Reframing the Concept of "Home"

Our society places a great deal of value on personal independence, yet most of us require some level of social interaction in our lives to keep us healthy and vital. Our general concept of "home" has taken on the definition of where I'm on my own, where I am selfsufficient, where the kids were raised. These ideas come into conflict when the time comes to make a change, to accept the offer of assistance or make a change in our living situation. We need to change the way we view the concept of "home."

In our early adulthood, we take for granted the fact that we can hop in our cars and go grocery shopping, or we can drop by the nearest hardware store to pick up the items we need to make a home repair. As we move into other stages of life, our focus changes; we accumulate possessions and save for the future. When we grow older, the tendency is to simplify our lives and to shed some of the things that we accumulated earlier. Our relationships become more important to us and our possessions take on a lesser importance.

Household chores and home maintenance may become a stress over time, and can even pose a physical danger, especially if a ladder or step stool is needed. Simple things such as bending, stooping, lifting, weeding or climbing stairs can cause aches and pains or even an injury and just aren’t worth the trouble.

As we grow older, the opportunities for social interaction can decrease. Decreased energy levels, decreased mobility, decreased sense of sight and hearing, reactions to medications and illnesses, all these things can greatly affect our ability to be on the go. One of the most painful changes is giving up the car keys. This one change causes us to quickly realize that the world is not yet based on serving people in their homes.

Looking at typical California neighborhoods, the size of the lots, and the large homes, indicate the larger spaces to which we’ve grown accustomed. In years past, we were content to live in much smaller spaces. As time has progressed, there has been this trend toward larger and grander living spaces. Realistically, regardless of how much space a person has, the average person generally uses less than 700 square feet of the space they inhabit.

If you feel like you're "failing" because you're leaving your home and you're unable to keep up with all the chores and maintenance, you've accepted some societal beliefs that moving, down-sizing, or relocating to a congregate living situation, equates to not doing well. In actuality, you're making choices that may likely enhance your independence and revitalize your life. Rather than tying you down to the maintenance chores of a home and becoming isolated from others, you’re freeing yourself from those things that drag down your energy and spirit.

By selling your home or downsizing to a more simplified living space, you can convert the investment in your home into other investments, or you can use some of the money to make lifestyle changes: living in a community where services are available and living around other people like yourself.

The prospect of moving is one of the largest stresses for anyone. Working with a talented, Senior Real Estate Specialist who can walk you through each stage of the process and who can be of emotional support to you during this transition is so important

Call us at 800-603-5833 if you wish to consider redefining your definition of "home," or if you simply wish to explore what other options exist for you.

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