Movin’ On Up: An All-Inclusive Guide to Homesteading In Your Retirement Years

Photo via Pexel

As your family grows and you enter your retirement years, you may find yourself desiring a larger abode to accommodate everyone — children, grandchildren, and pets alike. Have you ever thought about creating a homesteading paradise so you can provide room, food, and enrichment to your loved ones? If so, there are several important things to take into account when looking for a new home that will fit these needs.

​First: What are your dreams?

Listing out the characteristics of your future home that you would like to prioritize would be helpful as a first step, especially as a future homesteader. Choosing a property should make you think about location, square footage, or whether you want several acres of land or a simple plot. Several things you should think about are the property’s distance from the nearest hospital, where your neighbors are, and how the roads are maintained (depending on how far out you are in the country).

​Second: Make a list of homesteading projects to undertake

​Other must-haves on your list could potentially include a playroom or workshop. After all, if you want to have your grandchildren over, they will need a space to stretch their creative muscles. The benefits of playrooms range widely, from teaching children to share to cordoning off part of the house 

Another big part of homesteading is providing yourself and your family with food. You want to make sure the home you buy has either the makings of a garden or the space to create one. A huge aspect of home gardening is paying attention to the soil quality and, if necessary, enrich it by adding compost or fertilizer. This will provide plants with the nutrients they need to grow and flourish. You should also consider the space you may need for a chicken coop or goat enclosure.

​One thing to remember — get rid of your debt

If your dream is to one day own a larger home so you can invite your children and their brood to come stay and play, you first need to figure out what you can afford. The next thing you should make sure of is to quickly get rid of any errant debt you may have incurred up until this point in your life. The freedom of the wilderness awaits you, and you don’t want to be shackled by past debts in your journey for retirement bliss. ​

​You found your dream house... Now what?

Searching for your new retirement home will take into account the amount of land you want, how big a house, and how much room you really need to fulfill your dreams. These searches may take time, but you could stumble on a true gem early in your quest. If this happens, you may need to act quickly — which could mean buying a new home before selling the old one.

Real estate advisors and home sellers will work with you to help you get into that home of your dreams. For instance, you can take out a loan against your 401(k) or use a sale-leaseback contingency to protect your interests. You may also request an extended closing process if you think you are close to selling your old home. That will give you extra time to get the papers signed on your previous residence.

​Next step: Plan for Your New Life

​Moving to a homestead in retirement is no small undertaking, but with all of your planning and preparation, you’ll be able to settle in no time. To make your move easier, go through everything you have to determine what you need or don’t need, and what will fit in your new home and your new life. You’ll also want to figure out which tools and equipment you’ll need to invest in. 

Next, extrapolate on what life will be like. For example, will you need to switch to satellite service and a landline or will your homestead outside Dallas have access to a powerful enough network that you don’t need a satellite? What about your transportation? If you’ve been driving a sedan, will a truck be a more ideal vehicle? There’s also planning ahead for grocery shopping and medical appointments if you’ll be living farther out from the city. These little things can fall off the radar when you’re preparing for such a big life change, but keeping them top of mind can make it easier to adjust to your new surroundings.

Welcome to your new homestead

After all the lists are made, the houses are sold and bought, the boxes are moved -- only one thing remains. Invite your children, grandchildren, and fluffy grandkids over for a visit and christen your new space with the sounds and activities of your loved ones. Welcome home!

For more insight into health, saving money, wellness, recipes and more, bookmark Real Life with Heather. ​

of SeniorsMeet.org