A Guide to Moving to Fort Myers
The definition of transition is “the process or period of changing from one state or condition to another.” Transition usually includes an element of change, and change is hard. For Nancy R., moving to Woodland Cove and building her one-level home encompassed a multitude of emotions and changes as she moved into the “downsizing” phase of her life.
Now that she’s moved in, it’s clear that it is important to Nancy to display certain sentimental pieces of furniture in her home as a way of keeping a bit of her past with. She explained to us that she never “thought of her home as a showcase, but instead, more of a comfort.” She went on to mention that her dining table was her favorite piece of furniture, and it was important for her to bring it to her new home because it’s an expandable table that fit the family.
She wanted to be able to still maintain a home that would accommodate her new lifestyle, but still allow her to carry pieces of her past with her.
Home Buying vs. Home Building
Her home buying process began over a year ago when she and her husband began looking at existing re-sale homes. They found themselves faced with many challenges that were presenting themselves as they struggled to find something that would fit their needs. While continuing to remind themselves that they were “downsizing,” they realized they needed a home that would allow one-level living, which was something Nancy and Douglas just weren’t able to find anywhere else.
When they found themselves looking through homes with other peoples’ things, energy, and renovation requirements, they just couldn’t find anything they could see as being their own. At that point, they were convinced building a one-level home was what made “perfect sense.”
Choosing a Floorplan
After mentioning that she absolutely loved the fact that her one-level Cedarwood II floorplan didn’t have any stairs, making vacuuming so much easier, she began delving into what made her choose this floorplan. She loved that the first thing she saw when she walked in was a spacious foyer and not stairs, as she was used to her previous home which was a split-level.
In Nancy’s words, this home allowed her to do things independently, longer, by helping her “age in place.” She felt it was accessible, easy to entertain in, comfortable, and offered the convenience they sought.
Moving On
When asked what the best part and most challenging part of the building process was, she hesitated, but her answer was that “she hated moving and the closing day.” Her tone dipped as she explained how it was stressful for her. She reiterated it wasn’t anything to do with M/I Homes, but that it had so much to do with her emotional ties to her previous home and that she had to do some mental coaching to “just get through it.”
She transitioned into explaining what brought her the most delight and helped her through the building process. She got excited as she answered with “picking out stuff which was SO fun,” referring to her time in the Design Center. Her tone exemplified gratitude as she shared how helpful the designers were at guiding her through the selection process during times of indecisiveness.
Memories, Old and New
Nancy wrapped up her time with us by expressing that she loves her home, but the process was more emotional than she thought. When asked what she was “holding onto,” she said without hesitation; “Memories. And it involved me getting over it and being open to making new memories.”
She shared a story that involved her going through a challenge in the past in which she found a penny, heads up, while hearing some unfortunate news. As she read the words “In God We Trust” inscribed on the penny she found, she noted that pennies are now a very important symbol for her to remain faithful in God as she moves forward in life, when presented with challenging times.
In her foyer now sits a lovely antiqued item, a glass top filled with pennies, symbolizing all the small moments where she felt supported as she went through the building process, embarking on a new chapter of life.
With each and every new home we build, we are committed to making your new home construction process better. We’ll always treat you right, and we’ll be there each step of the way to provide whatever you need. You can find a number of our new home communities that feature floorplans like the Cedarwood II Nancy chose; we truly have your needs in mind at M/I Homes! Read more of our homeowners’ experience with us here!
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