You're Retired, Now What?
By Kyle Thomas Haley, Fri Dec 9th
For years you've lived in that sprawling house where you raisedyour children . . . it's home. But now you don't need all thespace and the upkeep is becoming more difficult every year.
You now have to consider things that weren't issues before. Whenyou were younger, you never thought about how many times a dayyou went up and down the stairs. You didn't mind having thebedroom upstairs and the laundry facilities in the basement.Now, all those steps are taking their toll.
Washing windows isn't as easy as it was before either, is it?Climbing an extension ladder to reach the second story becomes abit scarier with each passing year. As you age, you become moreconcerned about falling.
You may be thinking it's finally time to move into a home that'sa bit more senior-friendly, but what are your options?
*Smaller, single level houses
*Condominiums
*Apartments
*Retirement communities
*Assisted living facilities
Let's take a more detailed look at these options:
Smaller homes built on one level with convenient laundryfacilities may be what you need.
Look for a house that requires little outside maintenance. Abrick or vinyl-sided house won't require painting. An open floorplan may be helpful if you're ever confined to a wheelchair. Asmaller yard allows you to garden but still keeps the yard workto a minimum. An attached garage is a helpful feature,especially in the winter when icy sidewalks can cause falls. Ofcourse, finding a location that's close to shopping, publictransportation and medical facilities is also important.
Condominiums provide privacy without a lot of maintenance.
Like individual houses, there are many different types ofcondominiums from which to choose. The main advantage of a condois that outside maintenance of both the structure and the yardis usually provided. Most condos include a small area where youcan plant flowers