Buying the right Houston house—one that not only appeals to our innate preferences but that will serve to satisfy all the practical living requirements that the future holds—is a challenge that all of us will face as we look toward our golden years. As many seniors ruefully acknowledge, simply staying put in the family house can gradually lose its allure as kids move out and maintenance chores multiply. Many sixty-year-olds find themselves wondering whether a third or fourth bedroom is really useful now that there are just the two of us…
Buying the right Houston house to serve well as the center for retirement living has some built-in challenges—not the least of which is trying to anticipate physical needs that can’t be fully anticipated. In addition to those, there are the mental and emotional adjustments that younger folks can only guess about—many of which are widely perceived to be accommodations for lost abilities.
Since buying the right house for retirement is somewhat dependent on having a true picture of a largely unknowable future, one useful piece of guidance is an oft-referenced Wall Street Journal essay that appeared a few years back: “Why Everything You Know About Aging is Probably Wrong.” It’s worth the read—but the valuable kernel is abundant research that reverses common expectations about the experience of aging. Items:
• Single-level homes are a must for mobility-challenged seniors? Nope: stairs provide mild, regular exercise.
• Is downsizing a must as household populations dwindle? Nope: the extra rooms are needed to accommodate new hobbies, provide bedrooms for visiting children and grandchildren, etc.
• As for the notion of the aged being depressed, cranky, and irritable? Nope: studies find that this picture fits no more than 10% of the population (one Stanford study showed that as participants aged, their moods improved)!
Buying the right house for any phase of life is made easier when you can point to a clearheaded inventory of features that are true necessities, desirable features, and everything else. Call us for help with any part of the process! Rinnovare Realty, LLC (832) 445-4957 or visit us at www.rinnovarerealty.com .