Future Digs
I absolutely love my house. I love the area where we live, our fenced in yard, the climate, our neighbors, etc. But when our youngest daughter moves out (OK she’s only 9 but I plan a lot) will it be worth it for my husband and I to live in a 3 bedroom home any more?
I’ve gone through this issue when my father passed away. My Mom refused to sell their house even though it was too big for her alone. The upkeep was too much for her to handle financially and mentally. She did finally sell her home when she got to the point of realizing that it was hurting her physically to keep it.
When we are faced with a chronic illness and we have obstacles in our living arrangements that can’t be changed, what do we do? For example, my cousin lives in a two story town house. She has Rheumatoid Arthritis that is not controlled with medication. Walking up and down the stairs is very difficult. Someone who is diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and is on Oxygen 24 hours may not want to continue to live in a home that is too spread out.
Most of the time you don’t have to move quickly. Use the time to weigh the pros and cons of moving. Talk to others with your diagnosis to see how they cope. If your insurance will cover it, a home visit from an Occupational or Physical Therapist may show you some options.
As for me and my husband we will most likely live in our home for at least 10 more years after our youngest is out of the house. That is if she stays in this area of course. But I know that there will be those issues popping up in the years to come.
We’ve discussed moving to a smaller home here, moving to other parts of Florida, and to look atBranson condos or other areas of the US. The good thing is that we’ve begun to speak about it.
