After working hard for 40 or 50 years, we all hope to retire with a reasonable income from pensions and maybe other investments too. Unfortunately, that’s not always the way it works out. Sometimes the value people thought they were going to get from their pension doesn’t materialize, or through health problems, low earnings, and raising the family you simply don’t have a very substantial pension pot.
Regardless of why your income may be limited, you and many millions of other seniors across the country find themselves in a position where they need to be careful with what they spend. With that in mind, your home is one of the key factors in directing expenditure and helping you manage your finances as you get older.
Selling your home
The first thing to consider if money is tight is what value you have in your property. If you own it and would be in a position to sell, the money you free up by selling and downsizing could provide you with a better standard of living and put an end to your money worries. You’d need to be sure of having a substantial amount of capital after the sale to cover the costs of moving, and if you have any debts, they would need to be cleared first.
Alternatively, you could move into assisted living accommodation, where you live independently but in a community where there is someone to call on if you need help. It’s a good compromise if you’re mostly able to care for yourself but need some peace of mind. If you aren’t able to manage to live independently, the money would also help pay for a place in a care home.
Releasing equity
If you love your home and don’t want to move, you could look at releasing the equity in your property with a reverse mortgage, which is a way of remortgaging your home without having to pay anything back during your lifetime. The loan and interest accrued are taken from the profit your home makes when it’s sold after your death. This is a great option if you don’t need or want to bequeath your home to your children, but it will take a large chunk of the value of your estate away for anyone who does stand to inherit.
If you want to stay at home, freeing up some capital from your property gives you the ability to pay for someone to come in and help you at home with domestic tasks and self-care. This option enables you to live at home as long as possible with help from specialist care services. You can find out more about in-home care and senior living at www.inhomecare.com. Receiving assistance in your own home is known to be better for your wellbeing than having to move into care before you need to, and in-home care is significantly cheaper than a care home too.
Your home is one of the most important parts of your life, and you need to be somewhere safe, comfortable, and convenient so you can enjoy your senior years without worrying about money.
These are great tips. This is something we all will have to face eventually.
It is always important to be prepared for the future no matter what your age.
Many options, in the end it boils down to what is the most important to you
Thanks for explaining the reverse mortgage. I agree that it’s an option if you don’t want to leave your home to your kids.