The Nest Is Finally Empty – Then Why Am I Selling My Home?

For years, mom and dad have longed for that day when the house would finally be quiet in the early mornings and late evenings, and they could simply amble about without tripping over someone’s shoes. There would be peaceful, quiet weekends and the phone wouldn’t ring endlessly, even though most were cell phones that seemed to be constantly beeping or playing some obnoxious ringtone that sounded more like a cry for help than a song.

Now that time is here. The kids have all graduated college, begun their own families and peace and quiet reigns supreme. So why are you selling your home and moving? Here are the most common reasons seniors 55 and older are picking up stakes and moving to parts unknown. They simply sell up, choose the best moving company to load up what’s left and after decades in one house, they move to a totally new house in a totally new location.

To Be Near the Kids and Grandkids

Let this be a lesson to the wise. You only think you are looking forward to those empty nester days but when they arrive, you won’t know what to do with yourself. To suddenly be surrounded by all that quiet is eerie, to say the least, and when the grandkids start making their arrival, you hate being 

hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away. According to the MetLife Mature Market Institute and the National Home Builders Association, the most common reasons seniors sell their homes to move to a new location is to be near family and sometimes even friends who have already retired.

A Reduction in Maintenance

The sad fact is, once we reach a certain age, those chores we once did second nature are now almost beyond the scope of what we can physically manage. It is no longer to lift weights over 50 pounds and mowing a multi-acre lot is an all-week affair. By the time we make it from one end to the next, it’s time to start all over again! Many seniors opt for condo or assisted living simply because there will be someone else to take care of the grounds and routine repairs. Now, if you can find a condo near the kids, that would be the next best thing to heaven!

The Need for Assisted Living

Assisted living comes in many sizes and packages. Some assisted living residences for seniors are separate apartments that simply have trained personnel on hand should they be required along with maintenance crews and activities directors that see to keeping residents entertained with various activities throughout the week. From assisted living facilities with a full-time nurse on staff to those that offer minimal care, this is a step somewhere between a senior home and the house they maintained for all those years.

So, the nest is finally empty and you can really feel it, can’t you? You are not alone in that as tens of millions of Americans 55 and older feel that emptiness to their core. Whether they move to be near the kids or simply to make life easier (or more affordable!) they have decided it’s time to downsize and move. Just remember to take your time to find somewhere you will be comfortable calling home. It may take time, but you can do it.