When you retire, it’s time to find the most comfortable house. After all, aside from days spent travelling or visiting friends and family, you’ll likely spend plenty of time at your abode. That’s why it’s so crucial to pick the perfect home for your needs and desires, once you’ve reached retirement.
Now, in a previous article, we’d talked about how to choose a retirement friendly home. We mentioned the importance of looking for a ranch-style home (or highly accessible home). In addition, it’s smart to make sure your next home has easy-to-use fixtures and other comforts. But what should you avoid? Today, we’re going to look at the other side of the coin; let’s take a look at common mistakes that folks might make when they purchase their retirement house.
Unknown Location
Don’t move to a town that you haven’t experienced before! If you’re anxious to try out a new place, do your research, and make a visit before you purchase a home. Spend some time in your new surroundings before you sign a contract. You’ll be surprised at the changes you’ll experience. If, for instance, you live in Duluth, Minnesota, and you’re planning on moving to Arizona, be wary that the heat might sound wonderful at first, but when you’ve spent enough time in your new abode, you might miss the cold winters of the midwest! Plan ahead, and try out your next town before you pull the trigger on a new home.
Don’t Forget Friends & Family
Don’t forget that you have a social network! If you value time with friends and family, it’s best to live close to them. If you’re a bit more independent than don’t hesitate to try out a new place. And remember, you can always communicate with people in your life through Facebook, FaceTime, texting, email, and about a thousand different apps on your phone. If you choose to move away from your current social circle, just be sure that you aren’t burning any bridges that you’d like to keep.
Amenities Become Inaccessible
While you may be spry and active at the moment, ageing is inevitable. Don’t forget that, eventually, you may not be able to drive your car. It’s a sad truth, but it’s wise to plan ahead. Make sure that all of the amenities that you need are well within reach. Consider living close to a grocery store and a healthcare clinic at the very least. Also, be sure to think about all of the activities that you like to do! If your favourite activity is a night at the movies, be sure to live near a theatre! Or, if you love to take walks out in the woods, invest in a home that’s near your favourite forest. Do you have a favourite church? Then look for a home that’s in the neighbourhood. You won’t just save gas; you’ll save yourself a headache if you have to give up driving.
Shortsighted Financial Planning
This one really should be first on the list — don’t buy out of your price range. While you may be tempted to invest all of your liquid funds into your new home, be wary, you’ll still have to pay for plenty of items in your retirement! Be sure to set aside funds for your food, vehicles, home repairs and upgrades, clothes, gifts, entertainment, and all those other little things that you can’t live without. Purchase your next home with your budget in mind!
Finding the Perfect Home
Finding the “perfect” home may mean compromising. While you’ve dreamt of a retirement abode your whole life, it’s likely that you won’t find a home that matches every single desire you have in mind. While you might find a home that’s in your favourite town, you don’t want to pull up stakes and leave your family and friends. Or you may find a home that’s on your favourite beach, but it’s well out of your price range. Don’t fret if you can’t find the perfect home; just do your best to prioritize your needs and desires. Once you weigh your priorities, you’re sure to find a retirement house that’s perfect in its own way.
Don’t Rush
While you may be anxious to buy a home, especially if you find a home that does fulfil all of your criteria but don’t feel pressured to jump on the first house that you find pleasing. Remember that this is your home for your retirement — you’ll be spending lots of time in your new space, so it’s worth taking extra time to make sure that the home you pick is ideal. If you can’t find the right home right away, don’t worry! That’s perfectly normal too. Just keep pouring over brochures and trying open houses. Soon enough, you’ll find a home that’s just right for your retirement.
Live Near Support
OK, admittedly this last point is a bit of a plug, but it’s a good idea to find a home that has the support services you need. For instance, if you need home healthcare services — like those provided by the folks here at Nova — you can do your due diligence to find a home in an area where in-home care is offered. If you live here in the Fairfax area (or if you’re looking for a home here) you can count on us for in-home healthcare needs. Get in touch with us today to learn more!
Regardless of where you settle down, we hope that you find a comfortable, beautiful home for your retirement. Cheers!
