As a senior homeowner, you might be ready to move to more convenient housing, but leaving your home might seem to needlessly compromise your independence and make you feel old before your time. If you are in good health, you do not need to live in the same type of housing that someone with compromised physical or mental abilities would need.
Ideally once you downsize to a place you like, you will be set for years. New housing recently constructed in Nova Scotia and throughout Canada offer options for healthy seniors that include ownership of single-family homes.
What Many Seniors Want In Housing
Many seniors prefer to reside in a home they own rather than a multi-family dwelling what they rent. While they want to downsize, they do not need to or want retirement home living. Their ideal home profile might include:
– Affordability to meet the needs of lower and moderate income seniors as well as the more affluent.
– Plenty of space. Downsizing does not mean a one-bedroom apartment; housing may include two or three bedrooms to allow for hobbies, guests, and even future live-in help.
– User-friendly design that might include bungalow style living on one level and a small yard
– Flexibility to meet future needs, so that future aging in place is easy to accomplish with minimal renovation.
Finding New Alternatives
In Nova Scotia, options as described above have been lacking for able seniors, while affordable housing has been scarce for all age groups. A 2013 Housing Strategy for Nova Scotia laid out housing issues in the province and called for a partnership among local communities, business, and government to expand housing option.
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“Preparing to Downsize” Report
In the past, those who wanted to downsize to other single-family housing may have been forced outside their neighborhoods. This is a particular issue for seniors who may have lived in a particular area much of their lives. They may not only have roots there, but have convenient transportation options established to get them where they need to go, either by their own car, through public transit, or through friends or relatives who take them.
Upcoming Options In Nova Scotia
Developments currently under construction in Upper Sackville encourage aging in place with optional amenities such as higher comfort toilets and lower counters. Given the rocky geography of the area, some homes are built on a bluff that overlooks the woods and are built with energy efficiency and low environmental impact in mind.
The grounds of many communities encourage active living that promotes physical activities and opportunities to socialize with neighbors. Hopefully, this type of development will be the first of many in the area alternatives for seniors and others ready to downsize.
Prepare To Move On With Realtor® Roy Thomas
For many seniors, the first step to be ready to take advantage of new housing opportunities means selling your house first. If you are thinking of downsizing, talk with area real estate agent Roy Thomas, who can help you find an appropriate property as well as help you sell your current home.
If you are ready to sell your home for maximum value, the best place to start is by clicking here and scheduling an appointment.
Roy Thomas SRES® (Senior’s Real Estate Specialist) is a REALTOR® with Sutton Group Professional Realty. Since 1991, Roy specializes in helping retirees with their later in life real estate transactions. Call Roy at 902-497-3031 or contact Roy here
