With the aggravation of the global trend of population aging, all countries in the world are facing the challenge of rapid population aging, and providing a favorable environment for the elderly has become a focus of social concern. Through systematic literature analysis, this paper provides an in-depth discussion of the intrinsic links between the residential preferences of the elderly, ageing-friendly design and smart home technologies, focusing on the core topic of ageing-friendly home retrofitting. Studies have shown that the elderly are generally characterized by physiological decline, changes in activity patterns, reduced social interactions, slower pace of life, and lagging knowledge updating, etc. These changes have given rise to diversified needs for living environments. In this context, the home care model has gained widespread attention due to its unique advantages, and the construction of a truly age-friendly living environment not only needs to solve the functional problems, but should also pay more attention to the emotional comfort and spiritual needs of the elderly. As an important guarantee for aging in place, home ageing renovation significantly improves the autonomy and quality of life of the elderly by optimizing the configuration of living space and facilities. Based on the academic literature from 2018 to 2024, this study comprehensively analyzes the research progress in the field of ageing-in-place retrofitting, including theoretical foundations, methodological innovations, practice cases, and existing controversies, and then proposes future research directions, aiming to provide useful reference for academic research and practical application in this field.