If you’re looking for a fresh start in retirement, buying a home could be a great decision. But making a major purchase in your senior years does come with a few challenges. How can you find a home that will meet your changing physical needs? Can you afford a new mortgage on a fixed income? Are you ready to face a stressful move? Taking the time to answer these questions will ensure that you’re properly prepared for this big move. Read on to learn from Restoration Harmony's guest blog expert Hazel Bridges from AgingWellness. 






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Buying a Home on a Fixed Income

Be sure to get your financials organized before you start hunting for homes.

• Calculate how much house you can afford based on your household income.
  
• Remember to account for hidden home buying costs in your budget.
  
• Look for a home with a mother-in-law income suite so you can rent space to offset your mortgage.
  
• Research and compare your different mortgage options. 
  

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Planning for Your Move

Moving can be incredibly stressful, so start planning for the big day far in advance. 

• Get a feel for how much it will cost to hire movers.
  
• Research nearby moving services and book a company for moving day.
  
• Start decluttering and packing up your belongings.
  
• Remember to pack a first-day box with your everyday essentials.
  

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Selling your home and buying a new one is an excellent chance to move somewhere new in your golden years. Perhaps you want to be closer to family, leave the cold winters behind, or enjoy the convenience of city living. Whatever your reason for buying a new home, taking the time to evaluate your budget, research your housing options, and plan out your move will ensure your purchase is a success! 

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This mid-century rambler hadn't been touched in over 50 years. Take a peek at the design plan and finished reveal of this beautiful home located in the much sought after District 66 area in the heart of Omaha. 

Click Read More to see the complete video. 
And as always we love to hear your comments and ideas. Comment on this blog and tell us what you love most about our latest flip. 

​Cheers! Dave and Angela

​For those of you with teens, like us, you know how engaging them is a bit more challenging than when they were littles. Dave, the kids and I are in the midst of creating a very LONG list of things we can do over the coming 4 weeks. We are pretty excited to check as many of these off our list. Our plan is to VLOG each of what Dave and I are calling "Schradcation" experiences and share our journey and ideas with each of you. Feel free to share freely and follow us on @harmonyhomes14 on IG and FB to catch our vlog documentary. 

In the meantime, I'm sharing our own list in hopes that it may spark some ideas for your family! Please excuse our made up family words like "stormbraining" something my daughter coined when she was just 3. Cheers!

I'd be lying if I told you I've been planning since last year...I haven't and in fact, we knew following the 2018 tour that we would be doing the Garage this year. Dave's request. I didn't realize just how expansive the room is. 

For you history buffs,  Salisbury House located at Tonawanda Dr. in Des Moines is a Tudor, Gothic and Carolean style manor home. But I still like to call it a castle. It was built by cosmetic magnate Carl Weeks and his wife, Edith between 1923 and 1928 (wikipedia)  
The house was modeled after a home in Salisbury England called, The King's House. At over 22,000 sq ft., 42 rooms and 9 acres in the heart of the historic district south of Grand Avenue it is a show stopper! Words just can't describe this majestic structure. The tour guides at SH are so passionate and knowledgable you won't want to take a tour without them. If you can, ask for David he is one of our favorite guides and I always learn something new when visiting with him. 

For a quick peek at the house click here for a slideshow overview. And click on the photo below for a tour of last years design. 

The garage is now host to weddings, business meetings and other events so it made sense for a couple of venue owners and designers to take on the garage.  It originally held 4 stalls and an oil bay on the main level (the room we decorated) and an additional 4 stalls below so you can just imagine how large a space it is. Dave really wanted to add a vintage vehicle in the space and design around it as the anchor, and after seeing the space again after a year I wondered why I didn't jump on that idea...but in the end we made it work without the vintage ride. ​It also has fewer constraints in decorating compared to Edith's quarters. 

My Uncle Terry was here for Thanksgiving. An interior designer himself I was not at all sad that his flights were delayed for a couple days and that we got to spend time together in a home he and I could spend hours meandering about. He gets total cred of every tree in the room among many other projects. 

As you can see the room is still in progress. I have a handwritten scroll to complete and the LED candles I bought were too large for the lanterns. Stay tuned for the complete reveal in part 2.  

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