There comes a time in your life when you want to move away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind, when you’ve done all you can professionally and you want to live out the rest of your life in relative peace and quiet. This is when you start considering retirement, when you want to buy or rent a place where you can do what you want in the twilight years of your life. Retirement means different things to different people, so when choosing a location to retire to, you must think of what retirement means to you. In general however, before investing in real estate for your retirement, take the following aspects into consideration:
- Climate: When you’ve moving to a new place, especially one with a new environment and climate, ensure that this is what you really want. If you’re moving from a hot climate to a cold one and vice versa, spend a week living in the new place in extreme climate conditions to see if you can cope with the weather.
- Help: Do you know people nearby who would be willing to help out regularly and in times of emergency? If you hardly know anyone in the neighborhood and if people are not too sociable, you could find the going tough and long to go back to where you came from.
- Health: Does your overall health condition permit you to live alone? Do you need access to medical care, and if so, does your benefit package allow you to seek care in the place of your retirement? Also, check to see if quality care is available to treat your specific problem, if you have one.
- Expenses: Can you afford your retirement home? Take into account not just the expenses required day-to-day life, but also taxes and other miscellaneous costs that are sure to pop up. Some places are notoriously high in taxes, so ensure that you know how much it will cost you before you decide to move.
- Social life: If you’re the kind who loves to go out and meet and mingle with people, check out the social life in the place you’ve chosen for your retirement. Or if you prefer to spend quiet evenings at home, ensure that you don’t choose a holiday location that’s always filled with raucous crowds.
- Hobbies: You may want to stay busy or keep yourself occupied in some way or you’re going to feel bored, especially if you’ve led an active life up till now. So check out the activities that are available locally and if you’re interested in them.
- Proximity to family: And last, but most important of all, if you’re close to your family and have to move far away from them, you’re not going to get to see your children and grandchildren as often as you’d like. If you will miss them terribly, stay close enough so they can visit during holidays, yet far enough that you have your privacy and independence.
It’s not such a great idea to leave behind all that is familiar in your retirement move because you’re at a point in your life where you could find it difficult to adjust to new people and a completely new life. So know exactly what you want out of retirement, and choose your new home accordingly.
