While you may have grown to love the house you live in now, retirement brings new opportunities to find a home you’ll love just as much – with additional benefits.

Homes built specifically for people in their retirement years – such as Meaford Haven’s Garden Bungalows or Condo Apartments) – are designed and laid out to accommodate you as you age. (In the case of Meaford Haven, people who are interested in living here are already busy sharing their ideas on new homes now, by participating in our virtual focus groups.)

Retirement communities offer resources and amenities directed at making retired people’s lives easier, such as landscaping and yardwork services, for example, so you can enjoy life without all the work of cutting the lawn, raking leaves or shovelling snow. They’re also sure to have nearby healthcare and attendant services.

A smaller home in general means less upkeep inside – which means more time for yourself and the new activities you’re getting involved in.

And downsizing (or “right-sizing”) to a smaller home, particularly in a smaller community where you can get a lot more house for your dollar, frees up the equity you’ve built up in your home, so you have that much more freedom to enjoy your retirement years.

Finally, if you’re lucky enough, you might just discover a place that offers so much more in the way of lifestyle enjoyment, activities and breathtaking year-round scenery than you could imagine in your present home. (A place like Meaford Haven, perhaps.)

But with a smaller home comes a major task. Downsizing means you’re going to have to scale down your personal possessions and the accoutrements of your life to accommodate a smaller place. Whether you’re moving from a larger home into a Garden Bungalow or moving from a smaller home into a Condo Apartment, you’ll need to right-size your belongings. Next time, we’ll offer some tips to help make the process easier.