Downsizing & Resizing Your Home | Stacks Property Search and Acquisition

Downsizing Property Search Service

Proud to provide a personal service that taps into each market at every level, with local Regional Directors that live and breathe the area of your search.

When we conduct your downsize property search we:

Providing an inside track to properties on and off the market. Saving you time and money by showing you only the best property.

Advising on the pros and cons of each property. Assessing potential pitfalls, planning issues and price.

Giving you the maximum advantage to achieve the minimum price. Settling at the best price, and on terms that suit you.

Securing the purchase successfully. Overseeing the survey and transaction to a successful conclusion.

When is the best time to downsize?

There are very real reasons why people swerve downsizing – the cost of moving, practical issues surrounding finding something suitable and actually making the physical move. Historically, empty nesters have continued to hang on to the family home much longer than is necessary, but it’s much better not to leave it too late. Clearing the attic and garage of decades of accumulated paraphernalia is a challenge in itself, and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. The stress of a move is something that can be overwhelming at any time of life; downsizers should make the move while they’re still physically fit and able to take on the challenges that the process presents.

A good time to downsize is when any children have left home and when the homeowners are still youthful enough to make the most of a new home and the benefits of a more simple way of life. It may also be the best time to allow children to benefit from the release of any spare capital – when they’re at a stage when they would really benefit from help with a property of their own, or help with school fees.

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There are numerous benefits to downsizing, including improved finances, better use of space, and proximity to amenities, but it’s crucial to start the process early to manage the physical and emotional challenges effectively. Here we investigate the pros and cons, and offer advice for those wishing to make the transition.

Downsizing advantages

There are numerous benefits to downsizing, improved finances being the most obvious. The release of capital allows for lifestyle improvements, and / or for helping out family members. Lower maintenance costs and time commitment are also a big advantage.

Downsizing doesn’t just mean smaller, it can mean improved arrangement of space to suit a new later-lifestyle. Compromises that may have been made when buying the family home can be improved upon; many downsizers find they have never been happier once they’ve made the move, despite initial concerns.

One of the best things about downsizing is that once it’s been done, there should be no requirement for another move. Downsizers should ensure that the property meets future needs, or can be adapted to suit later life.

Advantages to downsizing are often only fully appreciated after the move has taken place. The improved lifestyle, proximity to family, amenities and transport, decreased maintenance issues, and improved or specialist ergonomics can be incredibly liberating.

Top tips for downsizing

Decluttering

If you are committed to downsizing, do as much decluttering as you can before putting your property on the market. It will look much better as a result, and it will put you ahead of the game when it comes to moving quickly.

Consider your needs

Don’t just consider your needs as they are at the moment, make sure it will suit you, or can be adapted, when you become less active and possibly less mobile.

Location

Think about location – the key is often to be within spitting distance of local amenities, a village shop, bus stop, and local surgery.

Start the process early

Don’t leave it too late! Start the process early so you can manage both the physical demands as well as the mental stress; not forgetting the emotional fortitude to take on the decluttering decisions that need to be made.

Family dynamics and downsizing

In our experience, the biggest hurdles to downsizing are emotional rather than practical – the fear of change, reluctance to let go of the past, and the emotional hoops that will have to be jumped through to decide what to replace the family home with.

An excellent early downsizing exercise is to draw up a list of every benefit you can possibly think of. Finances are likely to feature strongly on the list, and the advantages of a lower maintenance property, but be really clear about the good things that will come out of the move. Be specific, not just more holidays, but a particular adventure that you’ve always wanted to go on; the idea of walking to shops, bars and cafes if you’ve been remote; the prospect of a property that faces the right way if you’ve been suffering a north-facing home for decades.

It really helps to think about the kind of property that will work well for an empty nest – your square metres will be all about you, not sucked up by all the bedrooms you needed to accommodate the family. It’s a mistake to try to recreate exactly what you had on a smaller scale. Think of it as a new start and an opportunity to live in a different way. For instance, you can have a bathroom each, a quiet extra sitting room, or a studio, or whatever it is that will give you joy. And rather than insisting on squeezing all your old furniture into the new space, take the opportunity to re-think and redesign.

Choosing the correct location at this stage is vital. The idea of the extended family living within range to offer support to each other is often favourable. Being within a fifteen-minute drive is a great aspiration, close enough to ‘pop’, but not so close as to cramp each other’s style.

Our advice is always to consult the family at an early stage – there may be issues that affect your decisions that you are unaware of, and if all relevant parties are aware of your intentions, it prevents problems arising at a later date. But try to be resolute and put your own needs first.

One of the best things about downsizing is that once you’ve done it you shouldn’t have to do it again!