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How Do You Know if You Should Downsize Your House?
Date Updated: November 13, 2024
Written by:
Rachel Lustbader is a writer and editor with a background in healthcare and technology. Her work has been published on websites including HealthCare.com, BiteSizeBio.com, BetterHelp.com, Caring.com, and PayingforSeniorCare.com. She studied health science and public health at Boston University.
Both of Rachel’s grandmothers had very positive experiences in senior living communities, and Rachel saw firsthand the impact that kind, committed caregivers and community managers can have on seniors’ and their family members’ lives. With her work at Caring, Rachel hopes to help other families find communities, caregivers, and at-home products that benefit elderly loved ones and make life less stressful for family caregivers
Downsizing your house may be a good decision if your current home and property are too much to keep up with, your location makes you feel isolated, or your home’s value has increased so much that it’s wise to sell it. Moving is stressful, but so are never-ending to-do lists, increasing maintenance costs and loneliness.
Many older adults have a sentimental attachment to the home they’ve invested their love, labor and memories in. It’s hard to let go, but when staying tied to the past begins to detract from your present, downsizing may be the best choice. If any of the following describes you, consider downsizing.
You Struggle to Maintain Your Home
Perhaps you’ve noticed that your to-do lists don’t get shorter. Instead, they’re filled with endless house maintenance jobs. Rather than enjoying your retirement years, you spend your days trimming hedges, dusting unoccupied rooms or waiting for the roofer to stop by and give you an estimate. You could let it go, but that’s not you, and besides, you don’t want to be the neighbor with the shabby house. If this sounds familiar, it’s a sign you may need to downsize. Moving allows you to search for a smaller place with fewer rooms and less property to maintain or with a property association that takes care of some maintenance tasks.
Your Empty Nest Makes You Feel Lonely
Your house was once a hub of activity, but is now a quiet, empty space. From hosting holidays with family, BBQs with friends and game nights with neighbors to accomodating your growing kids and their friends, your home served it’s purpose and gave you much comfort and pleasure. Now the lack of activity within its walls and endless silence may have you feeling disconnected from those you love. You may desire to downsize somewhere closer to your grown children and grandchildren and make new memories together.
You Could Make a Profit from Selling Your Home
Another reason to consider moving to a smaller house is if the value of your current one has increased so much that it makes sense to put it on the market. Check with some real estate agents in your area to get estimates of how much money you could get for your house. You may find that the current market makes selling your house and downsizing a smart decision.