Julie Jason:: Before moving, consider finances and logistics

If you are a retiree who owns a home, at some point the idea of making a move may cross your mind. Perhaps the children are grown and on their own, and the size of the home no longer fits your needs. Perhaps mowing the lawn is no longer a pleasure, the home takes too much effort to keep up, and simple tasks like cleaning out gutters or even changing ceiling light bulbs aren't as easy as they used to be.

Or, you may be concerned about your current health or mobility status, or you might be worried about the future.

Potential injuries become a real concern as one ages. According to "A Profile of Housing and Health Among Older Americans," a Research Institute for Housing America report, 36 percent of older individuals have fallen in the past two years, and one-third of these have been seriously injured in a fall.

If a house is difficult to navigate, the likelihood of falls occurring rises steeply.

Couples' decisions to move are often driven by the frailest member, according to the RIHA report.

Children may become concerned about the welfare of their parents as they age, and rightly so. If parents lose their ability to perform self-care activities, they tend to move closer to their children, as well as those who are widowed, according to a Research on Aging article, "Moving Considerations: A Longitudinal Analysis of Parent-Child Residential Proximity for Older Americans."

There can be financial reasons for making a move as well.

Scaling down to a smaller, less-costly alternative just may be prudent.

Most Americans 65 or older (66 percent) who plan to move will move to a smaller house, according to the Demand Institute's May 2012 study, "The Shifting Nature of U.S. Housing Demand."

Twenty-six percent plan to move to a home of the same size, and only 8 percent plan to move to a larger house.

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Julie Jason:: Before moving, consider finances and logistics