You’ve joined the waitlist while you’re waiting to move into a retirement community, and once you move to the top of the waitlist, you’re planning on moving right into your new home there. You might think you can now take it easy for a while. After all, the retirement community won’t be calling you tomorrow to move in, right? You’ve got loads of time to get ready, right?
Well, maybe. But if you wait until the last minute, thinking you can leisurely prepare to go from senior living waitlist to senior living resident, you might find yourself behind the eight ball. There are actually quite a few smart things you’ll want to do before you actually make your move.
How many smart things? We’ve put together this informative checklist to help you get a better understanding of what to do while you’re on a senior living waitlist.
1. Get familiar with your new neighborhood. If you’ve lived in your current home for several years, you probably know your neighborhood very well. You have your favorite grocery stores and pharmacies. Your doctor, dentist and optometrist are an easy drive away. Your bank is nearby; so is your church. You may even live within walking distance of a favorite restaurant, coffee shop or fitness center.
Where will you find all that in your new senior living community’s neighborhood? Some communities offer a number of helpful and handy services and amenities right on-site, such as dining venues, a fitness center, a bank, coffee shop, a chapel and spiritual service, and much more. All you need to do to enjoy all this is walk out your apartment door.
2. Start downsizing. Even if you’re not moving into your senior living residence for months, it’s never too soon to start downsizing your current living space. The home you live in now may have many times more square footage than your future senior living residence. If you don’t have as much square footage in your new place, many items will need to go.
Don’t make a new residence selection at your senior living community based on where your existing furniture will fit — you probably don’t need all the space you have now. Choose the floor plan of your new senior living residence based on the space you truly need. Then start downsizing. The more time you have to downsize, the easier you may find it to be. That’s because you can make your decisions at your pace, choosing what to keep, donate, give to family and friends, sell, or toss out.
3. Start getting your current home ready for sale. It’s probably been awhile since you put a home on the market. Which may also mean it’s been awhile since you made any major home improvements. But things like a roof, windows, siding, HVAC system, and even kitchen appliances can be major expenses for new homeowners. If your house needs lots of repairs like these, prospective buyers may focus on all the things they’ll need to replace — and that can scare off many people.
In some markets, homes are selling so fast you won’t need to worry about any of this. But that’s not the case everywhere — and it certainly may not be a hot real estate market when you’re ready to sell. Talk with a real estate professional you trust, and ask him or her to walk through your home. Ask what things you should consider updating to get the best price for your home. Consider bringing in an inspector to do a pre-inspection, so you know what issues may pop up when offers do come in.
4. Learn how to best stage your house so it’s ready for showing. There are all kinds of expert tips explaining how to stage your home and improve the curb appeal of your house. Read up on staging and improving curb appeal, because both are important to prospective buyers.
Curb appeal gets people in your door; staging helps them envision themselves living there. That’s why you’ll want to do things like tidy up your lawn landscaping, and add fresh shrubs, plants and flowers. You could consider adding walkway lighting and placing new patio furniture and brightly colored outdoor pillows to your front porch. Inside, consider freshening up the walls with neutral paint colors. Take down personal photos and replace them with abstract artwork. Above all, declutter and do a thorough spring cleaning.
5. Get acquainted with your future community today. Talk with your senior living community about getting involved as a future independent living resident while you’re on the waitlist. Many retirement communities will be happy to welcome you at special future resident events and activities. It’s a great way to meet other future residents and build friendships while you’re all waiting together. It will also make your transition much easier.
Ask your future senior living community if there are any clubs, trips, activities, or classes you can participate in now as a future resident. If your community is still being built, ask if there are events you can participate in, or any future resident clubs you can join. If there isn’t such a club, suggest starting one!
Aberdeen Ridge is coming soon to Colorado Springs. When our senior living community is completed in 2023, we’ll offer smart seniors like you engaging and vibrant maintenance-free independent living, along with assisted living and memory care. Schedule your personal visit to learn more about Aberdeen Ridge. Just contact us to get started.
