Moving as a Senior : Part 2

Now that we have moved out of state and to a 55 and over community, I have a new perspective and believe it is so important, especially when getting older or facing a change in your life, to think about what a move would entail and should you make the decision to do so. We decided to live closer to our adult children and family. The drive to see our grandchildren was long, and making plans was complex for everyone, especially as they became busier.  Now it is much more doable.

 Moving is challenging both physically and emotionally. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

 1-Is it time to move?

2-Is the neighborhood changing? Are the people moving in young or people with small children?

3-Do you still have friends in your neighborhood?

4-Where do your children and grandchildren live? (I don't advocate "chasing" the children, but if you have grandchildren, it's nice to drive to see them instead of having to fly all the time.)

5-Can you navigate the stairs safely? Do you think you will be able to do so in 3,5 or 10 years?

6-Can you perform the usual tasks for the upkeep of your home, or has it become too much?

7-How much of your home do you use or need? Many of us live in family-size homes and "live" in 3 rooms daily.

8-When you do find a new home, will there be enough storage? We rotated clothes depending on the season. Can your closet accommodate (if needed) 4 seasons of clothes? Will you need to buy all new furniture?

9-If something medically happened to you, and you couldn't return home, how would that impact your children?

10-Are you saving your grandmother's China, silver, pictures, etc., for your children? If so, discuss it first; they likely won't want it. Our older son took some furniture we had recently purchased (and couldn't use) and some artwork as he had just moved. Our younger son took the china and one box of items. Not a lot from an entire house we lived in for 36+ years. We sold many things to various places, used Facebook marketplace (only met buyers in a nearby shopping center), and donated. I am proud to say that we made only one trip to the dump, so we did not abuse the landfill.

 And then, where do you move? Are you going to stay in the area you are now? Are your friends still around? What about doctors? If you move out of state, you must get all new doctors, pharmacies, and gyms. You may have to change your health insurance or pay higher rates depending on where you move. We are in New Jersey, and car insurance is extremely expensive, but we knew that going in but being closer to family outweighed the added expense. 

 And what is in a new home is non-negotiable? We know that nothing will be perfect, but what must you have? We decided on a 55 and over community, allowing us to make new friends and engage in activities. We also agreed on a condominium because we did not want to move again and thought it would be easier. I wanted two bedrooms, an office, a washer and dryer in the unit, and facing the  woods. We also needed to sell our house beforehand and not have too much time between the sale and purchase. You may want a place where you don't have to use your car much, which was not as important to us, but it may become an issue at some point.

 For everyone, it is different. Bear in mind there will be glitches and unexpected expenses. For example, we had to change our mobile carrier, and there are some "issues" with the condo that we didn't see. But go with the flow and relish the change.

 We made our decision pretty quickly and were very lucky. I wish I had decluttered more beforehand because that is difficult to do. I knew my limitations and hired someone to work with me, which made it much more manageable. She had a carload of items to take to various donation sites every time she left. And we still took too much. 

 Moving is hard, but it was the right decision for us. If you know it is the right time for you, keep your eye on the prize and embrace the change.