Is Your Current Home Retirement Ready?
Study referenced: http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/research/improving-americas-housing
A recent Harvard study shows that in 2017, Baby Boomers will be spending more than ever on home remodeling. The main reason for this growth in spending is due to advancing age of Baby Boomers. As people age, their wants and needs change, especially when it comes to your home. It’s important to understand these changing requirements before they become a necessity. So, is your current home retirement ready?
Take a look at these 4 factors to decide whether or not your current home will be suitable, or if you may want to think about looking at a new home.
Accessibility
The first, and probably most, important factor in deciding if your home is retirement ready is with accessibility. When moving around becomes more difficult, will you want to go up stairs to your bedroom? Is your kitchen set up efficiently? What about the door handles and fixtures?
Those are all questions that don’t seem urgent now, but will be crucial when you age. Having a home with a master bedroom on the first floor, and a kitchen that is set up to limit the amount of bending over or overreaching, will be a huge asset as you approach retirement.
Energy Efficiency
An overlooked necessity in a retirement ready home is energy efficiency. As people age, their sensitivity to temperature changes grows. Having a well insulated, temperature controlled home is important to the overall comfort of your living space. Not only is this a comfort issue, but it’s a money issue as well. In retirement, it’s important to save money and overspending on energy bills is an easy thing to avoid.
Proximity
You may love where your home is located now. You might think the neighborhood is great, but it might not be the most suitable as you reach retirement. As you grow older, long drives aren’t as easy or desirable as they might be now. You want to make sure your home is located around places you love or need. Being within walking distance or a very short car ride to your grocery store or favorite retail stores would make life a lot easier as you age. Perhaps you want to feel safer living next to a police or fire station, or even the hospital.
The Little Things
Other overlooked items that are important for a retirement ready home include lighting, an efficient floor plan, and security. It’s already hard enough maneuvering around your home when it’s dark now, so imagine how difficult it would be when you can’t move around as easily. Making sure lighting is perfectly placed throughout your home doesn’t seem like a big change now, but will pay dividends in the future. A great floor plan that is easy to navigate and efficient can help, as well. Finally, security is a huge concern of retired people, and making sure your home has the security features you want is a great way to provide that peace of mind.
If you’re concerned that your current home isn’t right for you, and you’re interested in looking at a more retirement ready home, give us a call! At Property ReVision, we pride ourselves on finding you the perfect home by taking a property and making it brand new and PERSONALIZED for your needs.
