There are a lot of aspects of life in retirement that should have careful thought given to them when planning how you want your retirement to go. Arguably one of the most important decisions you’ll make is where you want to live. As it turns out, there are some good reasons why the answer might not be the house you’re living in right now.
Lower Your Cost of Living
One of the best parts about being retired is that you don’t have to spend a significant amount of time working to support yourself anymore. All that time can go towards hobbies and spending time with loved ones. Not working means you may need to adjust your lifestyle to better fit not having employment income though. You may find it helpful to move somewhere with a lower cost of living. If moving to a completely new area doesn’t appeal to you, try downsizing to a smaller home in the area where you live now. That can lower things like property taxes, utilities, insurance, and mortgage payments (if you’re still paying them).
Get a More Accessible Home
Growing older means that it will eventually be harder to get around. Most homes aren’t built with senior accessibility in mind. A home with stairs isn’t ideal for aging in place. If your home isn’t senior-friendly, you may want to move to a home that is better suited for potential mobility limitations. Look for a single home floor so stairs aren’t an issue. Remember to consider the home’s accessibility outside as well. Ramps with gradual slopes will be better than stairs leading to your front door.
Enjoy a More Temperate Climate
If you live in an area that is prone to more extreme temperatures, consider moving to somewhere with a more temperate climate. Living somewhere where it gets too hot or too cold can be uncomfortable, not to mention potentially dangerous. There are plenty of places with nice weather year-round. See if any of them meet your needs in terms of cost of living and other factors that may be important to consider when choosing a place to live in retirement.
Your home is meant to be the place where you’re the most comfortable. As your life changes and you prepare to retire, you may discover that the home you’ve been living in doesn’t suit your needs as well as it used to. In that case, the best thing you can do is to move to a new home that will be comfortable for you to live in during the golden years of retirement.
Check out this article on moves to make before rates rise further!
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