Options for Living - Homes for an Easy to Maintain Lifestyle

Staying in your own home doesn't have to mean staying in your own house. Maintaining your independent lifestyle can be easier if you live close to the services you need in an easy-to maintain home.

When you begin analysing what is important to you, you may find that you can have all of those things while solving other difficulties by moving. Sometimes there are compromises to be made and you need to consider priorities and possible substitutes. Here are some points to consider:

1. Sooner or later? Planning ahead gives you time to think about your priorities and find a suitable home. Leaving it until a crisis is looming reduces your options.
    
2. What's important? Do you want a city lifestyle close to restaurants, theatres and shops? Do you need your own garden or is a communal garden enough.
    
3. Location Is your home close to essential services - medical services, shopping, libraries, social clubs etc? Is public transport available if you have to stop driving?
    
4. Design of house and garden. A flat garden and house without stairs is more manageable. A well maintained, modern home is easier to clean.
   
5. Furniture Getting the right furniture, especially chairs and bedding is vital to your comfort and wellbeing.
    
6. Modern well-designed kitchens and bathrooms make a big difference every day - for safety, comfort and cleaning. Moving to a new home can be cheaper and less disruptive than an older house.
    
   
7. Gardens can be a pleasure or a burden. Consider the size and terrain. A keen gardener reluctant to leave their established garden may find the prospect of starting a new garden exciting or daunting. Starting anew designing a low-maintenance garden for your older self may be less distressing than watching a loved garden become neglected.
    
8. Keeping lots of spare bedrooms just in case the family comes to stay can be an unnecessary burden. One guest room could be quite enough if you want people to be able to stay. Bigger groups or mass family gatherings can stay in nearly hotels and visit by day.
    
9. Consider the location and transport options with a view to maintaining independence if you need to stop driving, access to shops and to health services. Also consider whether you want to stay in the same immediate neighborhood, move closer to work, family or other locations.
    
10. Stairs may become a problem. If you live upstairs and need to walk up and down the stairs several times a day, and carry grocery shopping upstairs, they are much more of a problem than a house where you live downstairs and sleep upstairs. A bathroom and toilet on each floor is good. Some homes have the option of one bedroom downstairs with guests upstairs.
     
11. Moving to a smaller home, or one in a cheaper location, can also free up money that you can use for other purposes.

Design your life by working out what compromises you can make in order to keep the things more important to you. Want to talk about it? Check our forum for views on different options and what people have found works for them.