While it’s true that some people view moving out of a home they’ve lived in for several years as a bittersweet, somewhat sad moment in time, more and more seniors today are recognizing the joys that downsizing after retirement can bring. Today’s older adults are looking to live a carefree life, eliminating some of the burdens that home ownership can bring.
If you’re considering downsizing your home and moving into an independent living community, start weighing some pros and cons and we’re confident you’ll see that the benefits start to outweigh the negatives!
The Benefits of Downsizing after Retirement
Here are just a few of the main reasons to consider downsizing your home to transition to a smaller home or independent living community:
- Your current home requires too much maintenance. As we age, even doing some simple upkeep on our homes can become overwhelming. Yard work, power-washing the exterior and driveway, and cleaning from top to bottom is a lot of work and can take up a lot of your precious time. Plus, some of these tasks might simply become too difficult or dangerous for you to handle.
- Your current home is too big. Are there certain rooms in your home that you haven’t stepped foot in over the last few months? After the kids have moved out, you may find that you just no longer need all those bedrooms and bathrooms. This goes along with the first point, that maintaining all that extra space is just too much work anymore.
- Financial benefits. The cost of living in your current home is always on the rise, even if it has appreciated in value. The cost of upkeep, taxes, and those big ticket repairs when something goes wrong- like a leaky roof- can really add up. In an independent living community, you’ll be relieved of these types of financial worries and can also put your home equity to good use.
- Reduce your stress. Since you won’t be worried about maintaining your home and some of the financial burden will be lessened, you’ll experience less stress overall. Your new, smaller home will be easier to maintain and keep organized, and you won’t have to worry about all those “do-it-yourself” type of repairs. Let someone else take care of them!
- Enjoy more free time. Downsizing your home allows you to recapture some of that lost free time and spend it on the things you enjoy doing, whether it’s being with friends and family, traveling, exercising, or learning a new hobby.
- A variety of floor plan options. Most of today’s retirement communities offer everything from single family homes and townhouses to convenient apartments. No matter what type of residence you choose, you’ll have the ability to come and go as you please, but still have the option to take part in planned social activities and events.
- Meet people who share your interests. You’ll be able to meet new people and build lasting, meaningful relationships. You certainly won’t have to worry about becoming socially isolated, which can lead to depression in seniors.
- Feel safe and secure. Not only will you have a full range of services and amenities, but you’ll also have the peace of mind that assistance is available should an emergency occur. You can be as active as you choose to be, knowing that help is usually just the push of a button away.
For more information about independent living at American Senior Communities, please visit www.ASCSeniorCare.com.