When the time comes to choose a forever home, you may have already been through several significant stages of life. For example, few people choose a forever home when they are planning to start a family. Typically, young families start out in small properties, perhaps near to local schools and perhaps near to parks or swimming pools or other distractions that could form the backbone of weekend family time. However, once the children have left home or have moved out to attend university, or perhaps if there are no children involved at all and the time comes simply to upgrade to a forever home now that the finances are in place, you might be wondering how to choose to spend what is essentially the rest of your life (also, while you’re thinking that far ahead, check out: what is an estate plan?). Now, let’s look at some of the factors that you should bear in mind when choosing where to spend your retirement years.
Do you have room to expand?
Much like buying a new car, offers will start to seem a little less like the right choice after a year or two if you don’t choose wisely. For example, if you were to put down roots in a forever home that did not have a large garden due to the presence of an orangery (which looks nice and may have taken your fancy), you may come to regret the decision as the temperature in the orangery could be hard to maintain year round, and you could find that the grandkids don’t want to visit because there is nowhere for them to play. That’s why you should do things the other way around. Consider buying a property with room for expansion. That way, you can make use of the available space for as long as is necessary before opting for a home extension to better suit your circumstances as your new living situation unfolds.
Get a feel for the local area
If you’re ‘setting up shop’, so to speak, you need to make sure that you have all the local amenities around you that you will need/want as the years tick by. Don’t fool yourself by thinking you will make use of some kind of local club or group that you have previously not attended. Things like gyms and sports clubs may seem like attractive prospects, but if you are not currently a regular gym-goer or a member of a sports team, the chances of starting a membership and keeping it up are 50/50 at best. Instead, choose shops, pubs, restaurants, train stations, and distance yourself from the noise or schools.
Get it right, and you can put your feet up for good.
