Attractive Living Arrangements for Retirees and Empty-Nesters

By Sabrina Biehl Published Jan 13, 2015 01:49 am Updated Feb 2, 2015 05:24 pm

With your children out of the house and retirement right around the corner, you’ve been thinking about adjusting your living arrangements. Although your current home was a fantastic place to raise a family, it’s too large for just you and your spouse. Now that you and your husband have become empty-nesters, a spacious four-bedroom home with an enormous yard is hardly a necessity. To make matters worse, the house has become a considerable financial burden. In addition to hefty property taxes, you’re paying upwards of $1000 a month in utilities. Since you’ll soon be on a fixed income, washing your hands of this money pit is in your fiduciary best interest. The memories your family created in this home will last a lifetime, but the house itself has got to go. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that you have to downgrade your lifestyle. As you’ll find, there are a number of attractive options for empty -esters and retirees.

On-the-Road Living

If you plan to do a fair amount of traveling after you retire, a quality motorhome is a wise investment. Owning a motorhome will enable you and your spouse to enjoy all the comforts of a traditional house while driving to a variety of colorful locales across the U.S. Making your way across the country in this manner is guaranteed to be a life-changing experience.

When shopping around for the right motorhome, you can’t go wrong with the highly-rated products from Forester River Forrester Motorhomes. As any seasoned on-the-roader can confirm, no other brand better represents the mobile lifestyle.

Invest in a Condo

If you’re interested in selling your home while continuing to reside in your current locale, consider investing in a condo. On average, condos cost roughly a quarter as much as family homes, so once you find a buyer for your house, you should have no problem affording a well-furnished condominium. Although condos vary in price and size, many of them are essentially apartments that residents own instead of rent. While you’ll still be expected to pay property taxes on a condominium, they’re considerably lower than the taxes associated with home ownership. Additionally, most condo complexes expect residents to pay small monthly fees to help cover the cost of grounds-keeping and building maintenance.

Relocate to a Retirement Community

When many people hear the term “retirement community,” they immediately think of depressing rest homes and dreary senior centers. However, unbeknownst to many retirees, there are a number of activity-laden, picturesque retirement communities in places with year-round beautiful weather. States like Florida, Arizona and Hawaii are popular locations for these communities, many of which provide residents with fully-furnished condos or luxury apartments. In addition to offering residents a fun-filled assortment of activities, certain retirement communities are within driving distance of popular cities and towns.

Retirement is a transformative time in the lives of many adults. No longer having to report to an office each day and being on a fixed income can be a huge adjustment for people who have spent most of their lives working. Although many retirees and empty-nesters are hesitant to reconsider their living arrangements, the previously discussed options serve as proof that change is a good thing.