If you are like most people, you probably are looking forward to your eventual retirement, but you may be a little worried about making sure things are paid for. Having a good idea of how you will take care of your needs during retirement is essential to good planning. One thing you should be sure to keep in mind is the way you can use your home equity in retirement to help make it even better.
Downsize and Invest the Rest
If you have paid off your home and are looking to move smoothly into retirement, one option is to downsize your home. By selling your home and purchasing a smaller home, you can use left-over equity to create a strong investment portfolio. That way you have less home to take care of and have investments that can continue earning you money for the future. As you look for a new home to downsize in, it is worth considering the ways you hope to live as you are retired and choose a new home that best fits your needs.
Fund Home Improvements
When you’re retired, you will probably spend more time at home than you did when you were working, so your home must suit your needs. You can use your equity to make necessary home improvements that will make your home even more usable and amazing. Making changes like investing in solar power can also help you to save money each month. In many states, solar panels are exempt from property taxes. That means you can improve your home’s efficiency without increasing your taxes.
A Reverse Mortgage
For some retired adults, a reverse mortgage can help them to use their equity for income while in retirement. This method is not a good choice if you want to leave your children with home equity, but if that isn’t a concern it can be a great way to add more to your retirement. Essentially you will be slowly paid out for your home while you continue living in it as a way to continue making money throughout retirement.
Your home can help you to get even more out of retirement if you know how to use it appropriately. That way, you can spend your retirement doing the things you have been looking forward to instead of worrying about getting your bills paid. Your retirement should be a comfortable time where you are in control of your future.
Read this next: How to Pay for Healthcare Costs in Retirement
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