Why Should I Move?
If you’re reading this article, you‘ve probably been wrestling with the idea of leaving your home for a retirement community. You may have friends who’ve already moved. Perhaps loved ones have suggested a move or maybe your doctor has told you it’s time to make a move. We understand that this can be a difficult decision. Whether you’ve lived in your home for just a few years or raised a family in your home, it’s bound to hold many special memories that you don’t want to lose. We want to help with this process and walk beside you, at your pace, while you make this decision. Let’s look at some of the common reasons people decide to move from their home into a retirement community.
- Home Maintenance and Repair: Have you noticed those small home repairs take a little longer to complete than they did 5, 10, 20 years ago, and cost more than they used to? In addition, lawn maintenance, landscaping and snow removal take up your valuable time or money. And if you’ve lived in your home for years, those larger repairs are looming and inevitable. The average cost to replace a roof in 2022 is $10,000. A new HVAC system (for heat and air conditioning) can run anywhere between $2,500 and $9000, and a furnace without air conditioning can range from $1,500 to $9,000. Moving to a retirement community allows someone else to take care of the cost and hassle of maintenance and repairs.
- Household Chores: Like those home repairs, housekeeping may be taking more time and effort than it once did. Have you found you don’t like to cook as much as you used to, perhaps sacrificing nutrition and taste for convenience? Many communities include weekly housekeeping and a dining plan as part of the monthly fee. In many cases there are bistro or restaurant style dining options available.
- Security: Are you worried about being alone should an emergency arise? What would happen if you were to have a fall while home alone or need some other medical attention. Most communities have safeguards in place such as emergency pendants, resident safety checks and other ways to make sure their residents are as safe and secure as they can be. This is in addition to the 24-hour security senior living communities provide to ensure the only people on the property are those that belong there.
- Freedom: Are you afraid you might lose your freedom? Maybe you believe that moving to a retirement community will take away your freedom to live your life how you want. Nothing could be further from the truth! Moving to a retirement community takes all those chores mentioned above off your plate and gives you the freedom to come and go as you please. You can now take that month long (or longer) dream vacation and not worry about who is going to mow the lawn, take care of the pool, shovel the snow, or take care of the house if something happens while you are away. A retirement community can take many of the burdens of life off your shoulders and allow you to LIVE. You’ve worked hard all your life; this move can make it easier for you to enjoy it!
Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else. – Fred Rogers
1. https://www.thisoldhouse.com/roofing/reviews/new-roof-cost
2. https://www.thisoldhouse.com/heating-cooling/reviews/hvac-installation-cost
