When your children are finally on their own and your big two-story house in the suburbs has become an anchor just when you’re ready to have a little more freedom, you might consider changing your living situation to better accommodate your changing lifestyle.
People have many different reasons for downsizing. For some, maintaining a big house interferes with travel plans. For others, the equity is needed for retirement. Others are ready to either move into the city or the country, while some are looking to be nearer to family.
There can be uncertainty associated with making this change. The most important thing that goes into making the decision to downsize is to dig deep and realize exactly what is motivating the need for change. Sometimes the things you originally believe are “must-haves” turn out to be not so important, changing places with things you hadn’t really considered when you started.
When you thinking about making a move, ask some important questions:
- Will I need to work, and if so, where will that be?
- How important is it to be near family?
- Do I prefer city, suburbs, country, access to water?
- What other kinds of things are important for my ideal location?
- Recreation: parks, sports, etc?
- Climate?
- Churches and community organizations?
- Education: universities, adult education?
- Culture: music, theater, museums, etc?
- Access to transportation: airports, highways, public transit?
- Medical facilities?
- Cost of living?
- What kind of home do I want and need?
- One-story, apartment, town home, garden home, etc?
- Do I want to have family stay with me (how many bedrooms, baths)?
- Is there an elderly parent to accommodate (guest suite, accessibility)?
- Do I want to be able to entertain?
- Are pets a consideration?
- Do I want a yard and neighbors?
- What about a 55+ community?
Once you have prioritized your needs and wants and have an idea of where you want to settle, talk to a local expert to see what homes might fit into your plans and your budget. If you’re not entirely convinced, you may be able to try it out for a short time before you totally commit.
Contact Barb Bottitta for any and all of your Lehigh Valley area questions, as well as real estate needs, as I am always happy to help in any way that I can! You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page for events and happenings in the Lehigh Valley area, as well as home ownership tips, real estate market updates, and so much more!
We want to thank The Walsh Group of Keller Williams Realty for writing the original article that this great information came from!
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