes before "should we sell?" I covered the full set of five questions in Stay or Move? What St. Louis Families Should Ask First. This post goes deep on one of them: the house itself.

Walk through the house together: six checks

Do this with your parent, not for them. If you can, walk it once in daylight and once in the evening.

• The entry. Can your parent get in the front door without steps, or with a sturdy rail? Think about groceries, packages and bad weather.
• The main level. Is there a bedroom and a full bathroom on the level your parent uses every day? If everything they need is upstairs, daily life depends on the stairs.
• The stairs. Are there handrails you can trust and good light? How many times a day are the stairs used?
• The bathroom. Is the tub or shower hard to step into? Is the floor slippery?
• The path at night. Walk from the bed to the bathroom in the dark. Is the way lit and clear?
• The upkeep. Who handles the yard, the gutters, the snow and the repairs? What happens when the furnace fails in January?

Sort what you find into three groups

This is how I would sort the answers, so the decision does not feel like a pile of worries.

• Quick fixes: lighting, a rail, a night path, loose rugs, a handyman for the small repairs.
• Projects for a contractor: a bathroom update, a ramp or a change at the entry, work that needs a permit from your city.
• Problems the layout cannot solve: every bedroom and bathroom upstairs, a lot that is hard to walk, or upkeep that no one can keep up with.

If almost everything lands in the first two groups, staying may be a good choice, and the list becomes your plan. If the third group is long, that is when it makes sense to compare a move, with your parent's wishes at the center. My job in that conversation is to help you see the house clearly, not to push a sale.

What I check on the house itself

Whether your parent stays or goes, I want the house looked at. I like it best when the seller does all of the inspections, because it shows what the house needs before anyone is surprised. My main concerns are the building, the gas and the sewer. You cannot see a sewer line, and most people do not include it in their yearly maintenance. A wood-burning fireplace is another one, because you cannot see inside it.

NAR Magazine puts a basic inspection at roughly $350 to $500. Doing every inspection I suggest can come to about $1,000. Each municipality, whether it is Kirkwood (63122), Webster Groves (63119), Chesterfield (63017) or a city in St. Louis County, posts on its website what it checks. An occupancy permit is a city inspection and is separate from a private pre-listing inspection. If your parent's home is in the City of St. Louis, including the Central West End (63108), check the city's own requirements.

What this cannot tell you

• It is not a medical or safety assessment. Your parent's doctor and care team know what your parent needs.
• Who can sign to sell a home is a question for an elder law attorney. I explain that step in Selling a Parent's Home in St. Louis When They Move to Assisted Living.
• Costs, taxes and care expenses belong with a financial advisor or a tax professional.
• Every house and every family is different, so use the checks as a starting point.

Frequently asked questions

Is my parent still safe living in their house?
Walk through the entry, the main-level bedroom and bathroom, the stairs, the bathroom, the path from bed to bathroom at night and the upkeep. If several of those are a daily struggle, talk with your parent and their doctor about next steps. This check is a starting point, not a medical or safety assessment.

Should we fix up the house or sell?
Sort the problems into three groups: quick fixes, projects that need a contractor, and problems the layout cannot solve, such as every bedroom and bathroom being upstairs. A house with mostly quick fixes may be worth keeping. A house with problems the layout cannot solve is the point where families compare a move.

Do we need inspections before selling a parent home?
Inspections are not what decides whether to sell, but they show what the house needs either way. A basic inspection runs roughly 350 to 500 dollars according to NAR Magazine, and doing every inspection can come to about 1,000 dollars. Many St. Louis County cities also require their own occupancy permit inspection, which is separate from a private one. Check your city website for what it checks.

If you are helping a parent decide, send a note to shari@findyourwhaystl.com or visit shariwhay.com. I am glad to talk through the house, the timeline and your options before anything goes on the market.