Choosing the Perfect Retirement Home

Making the Decision of Attached or Detached Retirement Homes

Active adults in the midst of downsizing and considering a move to a retirement home have the choice of attached or detached homes. This can be a bit of a challenging decision as there are various pros and cons to attached and detached homes. If you are in a bind trying to figure out which type of home to move into, here are a few advantages and disadvantages of both types of homes.

Pros and Cons of Attached Homes

One of the best features of the attached homes is that they are cheaper than detached homes. This is because attached homes share a foundation and wall/walls. In addition, the attached home in the same neighborhood as the detached home will cost less than the detached home. Attached homes are easier to heat and cool as they share a common wall. This will keep your electric and gas bills to a minimum.

The greatest disadvantage to living in an attached home is the privacy factor. As you share a wall, and if you have noisy neighbors, this can get a bit annoying. If you are considering an attached home, make sure your bedroom is not adjacent to your neighbor’s recreation room. This could be a huge mistake. Another disadvantage to the attached homes is the lack of light and windows. When house hunting, always visit the home during the day so that you can see just how much natural light is available in your attached home models.

Pros and Cons of Detached Homes

A detached home is a home that stands alone and most often has garden space. The best thing about detached homes is that you have your privacy. Another advantage is that if you feel your home is too small, you can always add to it provided there is space. These homes have no property management fees as with attached homes which are a great benefit. Detached homes are most often associated with suburban living.

There are a few disadvantages to detached homes too. For one thing, your gas cost will be more as more energy is needed to heat your home during cold weather. In addition, maintenance and repair costs to the interior and exterior of your house, as well as, lawn upkeep will have to be borne by you.

Making the Right Choice

Every home, irrespective of type comes with its pros and cons. Therefore, you should consider all these pros and cons with a grain of salt before making the decision to buy your retirement home. Below are some communities you can consider when you make your choice.

• Avenu at Natick – Natick, MA
• Del Webb at Chateau Elan – Hoschton, GA
• Jubilee at Los Lunas – Los Lunas, NM
• Maple Valley by Shea Homes – Maple Valley, WA
• Evergreens at Columbia Town Center – Columbia, MD

Visit ActiveAdultLiving.com, a website especially suited to retirees, where homes range from single-family detached homes to townhouses to ranch homes, etc. With over 8,500 listings on our website, your home search just got so much easier and effective too. Every community listed on the website can be contacted directly via the website, by submitting the inquiry form, which makes it amazingly convenient for you to make your choice.