The best reward you can give yourselves when you retire is a comfortable place where you and your spouse can rest and relax while you pursue other interests to fill up your time. Below are a few factors that you need to consider when buying a home to retire in.
Location
Location is very important. Do not select a matured location where it is too crowded, polluted. Such a location might still be costly, but without much physical growth. Instead, opt for new developments that have ample public amenities and infra-structures, and also with plenty of room for future growth.
Image credit: Greenacres
Facilities
Besides its location, you should also look into the facility factor. Senior citizens’ friendly facilities include basic access for wheelchairs, being near to medical centres, convenience stores, grocery stores, public recreation parks, cultural and art community centers, places of worship and lastly, public transport must be within reach.
Design
When planning a home that is meant for long term occupancy, it is important that the design needs to be aesthetically timeless and cozy to allow family bonding and also, the flexibility for future rearrangements. Here are some useful interior design ideas to implement:
- go for a timeless interior concept, for instance a contemporary Oriental concept with a neutral background.
- use quality materials such as black marble which offers durability and a sense of luxury or quartz top for the kitchen counter as it is hardy and stain resistant
- do not renovate the children’s rooms: when the kids move out, the possibility of renting out some of their vacated rooms could help to provide some additional income
- keep some space for future add-ons and other possible rearrangements, for example in the study or recreation rooms and the occasional guest room.
- choose flexible colour palettes: grey is a good choice as you can repaint it with another colour or cover it with beautiful wallpaper in future
- create flexible shelves instead of compartmentalized display units
- an effective storage space is a must as long term occupancy creates accumulation of many household items
After a lifetime of working, the golden years is when you have the chance to experience the best of what life has to offer. This is when you should live well and take care of yourself and to catch up on hobbies and passions, and reconnect with people.
This article is contributed by Jimmytan of MDS DESIGN SOLUTION.
