Once your children have grown up and left home, you might think that you don’t want to have such a big home for just you and your partner. As you are both also getting older, you might not want to be in a house where you have to keep it clean or be able to get up the stairs. For that reason, the idea of selling up your home and finding somewhere else that’s smaller might seem ideal. However, there are things to need to take into consideration when finding a place to live.
Where do You Want to Go?
As your children might have moved away from the area you currently live. You need to first think about where you are going to go when you move. Do you want to stay in the same area, or would you prefer to move somewhere else, perhaps with better weather? There are many places including Serenity Point Topsail for sale, which are perfectly located near to the beach and has nice weather. It is possible for your children to reach you wherever you go, but you might prefer to find somewhere at least a little closer to them, so you are available if needed. It also allows you to see grandchildren and share holiday times together.
Think About Single Level Accommodation
If you are choosing a house that you are planning to live in for a long time, then you should think about how you might be physically as you grow older. There is a chance that your mobility might get worse, so you should look for somewhere that is on one level or has easy access to the upper floor. You need to see if there are any steps in the front or back of the property and also any sunken living rooms. Another area to look at is the bathroom; you need to be sure that there is a shower and not just a bath.
Bathroom Access
An important part of your home is the bathroom; it is one of the areas after the kitchen that most buyers want to be just right. Apart from the usual need for the bathroom to be what you want, you also need to think about whether it can be accessed easily if one of you becomes less mobile. The location of the bathroom is important as it needs ideally to be close to the bedroom. It should also be easy to enter and have the room to move around, especially in a wheelchair. The type of shower it has isn’t such as big issue, as it can be replaced or converted into a wet room, but you should be thinking about whether the layout will lead itself to this type of conversion. Another important requirement is a second toilet room if there are two levels of the property. You need to have access to another toilet if the bathroom is occupied or if you are unable to get upstairs.
Doorways and Open Space
If there comes a time when one of you needs to use a wheelchair, you need to have access to your home to move around, or you might have to move again. Think about this when looking at potential homes, to see if there is good access. An open plan home is the best idea because there aren’t a lot of doors or doorways to negotiate. If it isn’t open plan, then ensure that the doorways are around 36 inches wide, that will be enough to fit a wheelchair through without too much trouble. Another good idea is plenty of space outside your home. If one of you has a wheelchair that can be placed in and out of the car, then you need to space to do that at the front of your house. If the front area is too small, then you might struggle later. The only other alternative is to have a large garage that you can use that has easy access to the house.
Consider Who May Share Your Home
Although you will be sharing this home with your partner, you also need to consider who else might come to visit or stay. If you have grandchildren, then they will probably love to stay with their grandparents sometimes, so having a spare room can be beneficial. The other possibility is that you might need to have someone stay in the home that needs to care for one or both of you. Although you might not want to think about such things, thinking ahead now can save a lot of problems later.
Think About Appliances
You may be happy to find that there are a dishwasher and a washing machine in a new home, but will you both be able to bend down to reach it? If you or your partner are already having issues with bending down, then it might be worth considering having them raised up. You can even think about having a microwave on the wall and a bigger refrigerator that you can access easily. The same applies to areas like refuse, can you easily get your garbage out of the house and to your bins outside? If there is a long distance, then you might need to think again about this property.
Access to Help
As this is going to be your home for your retirement, you need to make sure that you have adequate access to help if you need it. If you are going to buy a small house in the middle of nowhere, then you might struggle to attract help except via telephone. In some cases, getting a house in a complex or perhaps a condominium can be the best approach. There is usually a manager there, and it is easy to get someone to help you.
It is worth taking your time to look at your next home carefully. There are many considerations you need to think about, so you can find the perfect home. Rather than buy the first home you come across, explore all your options before handing over a deposit.
