Looking to downsize? Facing retirement? Congratulations! With your children well grown and perhaps even your grandchildren, it’s time to start thinking about the next phase of your life. As a retired couple, you may not need a lot of space anymore, plus your needs have changed over the years.
Exploring Your Interests and Lifestyle
How much room is enough room for the two of you? Well, that’s a fairly subjective question that’s different for everyone. However, that’s the first thing you should ask yourself. Do you have pets? Do you watch your grandchildren during the day? Do you have hobbies that require a lot of extra space, such as woodworking or scrapbooking? Once you decide on how much room you need, you can move on to other aspects of finding the right sized home.
Consider lifestyle – not just now but in the future as well. If you still love to entertain, you may want a large kitchen with dining room and great room big enough to house seating for guests. If you have frequent guests over for the night, such as family members and grandkids, you’ll need more than one bedroom. If you don’t entertain a lot and just prefer to be casual, you can ditch the formal dining room and parlor.
Community Life
Many retired couples find the appeal of an over-55 community attractive. They can enjoy quiet days in the company of other like-minded adults of a similar age. Other couples, however, don’t care for the isolation this involves and would prefer to live in a regular neighborhood with a variety of people around them.
Health Needs
Consider your overall health when considering the size of your home. If you have arthritis, a bad back, or other mobility issues, you may want to consider single-level living. Having no stairs means you can move from place to place without pain and inconvenience. You may also want to opt out of any sunken living rooms. Even one step can pose a problem with aging retirees.
While no one wants to think about it, you may want to plan for the possibility of being wheelchair-bound or having to use a walker when you’re older. That means wider hallways, 36-inch doorways and more of an open floor plan. In the bathroom, you may want to incorporate a step-in shower with no lip at the bottom and plenty of grab bars. Extra storage space that’s convenient to access, as well as appliances and countertops that are easy to reach, possibly from a wheelchair someday, are also good to have.
Need help choosing the right sized home for you as you retire? Judd Builders has long been at the forefront in building high quality homes with the best materials and award-winning home designs in the most desirable neighborhoods. Call or visit one of our spectacular 55+ communities: Renaissance at Morgan Creek in Quakertown, PA or Meadow View Farms in Oley, PA. We can design the perfect home so you can live out your Golden Years in comfort.”