Being a parent never ends, even when your kids are grown up and living away from home. If you’re an empty nester looking to move closer to the kids, there are some steps you should take to make this transition as smooth as possible—mindfulaging lists what you need to know before making the big move.
Ask Your Kids for Advice
Before committing to relocating closer, it is important to consult your children about it first. Ask them for their honest opinion on it: Do they want you to move closer, or is it too much of an intrusion on their lives? Once you get an answer, consider the implications and decide what is best based on the feedback from your kids.
Explore the Local Area
Once you have chosen to move closer, start exploring potential neighborhoods and get an idea of what living there would be like. Take notes while visiting different areas so that you can evaluate them all more easily later on and make a final decision. Visit during different times of day to get a full picture of the area and its residents.
Gather Neighborhood Insights
Talking to locals is the best way to get reliable information about an area. They can give you honest answers about schools, crime, and other aspects of the community that may not be available online. Chat with neighbors to better understand what life in the area will be like.
When moving to be closer to your family, it is also important to consider the amenities in the area. Look for parks, recreational activities, hospitals, public transportation, and shopping centers that are within easy reach of your family. This will ensure that they have all the support they need when needed.
Prepare to Sell Your Home
Unless you plan to rent out your current home, you’ll need to start preparing to sell it. It’s a good practice to work with a real estate agent who can help you decide which updates will give you the best return on your investment. You’ll likely want to update the kitchen and bathrooms, and put a new coat of paint on major living spaces. And remember to update the front yard. Curb appeal is important because potential buyers will see that space first.
Plan for Relocation Costs
Relocation costs can add up quite quickly. Be sure to keep an accurate inventory of all expenses associated with the move, like packing supplies, hiring movers, renting trucks or storage units, and transferring utilities and internet access. Budgeting for these costs ahead of time will help ensure you have everything covered when relocating near your children’s home.
Get Organized
Converting physical paperwork into digital documents can save time and space. With the advent of technology, managing your documents digitally is easier than ever – all you have to do is scan your papers into PDFs and store them in a secure online location. Also, you can try this to split large PDFs into smaller files. This way, important papers can be accessed quickly without taking up space at home.
Consider Selling or Moving Your Business
If you are a small business owner, you will be faced with a major decision. Will you move your business with you or opt to sell – or even close – it? Moving it may not be feasible, but look into your options first so that you are prepared to make an informed decision.
If you decide to close or sell, you’ll need to gather all paperwork and information on your profits and debits to determine the current value. Depending on your structure, you may need to inform key stakeholders. But regardless, you’ll want to inform your customers of the change once things are solidified.
Upgrade Your New Home
Keeping your home safe and comfortable for all those living in it is important. To ensure that any necessary repairs are taken care of quickly and efficiently, use a home maintenance and repair app. These apps make it easy to detect water leaks, check insulation levels, coordinate contractors, and more. Taking these extra steps now can save you headaches down the road.
Reconnect with Family Through Relocation
Moving closer to where your children live is an exciting yet challenging experience. It can be even more overwhelming if you are not familiar with the tasks required for such a transition. However, by following our tips on how best to prepare for such an important decision, the journey will become much less stressful and result in greater peace of mind for everyone involved.
Our guest author is Sharon Wagner, a former bank manager, spends her time helping seniors reach health and well-being goals. She uses her site Senior Friendly to offer advice geared specifically toward seniors to help them make healthier choices and enjoy their golden years. She is also the author of the upcoming books, The Ultimate Guide to Senior-Friendly Workouts, Fitness Gear, Healthy Recipes, and More.
