Seeing our kids go to universities and out into the world can be exciting and challenging simultaneously. However, one thing is clear: a new stage in your life is about to begin. Whether your children started universities or moved to another country to pursue their dreams, it's time to refocus and think about how you want to spend your life onwards. Your main goal might be to cut down the expenses or live a simpler life. Whichever the case, most people in your situation start by downsizing their homes. Therefore, this article shares the top home-buying tips for empty nesters to bear in mind.
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The list of home-buying tips for empty nesters
Becoming an empty nester means you'll have to rethink many things regarding your life, starting with your house. As you won't have the same needs as before, this is a perfect opportunity to start thinking of your retirement house.
Once you start thinking in this direction, you can expand your downsizing journey by deciding which of your belongings you'll keep and what you should give away or sell. Once you downsize your belongings, everything else will go more smoothly - the house hunting, moving, and settling in. Again, this is because you won't have a lot of physical baggage to take care of, resulting in less emotional baggage.
Here are the things to keep in mind regarding home-buying tips for empty nesters.
How do I want to live?
- How do I want to live?
- Where?
- Accessibility
- Proximity to family members and amenities
- Maintenance
- Community
Review your lifestyle
Becoming an empty nester can now give you the freedom to use your time the way you want to. So, before making any final decisions, it would be wise to think about how you want to spend your life.
It would help if you started by asking yourself this question:
If all of my time was free, where would I go, and what would I do?
The answers could be: spending it in your yard and making home improvements, or riding a bike and going for long morning walks in the park, being with friends and family, and so on. The way you want to spend your life and free time will dictate all the following steps, especially when choosing the perfect location for your new home.
Consider the location
The following big things to determine are: where and what type of home you want to live in. So, when choosing a location for your new home, be sure to ask yourself some of the following questions.
- Do you want to stay close to your kids?
- Would you like to change the neighborhood/city/country?
- Do you prefer the city center buildings where you can visit restaurants and see friends?
- Or do you prefer living off-grid and looking for something quieter?
- Would you start somewhere fresh where the kids will be excited to visit?
- Do you plan to travel frequently and live close to the airport?
- Is living somewhere with a warmer climate important to you? Etc.
The type of home you want is greatly dependent on your answers to the questions above. For instance, living in the suburbs is becoming a popular tip for seniors that wish to downsize. This is because suburbs offer the "in-between" experience, such as walkable neighborhoods, a friendly community, proximity to the city, restaurants, and things to do.
Finally, try to envision your future home and the life you expect to live in it. Would you like to frequently have family and friends over for visits, sleepovers, and BBQs? Are a yard and balcony your focus if you wish to enjoy your evening glass of wine cozily and quietly? Have a moment to think about what's the most important to you. What do you need in your future home?
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Accessibility
As we get older, it's wise to seek homes that will cater to our physical needs in the future. Therefore, it would be best to look for single-story houses or two-story ones with obligatory bathrooms on the ground floor. With fewer steps to climb, there are fewer risks of potential injuries in the future.
Additionally, bathrooms are another crucial thing to consider when looking to downsize. It would be best to look for bathrooms with easily accessible showers and toilets compared to the ones with oversized slippery bathtubs.
Proximity to your loved ones
Even if your kids have just started university, you should consider their future wishes and needs when picking a new house. For instance, if they plan on having children, it would be amazing to live nearby and be able to help them out and spend quality time with your grandchildren.
Also, if your kids already have settled down, you might want to consider accessible travel options to theirs or choosing a home nearby if you wish to stay close to them.
Finally, the crew from peasleyboisemovers.com reminded us that amenities are vital when choosing a new place, especially as we're getting older. A lot of their clients shared they chose their downsized home based on the proximity of the following:
House maintenance
Before buying a new home, you should carefully think of all the maintenance it will need to manage it successfully. It wouldn't be an excellent option to buy a house that requires a lot of work if you wish to spend your free time traveling or focusing on friends and family. The best option for you is based on your future lifestyle and possibilities. That's why it would be good to find a balance between these two when choosing a home.
Having a community
Finally, a community that suits you plays an important role when looking for a small home to live in and making the most out of it. The perfect community should offer you enough space for your privacy without feeling alienated. In addition, maintaining a healthy social life with people your age is crucial to your well-being. That's why this is a tip you shouldn't overlook.
Final thoughts
When discussing whether downsizing is the right option for you, consider our home-buying tips for empty nesters to weigh what's most important to you. Moving forward will be an excellent opportunity for a fresh start and a simpler life. Fortunately, it's possible to have this while staying close to your loved ones. You only need to think things through, and you'll be one step closer to having less baggage and having more free time to enjoy doing what you love!
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