AIBU to wonder why a pensioner struggling financially would not use housing equity?

Agree.

oops sorry quoted the wrong post - mean to quote @Seymour5

My friend's parents moved to something very like that - it was a retirement complex owned by a charitable foundation and they had flats for full sale, part rent part by and full rent. You needed to live in or have a connection with the London borough it is in. It was ideal for them and she was really grateful they moved there when they both developed terminal conditions that impacted their mobility in their late 70s.

Exactly. Downsizing should not be a response to a crisis, it should be a proactive decision made at a suitable time. I find it so strange that so many people seem amazed by the concept of ageing. What did they think was going to happen?

I’ve just come back to this thread and see it’s descended into some strange nostalgic poverty porn. What today’s fiscal policies relating to provision for pensioners has to do with whether or not some of you had indoor plumbing in the 1970s I’ll never understand. Get over it. Childhood memories don’t pay the bills. And this country’s pensioner bill is increasing exponentially.

Two bedrooms, (there are two of us) sitting room, kitchen/kitchen area, walk in shower or wet room. Ground floor, or with lift access.

You’re right, @Differentforgirls - and it’s definitely better to do it now than to have to rush through it, in the months leading up to a move.

But I do think that the job of decluttering may well seem too big for some elderly people - both physically and emotionally - and this may be a factor that puts some people off downsizing.

Do it a room at a time. Maybe a week to a room. And try not to be sentimental. It’s hard.

Part of the problem with downsizing is the amount of stuff we accumulate. Dh and I are considering downsizing in the next few years - once he stops work, probably - and we are acutely aware of the amount of stuff we will have to purge from the house, in order to fit into a smaller place.

Given that I am disabled, and can’t stand for more than a few minutes, it is hard for me to do decluttering on my own, so I rely on Dh to be the muscle, whilst I am fairly good at being ruthless about what goes. Even so, it is such a massive task that it looks almost impossible.

I can imagine how, for someone on their own, or for older people (Dh and I are in our early 60s), it must be an almost insuperable task.

Yes it’s one reason my FIL didn’t want to go anywhere that felt ‘old’ - luckily he does have plenty of cash to cover off any social care needs- at moment( touching wood) has none- not even a cleaner

Same in places like Torbay. They’re being sank by adult social care

Oh I think they will get by in Frome as it’s chokka full of younger and middle aged families. One thing he made clear was he didn’t want to be surrounded by old people.

People need to be realistic about wants vs needs as they get older.
And they should be encouraged to downsize earlier.

My lovely grandparents are in their late 80s and have a 3 story townhouse, bought about 10 years ago - relocated to a town my dads brother lives in but they were happy moving all their lives.

It is only in the last year that my grandad has twigged that it probably wasn't the most future proof home for them. They have moved to the middle floor now but they wanted extra rooms for family to stay over. I don't think either of their spare rooms have been used more than once or twice. Most of the family only live about a 45 min drive so we just go home once when we visit.

We all told them a bungalow is the best option but they didn't think they were good value so hear we are.

I think this is key. I think a lot want to remain detached because neighbours are annoying and it might stop them making noise they like to make. They want a garden, maybe not as large but still a private garden. They want 3 bedrooms as a couple because they no longer share a room, so thats a room each and they might have a carer or a visitor stay. So suddenly they are trying to downsize to a 3 bed bungalow which costs more than there current bigger place.

Theres a lot of flats but its a compromise on every single front. So people wait and wait until they have to and then cant cope with doing it.

My mum downsized from a small terrace to a flat so it wasnt such a gap for her.

My ideal down size home would be a bungalow in the small town where I currently live. Apart from being too big with stairs our current home is perfect. We can walk to the shops, GP surgery and dentist. If a bungalow went on the market here we’d be all over it - so would dozens of other people. As it is we’ll stay put and install a lift if it becomes necessary.

So sell it, buy a 1 bed ground floor flat outright and use the proceeds to live on?

But given the list of barriers people have presented - what would be their ideal downsize property (given the resistance many people have to new building)

I am sure there must be smaller houses within the same araa for many people. Also ground floor garden flats are a thing.

I thimk a lot of the resistance to downsizing is people want to keep more bedrooms than they really use or a large garden.

I get it is not ideal, bit many peole have to make compromises due to finances.

The South West is a really popular place for pensioners from all over to retire to. It may have been a great move for your father, but not so much for Somerset Council. Somerset already had one of the highest proportions of pensioners relative to its working age population in the UK.

Yep I do get that - you do get a few brave souls who do though , even in their late 70s and 80s - ny FIL had no reason really to be in that areas as moved for his partner who died in 2019 - the fantastic thing is he went to funky Frome, and it’s been great - community minded, lots going on and a lovely friendships club for over 65s he goes to twice a week - he’s had a new lease of life!!

My comments about moving somewhere cheaper were in the context of moving within the same general area. Obviously that doesn’t apply with a move to another part of the country. Most people don’t uproot themselves and move a very long distance in their 80s.

@Blossomtoes- my FIL at 85 did this - moved from Kent to Somerset - cheaperarea and banked £130k - now has detached bungalow, far more facilities on doorstep ( doctors, 2 general shops, minor injury centre, cottage hospital, pub, post office, bus stop, ( all within 3 minutes flat walk) , town and cafes, bars, restaurants, more shops, big market all within 15 minutes walk or a £5 cab . In his not very thrilling Kent village he had a weird shop, an awful pub , the doctor and a bus every 2 hours. It wasn’t as bad when he moved there in 2011, it just declined- he had 3 bed detached chalet style house there and a lot of land -

Great if the home is suitable for adapting. Many terrace houses have stairs too narrow for a stair lift. They’d be available for younger buyers if older people could find somewhere that met their needs,

@Somersetbaker In many cases poverty isn’t an issue. There is a vast difference between affluence and poverty. Big houses aren’t always the problem, small, cheap houses with no room for downstairs bathrooms are more common.

Inheritance? Our DC don’t need our money, they’d rather we use what we can to be comfortable. But our choices are very limited for reasons that have already been mentioned.

Which is why you need to consider your options for the future, then downsize and move if necessary while you are still able. I have no sympathy with people who claim to be living in poverty, while rattling around in some Victorian monstrosity, with a hole in the roof and rotten windows, which they can't possibly sell because it's their children's inheritance. The first thing the children will do in inheriting is sell the gothic ruin.

That doesn’t really help you if you’re miles away from shops, the dentist and doctors’ surgery and you can’t drive.