By the time I retired, I was living alone in a large two-bedroom apartment. So many retirees in our building were also living in space much larger than what they needed. When children grow up and the family lives together, a large apartment is just necessary, but when everyone is separated the free space brings thoughts of emptiness and loneliness. It is not the best option and three from a domestic point of view – it is time to make repairs in the apartment, but neither the strength nor the money for the necessary changes and improvements a pensioner simply do not have.
To pay the utilities costs almost half of my pension, while I practically do not use half of my square meters. Cleaning is also becoming beyond me – the need to wash the windows, the floors and clean everything in three rooms already makes me feel tired.
I understood the need to move, but I put it off for a long time. Over the years I have gotten used to my apartment and to the area, so many doubts tormented me. All my friends, and almost all of my life was here, and I was going to leave. The crucial straw was the realization that I would not be able to maintain a large apartment neither financially nor physically – my age and strength were no longer the same.
My relatives helped me organize the move, I would not be able to do it myself. My daughter and son-in-law helped me to find a new place to live and to make repairs. Despite the fact that the area of my new apartment was much smaller, I have never regretted my decision.
For a single pensioner, a one-room apartment is the best fit. I am pleased with the savings on mandatory payments, I do a quality cleaning in an hour, after that the simple maintenance of order requires 10 minutes a day.
I do not feel constraint in the area, all the necessary things, furniture and appliances easily accommodated, and there is still room.
The previous owners have left a large corner closet, it replaced my pantry, some went to live on the balcony. In the room only the necessary furniture – sofa, wall, coffee table.
Old furniture, dishes, and other things that I did not use, but kept in a large apartment, I threw out – in the new house, they have no place, and I did not need them, just accumulated over the years.
Many people think that a one-room apartment has too little space for comfortable living. Of course, if guests stay overnight, there is nowhere to accommodate them. But I don’t have such guests, and I wouldn’t even think of making another place to sleep, even though I have a place. I don’t want to leave anyone for the night. Over the years I have developed my own regime and certain habits, and a stranger in my house will just disturb me. Since there is no place to sleep, and no one asked to sleep overnight.
My daughter and her family live nearby, when they come to visit, after a couple of hours to return. My girlfriends visit, but they go home for the night. They might want to stay, but I do not want to, it is not convenient with another person in the same room.
Everyone has their own idea of where to spend their old age – some people want to stay in their familiar apartment, even though they don’t need that much space, while others don’t mind changing it for a more modest accommodation. Personally, I do not need a big apartment when I am older, and if health and finances allow, I can live alone in a three-room apartment.
I think, deciding to stay or move, retirees need to look not only at the square footage, but also other conditions:
Good location – a pharmacy, a store, a hospital near the house;
Not far from where the children live, so that it was not difficult to visit;
a park or square for walking nearby.
