Retirement can be an exciting new chapter, giving you room to relax, travel, and enjoy the things you love. It also gives many homeowners a chance to step back and reconsider what they want from a home and if it fits their current lifestyle.
Today, manufacutred living is on the rise in popularity and appealing to many retirees. Manufactured living can simplify homeownership without losing modern features, comfort, or a sense of community.
Take a look at a few reasons retirees are choosing manufactured living:
Manufactured Living Today
Many people often think of the stereotypical “mobile home” from decades ago. Manufactured homes today reflect a different story. Since 1976, homes have been built to federally regulated housing standards and safety through the HUD Code. This has changed the manufactured housing industry. Retirees can find that homes offer open floor plans and modern finishes. They can also be customized to meet homeowners’ needs, including energy efficiency, upgrades, accessibility, luxury baths, and more. Take a look at a home today, and you may be surprised by how similar it looks to a traditional site-built home.
Lower Housing Costs
One of the biggest considerations when choosing any home is the cost. Manufactured homes are an affordable path to homeownership. Retirees can cut housing costs by almost 50% compared to traditional site-built homes. The Manufactured Housing Institute reports that new manufactured homes average $85 per square foot, compared to $164 per square foot for a single-family site-built home. Manufactured homes also offer the kind of energy efficiency you can’t find everywhere, lowering monthly utility bills and freeing up your budget for the things you enjoy.
Reduced Or No Property Taxes
Property taxes can look different in manufactured living, and in some cases this can mean lower property tax costs. The way a manufactured home is classified and assessed depends on whether the home is personal or real property. For homeowners living in a community where they own the home but lease the land, taxes can differ from those for a traditional home, where a homeowner owns both the home and the property. Separating property tax from home taxes can save you money. In Indiana, homeowners can apply for additional deductions, such as the Homestead Deduction, that can help reduce their property tax burden.
Benefits Of Community
After retiring, daily routines change, and many people find themselves missing the daily interactions that came with work. Choosing a community where amenities and residents are part of everyday life is one of the main reasons retirees make the move. In a manufactured home community, you will find neighbors where a simple wave or friendly smile can turn into a lifelong friendship.
Amenities, shared spaces, and community events also make it easier to connect with others. At New Durham Estates, we offer a free fitness center, walking paths, a fishing lake, and annual events to help you stay active and meet your neighbors.
Simpler Living
Retirement is a chapter to enjoy more time for yourself and less time keeping up on your home. A larger home may have made sense when you had a growing family, but extra square footage and a large property can lead to more cleaning and maintenance. That’s one reason more retirees are choosing manufactured homes. Their single-level layouts and manageable square footage make day-to-day upkeep easier.
Over the years, it can also be easy to lose track of what you own and accumulate belongings. Retirement can be the perfect time to downsize and consider whether your current home still fits your lifestyle. Downsizing can simplify everyday life, while making your home easier to live in for the years ahead. That frees up more time to take up a new hobby, go on a long-awaited trip, or spend time with family and friends.
Find A Home That Fits This Stage Of Life
Retirement should be about enjoying a new chapter and not maintaining a house that’s larger or more expensive than you need.
If you are considering a simpler way to live in retirement, we would love to help you explore manufactured living. At New Durham Estates, we provide affordable, energy-efficient manufactured homes with convenience to community, amenities, and the Northwest region. Click here to view available homes for sale or contact us to schedule a tour.
