First of all, it kind of annoys me when people ask that. They assume that you have to move away. We have made a nice home for ourselves where we are. We have a ton of friends and relatives nearby. We know where to shop, worked hard to find doctors we like, and we all know how hard it is to find a good hairdresser. Our boys grew up here and want to continue to come back to visit their home, their town, their friends, and their family. That said, we have begun to give the question some thought.
There are so many factors to consider when you think about whether you want to move when you retire. First of all, you need to consider the size of your house and yard. Many of us could definitely consider downsizing at retirement time. There is a fine balance between still having enough space for guests and entertaining, yet keeping a smaller space for cost savings. Less space means less to clean, which is a definite plus. There also comes a point when cutting the lawn and shoveling the driveway become tasks that you don’t look forward to. Maintaining the trees and plants and chopping wood for the fireplace can get old after many years too, or it could be that you are just too old to want to do it anymore.
You might consider downsizing to a smaller house in your town or you may even move to a smaller house in a nearby town, if taxes are lower, staying in the general are where you live. If you no longer have kids in the school system, living in a town where taxes are high because of the great schools may no longer be a factor to keep you tied to that town too.
Let’s face it though; climate is probably the number one factor that people think of when deciding where to retire. Many people are sick of the cold, or sick of the heat, or just sick in general and need to move to a different type of climate. There are few places with a perfect climate though. Plus it depends what you consider perfect. Then you have to factor in your natural disasters and what scares you. Earthquakes? Hurricanes? Tornadoes? Smog? Mudslides? Blizzards? Floods?
What about some action? Retirement should not mean inactivity. Do you want to retire to a small quiet town or still be near a larger city with cultural activities? Do you want have access to a decent size airport for traveling? All food for thought.
Some people say they want to wait to see where their kids end up living and move near them. The problem with that is obvious though. If you relocate near them, their jobs or situation may change and they may end up moving which leaves you in a new place without them. So caution needs to be exercised in this regard.
I have a few friends who have recently relocated to other states. Although they are enjoying the warmer climate and relaxed atmosphere, the number one complaint seems to be that they miss their friends and family. They continually want everyone to come visit them, but it costs money to travel and that is easier hoped for than done. Moving far away definitely puts a damper on seeing friends on any kind of a regular basis.
So, where would we like to retire? My husband would love to retire in the desert or the mountains; I would like to be near the ocean or in Italy. Maybe we can spend a few months here and a few months there or maybe we won’t move at all. What I do know is that we are starting the conversation and learning from others who have done it before us.
No comments:
Post a Comment