Home Sweet (new) Home – How to choose your perfect pad!
Congratulations, you’ve made the decision to downsize! Filled with excitement for the future, you’re bound to be looking for the next nest to feather. But how do you know that your next move is going to be the right one? Like re-potting a plant, the right move is all about gently teasing the roots of your life apart, and making them comfortable in a totally new environment. You’ve got to think about all the things that make you happy and all the things that don’t. It’s a great opportunity to evaluate where you’re at in life and where you want to be. That’s why we’ve put together a list of things to consider when upping stumps.
Close to family (or not!)
There’s close and then there’s too close. While some retirees might love to be on call to their kids and grandkids, for others the demands of the younger generation can put a strain on relations. Choosing the ideal proximity (or distance) to be to family is a really important consideration. Your ideal location should keep you at a comfortable distance that allows for the level of family closeness you are happy with.
Keeping ties with your community
Just how involved are you with your local community? You may not realise just how much you rely on the networks you’ve formed over the decades until you don’t have them any more. Take a look at an average week and see how many activities and friends are in your immediate area and how they would be affected by a big move. Keeping in touch with good friends and having the time now to spend with them is one of the greatest joys of your retirement years, so don’t discount staying close to home if your life revolves around your community.
Smaller house, village or apartment living
Scaling down the whole enterprise is the aim of the downsizing game, but just how much do you want to pare things back? If you’re used to swanning around a palatial pad and pirouetting through vast expanses of space, perhaps you need more room than most. The feeling of being cramped and like you’re ‘doing without’ is a downsizing disaster. Downsizing should be about editing life back to the best bits, not depriving yourself of the things that make you happiest. Saying goodbye to the garden might be the right thing for someone else, but if you’re a green thumb a patch to call your own should be top of the list!
Downsizing is all about choosing the home and future of your dreams so why not look into options to set you up for your new lifestyle and help to maintain it. Be it gardening, a bit of help with cleaning or even having groceries delivered to your door. All sounds like more time for fun!
Making a mega move
For those families that have adult children living overseas or interstate, the idea of making a mega move is one worth having. With no ties to keep you stuck in your spot, there’s a real chance to change your lifestyle for the better. If you’ve always felt like it was too hot or too cold where you are right now, then it might be the time to pack your bags!
