A smaller living space might appeal to the senior in your life for many reasons. Perhaps the senior is an empty-nester, which means the kids are all grown and moved out. The senior in your life might also be tired of maintaining the lawn or yard, paying for expensive utilities, or living in the same space after decades.
Benefits of Downsizing
Irrespective of the reason for downsizing, you should always remember that numerous perks come with downsizing your living space. For instance, you can help the senior in your life enjoy more time, energy, and money, much of which was earlier being directed to taking care of their large home. We never have enough time to do the things we love. With this in mind, note that downsizing will allow you and the seniors in your life to spend more time doing the things that matter most, i.e., building stronger relationships with family members, picking up new hobbies, going on adventures, and more.
As you can see, there are many obvious benefits of helping seniors downsize. Here are the top considerations to make when planning for a home downsizing.
1. Availability of Amenities
What amenities are important to their senior in your life? This is an important consideration to make before selecting a place for them to move to. Consider moving into a house or apartment that provides sufficient access to outdoor spaces if, let’s say, your grandma enjoys spending time outdoors. Likewise, you may want to downsize to a neighborhood with a local golf club if you don’t want your grandpa to miss out on his favorite pastime.
Will your loved one miss having access to an outdoor space? Will they have access to pools, gyms, spas, and other recreational facilities? These are also important considerations to make. It will be best to downsize to a living space in a neighborhood or area that allows your loved ones to continue enjoying their quality of life. So, always remember to move into a living space close to several recreational amenities.
2. Proximity To Neighbors
How close does the senior want to be to other neighbors in your life? The answer to this question will determine whether you opt for a house, apartment, or senior living type situation. Most people in their golden years value the sense of community. Therefore, it is no surprise that the senior in your life might opt to move into a home located in a densely populated neighborhood or a senior-specific community.
Remember that an apartment building might have anywhere between 100 or more housing units. On the other hand, condos, single-family homes, and smaller homes exist as stand-alone units. So, always remember to ask whether the seniors want to live close to neighbors.
3. Number of Rooms in the New Space
Working from home is now a new norm here in America and across the globe. The senior in your life might be retired, but this doesn’t mean that he/she can’t be busy with part-time jobs such as tutoring or volunteer work. For this reason, it will help to consider downsizing to a living space that boasts a dynamic and easy-to-personalize office space or other extra room. Whether they are using it for a home office or just a general space to take part in hobbies that they love such as reading, crafting or tinkering with computers, it can be really helpful for the seniors to have an extra space in their new residence that is dedicated to something other than serving as a bedroom. Many times, when downsizing is considered, residences that boast just a bedroom and living room are very common, but it is important to ask yourself if you think that your loved one would benefit from the use of a separate room dedicated to hobbies or working from home.
In Conclusion
Downsizing can be difficult for some people. Leaving a home you have lived in for many years is an emotional experience. When it comes to downsizing for the beloved seniors in your life, making considerations such as the ones discussed in this article are essential to a smooth transition. If you need help with the moving process or just someone to talk to about the possibility of downsizing, give Great White Moving Company a call. We would love to hear from you.
