When you retire, one of the biggest decisions you will make will be where you want to live, including if you want to be living near family. This will determine your retirement budget, as well as the “flavor” of your retirement.
You may choose to get a tiny apartment and spend most of your time traveling. Or you may want to live in a vacation spot where your kids and grandkids will want to come and spend time with you. Then again, maybe you want to live near your family so that you can be there for their sporting events, school plays, and more.
If you are retired or reaching retirement age, we encourage you to check out Solivita Living. We are a real estate agency in Kissimmee, Florida specializing in 55+ communities across Central Florida. This way, even if your family lives far away, they can come to visit you and explore the family-friendly attractions, including Disney World!
Pros of Living Near Family
There are several advantages of living near family after you retire, including:
You can be active with your grandkids’ lives
The primary reason that many retirees choose to live near family is to be an active part of their grandchildren’s lives. After all, having the ability to attend school concerts, sporting events, and birthday parties can be rewarding.
You can help your children as they grow their families
In some cases, you may choose to live near family so that you can help your children as they juggle their various responsibilities. You will also be close enough to help if something major happens, which can be comforting.
You have a support system and social network
Living close to family allows you to see your loved ones on a regular basis. Also, when you need help with yardwork or other chores, you can count on having help. If you don’t have family nearby, you may have to hire someone to help with those tasks that you can’t do yourself.
You may not have to move
If your children stayed close to home after moving out of yours, you may be able to stay right where you are. This allows you to maintain your connections with friends in the area. Moving is a lot of work and can be expensive. If you stay in one place, you can save that money.
Cons of Living Near Family
When making a big decision like this, it’s important to also consider some of the disadvantages. Some of these are:
You can’t be a vacation destination if you live close by
When you live close by, you can be active in your children’s and grandchildren’s lives on a daily basis. Some retirees prefer moving to exotic locations where their kids and grandkids can come visit. Disney is a popular tourist destination in central Florida, which is close to our communities.
You won’t get to choose where you retire
If your goal is to live near family in retirement, you are at their mercy for choosing the destination. You may have to move to a more expensive or undesirable area to be close to them.
You may have to follow them
If your children move on a regular basis due to jobs, you will have to move too if you want to stay close. This can be quite difficult.
You may be the default babysitter/errand runner
If you live near family and don’t establish boundaries, it can be exhausting. Your kids may depend on you to be the babysitter anytime they need it or have you run errands for them while they are working. This may make you work harder than you intend to during retirement.
Conclusion
After you retire, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is where you want to live. Many retirees choose to live near family, which does offer a lot of benefits. However, there are also several drawbacks.
If you are reaching retirement age, consider coming to central Florida. Solivita Living specializes in 55+ communities in this area. We are located in Kissimmee, Florida, and have communities in Trilogy, Solivita, Del Webb, and Four Seasons at Orlando. If you choose one of our communities, you will be near Disney World and other family-friendly attractions that will entice your children and grandchildren to visit often.