Written by Juanita Fox
As you look toward retirement, you may be considering a move from your current home. Apartment living in retirement can be ideal for many reasons and offers several benefits.
You may eventually reach a point in life when you’re ready to move out of your house and into something smaller. Many people choose to downsize as they reach their 50s for various reasons including:
• Having an empty nest.
• Transitioning to retirement.
• Getting older.
• Looking to save money.
Downsizing requires a lot of planning but is one of the next great adventures of life. You can thrive in a small space when you downsize and find purpose in your retirement.
When you choose to downsize, you’re walking into a life of ease and simplicity that allows you to try new things and meet new people. Perhaps you’ll decide to explore apartment living because your children have left home and you don’t need all the extra space. Or, you might be approaching retirement and want to save money. No matter the reason or how you decide to downsize in retirement, having a smaller living environment comes with a range of advantages.
Many people find moving to a retirement community improves their quality of life. Retirement communities, like Garden Spot Village, offer access to countless amenities as well as purposeful activities and new relationships.
Some of these features include on-campus dining and wellness. An easily accessible fitness center and trained instructors help you focus on staying active and living a healthy lifestyle. A variety of events include trips, opportunities to connect with micro-communities and classes to learn new skills. At Garden Spot, these amenities take place inside a vibrant community filled with others who are also finding purpose in their retirement, with the beautiful backdrop of New Holland, Pennsylvania, in Lancaster County to accompany them.
Living in a smaller space means there will be less for you to take care of. Yardwork will be a thing of the past. Having less space to maintain will drastically reduce the time you’ll spend cleaning, which will free you up to do the things that matter to you.
Larger homes usually cost more, so when you downsize, you’ll immediately lower your cost of living in many ways. You won’t have to buy as many items for your home, and you won’t pay as much for utilities. If you move to a retirement community where amenities are within walking distance, you’ll also drive less, saving even more money.
With everything you’ve saved, you can invest in things you enjoy, such as unique hobbies or visiting with family. You can even go big and start traveling around the country or world. Many retirement communities, like Garden Spot Village, offer a turnkey lifestyle, so someone is always there to watch your home when you’re gone.
Joining a thriving community offers the opportunity to make new friends and learn new skills. When you choose an apartment within a thriving community, you can shift your perspective and consider your apartment your “bedroom” and private space while the rest of the community is your “home.” You don’t need to have space in your home for an art studio or a wood shop when the community offers a common space that meets that need. Plus, creating is more fun in community.
In life, we accumulate a lot of items that we don’t need but hang onto anyway. When you move, you have the opportunity to sort through your belongings and determine what is truly significant to you. Making piles to keep, donate or throw out makes sorting go quickly. You can make a day out of it and invite family to reminisce over old memories and pass items down to children or loved ones who may want them.
As a downsizing tip, make sure to take the time to figure out what you want to bring along with you to your new apartment. These items can be anything from decorations or furniture to meaningful trinkets or comfort items. Keep what you love and donate what you can.
At Garden Spot Village, you will discover abundant opportunities to live with purpose in community. Volunteer opportunities and other events are created to connect you to your neighbors as you transition into retirement.
We’ve built our community around multiple nearby amenities, so you’ll always have something to do. Our Garden Apartment floor plans are spacious but comfortable, ranging from a studio apartment to a two-bedroom deluxe suite. You’ll have plenty of privacy with ample opportunity to connect with your neighbors. You can peruse our outdoor gardens to center yourself and find a serene moment in your everyday life, or you can join one of the many active micro-communities here.
Spend your time volunteering or participating in our annual race day. Or, if you have a unique hobby or skill, you can take it to the next level and use your newfound free time to build a second career, start a nonprofit or serve others in your community.
Life doesn’t stop once you retire. If you’re looking to live with purpose, build your community and thrive in a small space, Garden Spot Village is here to provide you with all the services and amenities you need. We have a convenient location in Lancaster County, within a reasonable traveling distance to many major cities.
If you’re looking for an enriching retirement, choose Garden Spot Village as your community. If you have any questions or are looking to request pricing, feel free to contact us, and one of our qualified staff members will get in touch with you!