A Second Home for Retirement | Real Living Real Estate
The Bottom Line on Second Homes for Retirement

What do you need in a retirement home? Aside from your lifelong pursuits, what else do you need in a retirement community?

Access to medical care?

Access to a recreational center?

How far from shops and restaurants?

Did You Know?

Not all homes have layouts that are conducive to retirement living. Be sure to consider this when buying.




Buying specifically for a retirement home is unique from other second home purchases.

A second home can often transition into a retirement home, and many second homes are purchased with that transition in mind. Because retirement second homes need to meet specific criteria to best serve the owners, this decision is different from investment real estate or even a vacation home.  Real Living Sales Professionals can help you navigate this process.

A key consideration is the layout of the house. Is it senior friendly? Steep stairs on the inside or outside of the house can be difficult for seniors to negotiate. If a homeowner is in a wheelchair, steps are only one concern. Narrow doorways can make it tough to move around the house and high countertops can be inaccessible to someone in a chair. The frame of the house also needs to be sturdy enough to install grab bars in places where seniors might need help getting up and down.

A tucked away mountain retreat may not make for the best retirement second home. Do you want to be visited by friends and family? Then you may want something easily accessible to an airport or major highway. A second home that is too remote could discourage visitors, and in the event of a medical emergency you want the professionals to get to your home quickly.

Another retirement second home criteria is the quality of nearby medical care. Seniors often need regular checkups, including visiting specialists. Couple that with diminished mobility and it makes sense to choose a retirement second home where it’s not only do medical professionals have easy access to you, but you have easy access to medical professionals.