For Retirees, Living Spaces Are Not ‘One-Size-Fits-All’

September 4, 2024

Retirement ushers in a new chapter in life, and this new chapter can look quite different from one person to the next. Some retirees use their newfound leisure time to travel far and wide. For them, home is mostly a base where they keep their belongings.

Others pour their time and energy into hobbies and special interests, volunteer work or being with friends and family. They also may not spend much time at home.

But some retirees actually spend more time in their home than when they were working. Some take delight in hosting dinner parties and celebrations on a frequent basis. Some look forward to stepping up their role as grandparents, regularly inviting the grandkids over to share quality time together.

Still others prefer their home to be a cozy retreat where they feel protected and free from worry.

Just as older adults’ lifestyles vary, so do their wants and needs with respect to their living spaces. For this reason, most senior living communities offer a variety of options, including apartments in a range of floor plans and square footage.

For many seniors, apartment living—with its convenience and efficient use of space—is precisely the right fit.

Rightsizing to an Apartment Home

It’s not unusual for older adults to find they no longer need (or want) all the space in the home they’ve lived in for many years. This can be true even for those who already moved to a smaller place after the kids grew up and left home. 

Are there rooms in your home that don’t get used much, or maybe not at all? Are you using rooms and closets to store a lot of stuff you don’t really need anymore?

Larger homes come with higher utility bills, plus there’s more to clean and maintain. And if mobility becomes an issue, moving around in a big house can be challenging, especially if there are stairs.

Most of these concerns vanish if you move to a senior living community, where professionals take care of all the maintenance and landscaping, and housekeeping services are readily available.

In addition, residences in senior living communities are designed for ease of navigation and to help reduce the risk of falls.

While some retirement communities offer cottages, townhomes and other types of residences, the vast majority of living spaces in senior communities are apartment homes. Depending on the community, apartment floor plans can range from studios to three bedrooms with a den.

The Advantages of 1-Bedroom Apartments for Seniors

One-bedroom apartments for seniors may be an ideal option for those who are single and for couples who are on the go a lot of the time. Some communities offer one-bedroom apartments with a den that can be used as a home office, a room for hobbies or reading, or even as a second bedroom. 

Here are some excellent reasons to consider senior one-bedroom apartments:

• They’re more affordable. If you don’t need the extra space, why pay for it? Selling your current home and choosing a one-bedroom apartment will leave you with more to spend on travel and activities you enjoy, or more to set aside for the future. Plus, as noted earlier, your power bill will be lower than if you chose a larger apartment or other type of dwelling in the community.
  
  
• You’ll pay less for amenities. Most senior living communities offer an assortment of amenities, which can include fitness facilities with exercise classes, spas and salons, swimming pools, arts and crafts rooms, game rooms, educational classes, woodworking shops, theaters and much more. Monthly fees and entrance fees are based on residence size, but residents throughout the community have access to the same amenities. So those who live in one-bedroom apartments pay less to access certain amenities as compared with residents living in larger homes in the community.
  
  
• It’s easier to stay organized. When moving into an apartment home, most older adults use the opportunity to pare down their belongings—which can have a positive effect on mental health. Choosing a smaller living space can help you focus on the items that are most important and those that have the greatest value to you. It can also squelch the temptation to start accumulating more stuff after you move. Sometimes less is better.
  
  
• You’ll have a whole community outside your front door. If the idea of living in a one-bedroom apartment seems like it would be a big adjustment, look at it this way: Everything the community offers is an extension of your home, including the gathering spaces, gardens, dining venues, walking paths, fitness facilities and more. Most communities also have a private dining room residents can use for family get-togethers and other occasions. And you’ll have new neighbors who just might become great new friends!

Why This Resident Loves Her Courtyard Apartment

At Emerald Heights, we welcomed the first residents into their beautiful new Courtyard Apartments earlier this year. One of them was Monica Chun, who came to live in our community in June 2023 after her husband died. Monica’s parents had moved to Emerald Heights in 2005, and her mother was still living here when Monica decided to join us.

After her mother passed, Monica felt ready for a change. So, when one of our team members mentioned that a few of the new Courtyard apartments were still available, she decided to take a look. Monica chose a one-bedroom apartment on the third floor, which is the top floor in her building.

“It has changed my whole life,” Monica says. “Moving to Courtyard has been wonderful. I love my apartment. The high ceilings, the big, lovely windows with lots of light coming in, the island in the kitchen with plenty of counter space—it feels like a smaller version of the home I loved in Kirkland.”

Monica notes that she has a beautiful view of evergreens and deciduous trees, which is one reason she chose that specific apartment. She says another apartment she visited recently on the other side of the building “felt like a treehouse” because of the views.

“This is what I wanted. I love New York City, and this reminds me of a New York loft. I set up my living room and dining room so I can be washing dishes, watching the TV and watching the rain outside. My living room goes out to the patio. I love sitting out there and watching the rain at night.”

Monica was born in Hawaii and lived there for 39 years. She and her husband honeymooned in Washington and liked it so much they decided to try living here for a year in the late ‘90s. They wound up loving it and stayed.

“It’s so easy to travel to the Pacific from here, and to the East Coast. And I’ve been to Europe twice this year.”

At 64, Monica is one of the youngest residents at Emerald Heights. While she enjoys participating in classes at the fitness center, learning to play mahjong and hiking, she has also resumed teaching elementary school students, though she only substitute teaches for friends.

“I love teaching. I only retired so my husband and I could travel more.”

Although things didn’t work out as planned, Monica says she’s back to feeling happy again.

“One of the reasons I chose Emerald Heights is, I realized with both of my parents and then seeing my husband get sick so suddenly, you can’t predict any of these aging things, no matter how healthy you are. I feel very safe here. I feel like I’ll be taken care of, if something happens. I won’t be in a house alone. I’m happy here.

“I’ve learned you really, truly have to enjoy every day. I’m so happy I moved to this apartment.”

Come to the Courtyard

Wondering if you’d be happy at home in an Emerald Heights apartment? There’s a great way to find out: Visit us.

Come see all our community has to offer and get a feel for what your life would be if you lived here. To set up a visit,contact us or call 866-822-0916.

Featured Image: Jeremy Hess, 2024