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Choosing a Senior Living Floor Plan That’s Right for You

one of the floor plans

One of the big questions we often hear from older adults about moving to a senior living community is how will it impact my current lifestyle? The reality is, when choosing a community like John Knox Village with an engaging, maintenance-free lifestyle and wide range of services and amenities, your life will be enhanced in unimaginable ways.

Plus, when you have a variety of senior living floor plan options available, you’re sure to find a living space to fit your current and future needs. To help you feel comfortable about your senior apartment search, this blog post will offer tips and suggestions on how to choose a floor plan to fit your budget and your lifestyle.

 

Figure Out Your Must Haves

Look at where you currently live. What do you like about it? What do you dislike about it? What would you change or want to be different? Your answers to these questions will help you evaluate your senior living floor plan options. Here are some more specific questions to ask yourself:

Will you want additional space for guests? (Either in your residence or does the community offer guest suites?)

Do you want an outdoor space? (balcony, patio, etc.)

Do you want a traditional or open floor plan?

What furniture will you want to take with you? 

Do you want space to entertain?

Do you want a place with lots of natural light?

What services and amenities are you most likely to use?

How much storage space do you need? (Be sure to ask if the community provides additional storage elsewhere.)

 

Evaluating Your Options

Once you know what’s important to you, it’s a good time to narrow down your list of communities. To get a sense of their floor plan options and lifestyle, visit their websites. Make note of which communities have the style of residences and features you prefer and schedule in-person visits. Going on a tour will give you a sense of each space and let you evaluate the floor plan based on how you’ll use it.

Tour time. 

Note each residence’s square footage and its layout. Try to picture where your furniture will go. Windows and doorways will determine how you’re able to arrange it.

Floor plan types.

Senior apartments are designed for efficiency and convenience, so you may be surprised to find a smaller space works best. This blog post offers decorating tips for small spaces. Common senior living floor plans options include:

  • Studio apartment: Most suitable for one person, these are often the most affordable and typically offer 300-600 square feet of living space. 
  • One-bedroom apartment: These work best for an individual or senior couples. They likely feature a full-size kitchen and a living space.
  • Two-bedroom apartment: This floor plan allows you to use one of the bedrooms for a guest room or office and they typically have more than one bathroom. 
  • Villas: These are typically a freestanding home or duplex along a private street with an outdoor entrance, yard and an attached garage. 

Rightsize it.

You’re probably moving from a larger home to a smaller residence. A senior living community like John Knox Village takes care of all the indoor and outdoor maintenance, plus we feature several dining options, a fitness facility, arts and crafts studio and more, so you’ll also need less. To help you decide what to keep, read our blog post on downsizing tips.

Storage.

Even if you have to downsize, you may still want space to store things like holiday decorations or extra clothes to fit the time of year. So be sure to check the number and size of closets, as well as the laundry room and kitchen cabinets. You can also ask about the community’s private storage options.

Trust your gut.

As you tour a community’s independent living floor plans, make sure they’ll fit your personal interests and lifestyle. For example, if you plan to take advantage of the community’s dining options, a smaller kitchen with minimal counter space will serve you well. If you’re an avid cook, you’ll probably want more space.

 

More Options to Help You Get More Out of Life

At John Knox Village Life Plan Community in Lee’s Summit, MO., we have more than 70 floor plans to choose from, so you’re sure to find the perfect senior living floor plan for your lifestyle. To get started, check out our floor plan fit calculator. We can also tell you about our Move Assist Program. Contact one of our senior living consultants today to schedule a tour.