Property Brothers' Design Tips for a Home You'll Never Have to Leave

Leave it to Jonathan and Drew Scott, better known as the Property Brothers, to look inside an overstuffed closet and see a long, happy retirement. The famous reality-TV fixer-upper twins are helping their parents, Joanne and Jim, dream up ways to create a “forever home” — a place where they can live comfortably on their own, now and for many years to come.

"Do you know what it's called when you have too much clutter?” Drew says to his mother as they stare down a wardrobe unit dating to the bell-bottom era. “I do,” Jonathan interjects. “It's called being a hoarder! Get rid of that junk!"

The brothers Scott are using an older house that's for sale near their real homes in Las Vegas as inspiration (and a cautionary tale) to guide Joanne and Jim as they think ahead to what's sometimes called aging in place — a way to continue to live independently regardless of age.

Jonathan (left) and Drew Scott.

Cody Pickens

"You've worked hard all your life,” Jonathan says to his mom and dad. “Now it's time to make your home work for you, for the long run."

The older Scotts are not alone in seeking an at-home future. “A recent AARP study found that nearly 80 percent of older adults want to continue living in their home for as long as possible,” says Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of AARP Foundation, AARP's charitable affiliate.

"In particular, the ability to age in place for low-income older adults depends on access to affordable housing that incorporates universal design fundamentals such as no-step entries, and lever-style door and faucet handles.”

So now, room by room, appliance by appliance, closet by crammed closet, watch Jonathan and Drew and Joanne and Jim as they talk through the fixes, refreshes and cost-efficient upgrades that can make your current abode a happily-ever-after home while keeping in mind key universal design concepts.