Planning Your Next Move: Tips for Seniors

There are many good reasons to move in your golden years. Perhaps you want to live in a retirement community that fits your lifestyle or a facility that provides the care you need. Or maybe you simply want to live in a smaller home that's easier to take care of. Whatever the future holds for you, it's important to research all your options carefully and make a stress-free plan for moving. Enjoying Aging shares some tips!

Housing Options: What's Out There?

As a senior, you have numerous choices for your next home. Senior apartments, assisted living facilities, residential care homes, and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) are just a few of your options.

There's also the option of buying a new single-family house or condo that's more suited to your current lifestyle. For example, many older adults find it works well to buy a home with less square footage. Looking through listings will give you a better idea of what's out there to choose from in your preferred location and price range.

Buying a smaller home is a good idea for a variety of reasons. To start, a smaller home usually has a more affordable mortgage, which is great if you're trying to watch your spending. Also, when you look at homes with less square footage, you're more likely to find single-story options. These homes are generally safer to live in because you don't need to deal with stairs or other hazards.

Because they're safer and easier to maintain, having a smaller home might mean it's possible to live independently in your home for a longer time. Not only does this let you maintain close connections with your community; but it may also ease any worries you have about viruses and other health hazards in communal living facilities.

Selling Your Old Home

Deciding what type of home you want next is just part of the process. You'll also need a plan for selling your old place. Before putting your home on the market, it's helpful to speak to your real estate agent about home prices for other properties in the area. Knowing this information will help you price your home competitively.

Browsing other home listings can also provide insight into the ways people are staging and presenting their homes these days. Deep cleaning is a must no matter what, but looking at listing photos can also provide ideas for arranging your furniture differently and other ways to showcase your space.

Planning Your Move

No matter what type of home you move to next, you'll want to spend some time downsizing your possessions to make the process easier on yourself. Decluttering before your move means that you have less stuff to pack up. By getting rid of a few items, you'll also feel less cramped in your new home.

Even if you've pared down your items, packing is still a difficult task to do on your own. That's why you might want to hire a professional moving company. The cost of moving depends on factors such as the weight of your items and how far you're moving. However, the day of the week that you move can affect the price as well. Visit sites like Angi to research moving companies and learn about ratings.

Finding a new home as a senior can be exciting, overwhelming, or a mix of both. By considering your health needs and lifestyle, it's easier to narrow down your options. Whether you buy a new, smaller home or transition into a senior community, be sure to research the best ways to get a good price for your old home. And when moving day comes along, you'll thank yourself for spending a little extra on a professional moving service.

A special thank you to Dan Hall at dadschange.com for contributing this article.