The start of a new year is a good time to reflect on your past and move toward your future. Older homeowners – especially if they’re mortgage-free – have many options.
Examine your needs and wants. The first decision: should you stay or go? If you decide to go, where? A smaller house? A senior community? Someplace close to the kids and grandkids?
Some Questions to Ponder
· Have you lived in your house for decades?
· Are you a retired empty nester?
· Do you seek a maintenance-free lifestyle?
· Do you wish to travel? Pursue new interests? Make new friends?
Three Options to Consider
#1: AGE-IN PLACE IN YOUR CURRENT HOME
If you wish to remain in an older home that has steps, narrow doorways and hallways, a small bathroom with a difficult-to-access tub, and other features not conducive to safe, easy navigation, especially for people with mobility issues, you will need to remodel; ideally, before you have to do so. Adding major adaptive features can take a lot of time and money.
#2: RIGHTSIZE TO A BETTER FIT HOME
Downsizing has a negative connotation, implying that circumstances constrain you to less space and a lesser lifestyle. By contrast, rightsizing customizes your space to your lifestyle. It’s a choice you make; not one that is forced upon you. If you’ve owned your home for a long time, you may be able to pay cash for a smaller home, perhaps in a new location, that accommodates current and future needs.
#3: MOVE TO A SENIOR COMMUNITY
Many active seniors choose to de-clutter not only their physical but their emotional spaces by selling their home – often for a premium – and moving to an amenity-rich senior community.
In this and other relocation decisions, there is a myriad of things to know and to do. As seasoned, compassionate Senior Real Estate Specialists, we at Greenwald & Gerke help people sort through the clutter, serving as your single point of contact for a plethora of resources. We’ll even provide the resources to a senior community placement professional so you can find the residential community that is the perfect fit for you!
Our Advice is Free – and Priceless
Greenwald & Gerke is committed to helping seniors navigate complex decisions so they can attain their happily ever after home. Call us at (844) 782-9674 for a complimentary consultation.
