Retirement is a big life step, and likely one that you’ve been looking forward to for a long time. You may have even thought about where you’d like to retire and in what kind of home you’d like to settle. Whether or not you’ve thought about it casually or seriously so far, as you get closer, you’ll want to take the following factors into mind.

Location
Retirement is all about free time, so the location of your retirement home should be centered around the idea of how you plan to spend your newfound freedom. Generally, anyone who purchases a retirement home in Southwest Florida is someone who likes warm weather, sunshine, and a close proximity to water, but it’s a good idea to think more specifically than that. Do you plan to spend a lot of time boating or fishing? Then a waterfront home with its own dockage where you can keep your boat may be the ideal option. Love to golf? A home in a gated golfing community will get you out on the green any time you like!

Size
Many people downsize in homes when they retire, but this isn’t always the best option for everyone. Having a home in Southwest Florida means that friends and family will be lining up to come visit you, and if you’d like to be able to host guests within your own home, then you’ll need to make sure you have the space for them. On the other hand, make sure not to go overboard by giving yourself way more space than you need. If there is realistically only going to be two of you spending the large majority of the time there, then having an excess of space might actually become an annoyance.

Layout
While you may not want to think about it now, you should consider whether or not a potential retirement home will be able to accommodate you in the future as mobility becomes more difficult with age. With this in mind, the number one consideration you should be taking into account is whether or not a home with multiple floors is right for you. Stairs can become more difficult to manage with age, and you may even want the most essential rooms in your house, such as the master bedroom, master bathroom, and kitchen, to be somewhat close together.

Maintenance
One of the biggest perks to retirement is easily the added free time that you have, typically used for relaxing in the sunshine with a drink or golf club in hand – or both! If you purchase a retirement home that requires a lot of maintenance and upkeep, keep in mind that this could cut into a lot of the time you had hoped to spend relaxing. For some, a good home improvement project or two is relaxing, and retirement gives them just the time and opportunity to explore their favorite passion. But if you had hoped to spend more time on the boat or golf course during your retirement, then an updated and move-in-ready home is probably your best option.

retirementCommunity
When looking at potential retirement homes, it’s important to look outside of the actual houses for sale and explore the communities around them. One of the great things about retiring in Southwest Florida is that there are so many communities built around the lifestyle that goes with it, and you’ll find many like-minded people around you to share in your favorite activities and hobbies. Some may be looking for more seclusion and privacy, and community living certainly isn’t for everyone, but if it’s the right choice for you, then there is no doubt that the right community is waiting for you in Southwest Florida.

If you need any more reasons to convince you why retirement in Southwest Florida is the right choice for you, or if you’re ready to start looking for your future retirement home today, contact Dave and Brenda of Sage Realtor Group at (239) 896-8549 to get started!