Living in Boca Raton is great. The sun, the sand, the shopping, the nightlife –is it any surprise that Boca has become one of the hottest places to retire in the entire country?
If you’re thinking of retiring to Boca Raton, you’re probably wondering what to do with your current home. If you already live in Boca, should you simply age in place in your current home? You certainly could – but you’re missing out on a lot by not downsizing and moving to a local retirement community.
Here are several reasons why downsizing for retirement in Boca Raton is such a great idea.
You’ll Be Making Your Retirement Much More Affordable
If you’re considering staying in your own home once you hit retirement age, you’re essentially leaving money on the table. Your existing home is likely one that you’ve been living in for quite some time. If it’s your old family home, you might have spent decades there, raising your children to adulthood and then watching them move out and start their own families.
In that case, you’ve probably built up quite a bit of equity in that beloved home. Putting that house on the market allows you to access that equity, meaning you get to expand your retirement savings by a considerable amount! In fact, most of the time you can use this equity to finance your move to a retirement community and still have plenty left over for the future. Sure, there are incredibly memories in that home — but the memories can stay with you as you’re enjoying your ideal retirement life!
This is what we call a win-win situation, if you’re wondering.
You’ll Be Kissing Your Maintenance Responsibilities Goodbye
For many people, the worst thing about owning your own home is the constant maintenance. While you don’t ever have to worry about shoveling snow in the winter when you live in Boca, there’s still plenty else to consider. Keeping your lawn landscaped and in good shape is a constant struggle, as is making sure all your appliances are in working order. And heaven help you if your HVAC unit goes down in the summer – you’re going to be paying through the nose to get it fixed in a hurry!
Meanwhile, downsizing to a retirement community in Boca Raton means never having to worry about maintenance responsibilities ever again. That’s because all of these details are taken care of for you by the retirement community’s skilled maintenance staff. Green spaces stay manicured, appliances get fixed, and you’d better bet your air conditioning stays working year-round. And you don’t have to lift a finger.
You’ll Be Safeguarding Your Health As Well As Your Finances
Downsizing for a retirement community saves you money in the long run, that’s absolutely true. But did you know that doing so can also help keep you healthier as well? We all know that Medicare does a good job covering routine medical expenses, but other healthcare costs are often still out-of-pocket unless you make arrangements. Well, a good retirement community that provides continuity of care is the answer to this problem.
A continuous care retirement community (CCRC) provides healthcare for seniors at whatever level you might need. They can act as an independent living community or, when needed, one that provides primary care, assisted living, or skilled nursing care. A CCRC is also an affordable option when you weigh all the numbers, as the amount you agree to pay for medical services when you move in will stay the same throughout your stay. It’s a great way to control costs in the long run, versus worrying about getting hid with sudden medical bills if your needs ever change.
You Won’t Be Giving Up As Much Needed Space As You Think
The word “downsizing” might make you think you’re giving up expansive space to squeeze into a shoebox. But what it really means is “rightsizing” into the space that makes the most sense for you. Is that sitting room getting much use? How about the extra bedrooms? Are you still spending time or money cleaning the rooms you rarely go in?
Also, consider that it may start getting harder to walk up and down the stairs every night, or that you wished you had a security rail when entering or existing the bathtub. Plenty of Boca Raton retirement communities (such as St. Andrews Estates) offer plenty of space for those with an adventurous spirit — even up to 1,800 square feet. But it’s smartly used space, free of excess clutter, excess rooms, excess stairs.
Plus, if you realize you don’t actually want to maintain a bunch of space and rooms you never use, “downsizing” into a small apartment may actually be the best choice. You get only the space you need, you pay significantly less for it, you get all the same great amenities, and you get to spend your retirement enjoying life.
The important thing to understand here is that you can choose the size of your retirement home – you’re not relegated to a small space unless that’s what you’re looking for. In other words, you can go big and go home!
You’ll Be Gaining Access to Incredible Amenities
Today’s Boca retirement communities aren’t like you may be imagining, if you’re imagining the typical notion of an “old folk’s home.”
Oh no, today’s retirement communities are incredible, resort-like experiences loaded with the kinds of amenities that you would never have thought possible. Better yet, all these amenities are all included in your monthly fee, so you’re not even paying out of pocket for them.
What kinds of amenities are we talking about here? Every retirement community will differ, of course, but a place like St. Andrews Estates boasts bonuses like game and billiard rooms, multiple reading rooms, fitness centers, outdoor pools, walking trails, horseshoe courts, picnic areas, an on-campus bank and beauty salon, a putting green, and a fishing lake. Plus opportunities to practice hobbies, classes to pick up new hobbies or learn a new language, excursions, events, and so much more. And that’s in addition to all the wonderful things Boca has to offer off-campus as well!
Start Downsizing Now for Your Boca Raton Retirement
Boca Raton is one of the most attractive places to live out your retirement. Downsizing in order to do so just enriches that retirement so much more. When it comes time to hang up your hat, put your feet up, and finally relax, do yourself a favor and downsize your life first. That way you can do it at a local retirement community like St. Andrews Estates!