As we near our 50’s we feel like it is time to slow down and enjoy life more. Our kids are out of the home, we are getting closer to retirement and we feel like we deserve living out the rest of our lives in a relaxing environment. At this point in life, it’s a great time to consider moving into a 55-plus community. If you find the right one, there are many benefits and few drawbacks to living in an active adult community.
It is worth looking into 55-plus communities with homes for sale in your area. One of the main benefits is that you are able to downsize and simplify your life. Once your kids are out of the home, it no longer makes sense to maintain a larger home. A large home means more heating, cooling, cleaning, and more money spent on repairs. Most 55-plus communities offer smaller homes; typically two bedroom, two bathroom homes. The yards in these communities are usually smaller as well, which means less lawn maintenance. The homes are usually also just one level, which means not having to navigate stairs as your health deteriorates. These smaller homes are not only less expensive to maintain, they will also be less expensive to purchase.
Another benefit is the restrictions these 55-plus communities usually have on the age of people that are able to reside or visit for an extended stay. This means not having to worry about too many children being around, which decreases the likelihood of vandalism or damage to your property. Homes in an adult community are usually well maintained as there are strict rules on what can and can’t be done to the inside and/or outside of the home. Many times, residents of adult communities must go through the community association in order to choose a paint color, roof shingle color or what trees you can plant. The benefit of this is you no longer have to worry about your neighbor painting their house pink! While to some, this may seem like these strong restrictions hinder your freedom, it’s important to realize that this will also mean that your home will retain its value.
Being in a community with people around the same age as you is another benefit. It is easy to make a lot of friends that share common interests when all of your neighbors are around the same age as you. Usually there are activities sponsored by the community at a clubhouse or common area. Some have regular holiday parties, bingo games and shopping trips to local stores. A lot of adult communities even have swimming pools, tennis courts, picnic tables, etc. Most 55-plus communities collect HOA (Home Owner’s Association) fees in order to fund these parties and outdoor amenities. The HOA fees also usually cover services such as lawn mowing, snow removal and trash pick-up.
Living in a 55-plus community will not only save you money, but it also gives you peace of mind. It also removes the challenge of maintaining a large home and yard and gives you more free time to enjoy your pastimes.