There is much for Seniors to consider these days!  As health issues begin to take the limelight, housing requirements change.  It is an important part of any retirement plan that future housing is taken into consideration.  The decisions are not easy as there is much emotion involved, and finances play a huge part in any decision.  The key is to start early, stay calm, and decide what is best for you before someone makes the decisions for you!   The following points have come from discussions that I have had with may people feeling the time has come to make a change.  Their first thought is to sell their home and move!  Some issues you might want to consider are as follows:

• Have you thought about where you will live if you sell your house?
  • What can you afford each month?
  • Are you on any waiting lists for housing complexes within your price range?
  • Do you completely understand the implications of purchasing into a strata complex?
  • Have you thought of renting?  Are you on a waiting list for local rentals?
  • Have you explained your future plans to your family? Not to get their input, but to get support?
• Do you need to clean up?  The facts are that uncluttered homes just show better and sell faster.
  • Clean out those boxes in the basement.  Sort through one box each day so that you don’t get too tired.
  • Get your children to clean out their rooms, for good!
  • Does anyone want the closets of old clothes that may now be back in fashion?
  • Who in the family could use the furniture in the basement right now?
  • Find out who in the family is going to be the keeper of the clan pictures and turn over the albums to them.
  • Give away never used treasures to family members now so that you can enjoy watching them cherish them.
• If you want to stay in your current home you have much to consider.
  • Have you made arrangements to make your home safe as you become less mobile?
  • Do you have laundry, a bedroom and a bathroom on the main floor?
  • How will you get around without your driver’s license?
  • Are you close to medical facilities and shopping?
  • Have you thought how you might manage the increasing costs over time?
    1. Who will do the yard work and what are the costs?
    2. Who will do the house keeping and what are the costs?
    3. Who will do the home maintenance?

This all may seem daunting but it truly is not. It just takes time to plan, time to organize and then when the time is right you will be ready to go! 

DON'T MOVE UNTIL YOU ARE READY BUT BE READY!