Downsizing

[Secretboringsister]

Getting close to 55 and with no kids, I’m in too much house in London. All the bedrooms are on the first, second and third floors.

I would like to get either a 2/3 bed ground floor flat with a small garden or patio, an apartment in a mansion block with a lift or a bungalow so I can live out my life in this last place. (Been In current home 23 years)

My friends are telling me I am mad for thinking about getting rid of my larger than average home (well maintained) with large garden. I don’t even go into 2 of the bedrooms once a month. Most importantly I feel like to maintain my independence as long into my sunset years having no steps is going to be essential.

Am I being a maudlin old fogey before I need to like my friends think or just being practical?

I think your being practical, why rattle around in a big house just for the sake of it...and....I've just spent the afternoon looking at bungalows 🤣🤣

I think you're practical. Very sensible to make the move now rather then at a later stage when the house night very suddenly become unmanageable.

A house that is too big can be draining.

Why not release some capital, enjoy cheaper bills and have a home that works for you?

Thanks for all the comments. I feel like the peace of mind I would gain knowing I could grow old with the one floor flat would be amazing. That being said it is likely to be a flat because bungalows in this area are needle in a haystack finds.

Future proofing is sensible but I’d make sure you are with flat living first because it’s hard to do a reverse. Can you rent for 6 months to make sure close living with neighbours suits you? If not hold out for a bungalow or

I would downsize but to a smaller house. I have only ever owned a flat once in a lovely big Victorian house. The time came around to have the outside painted so each flat had to stump up whatever it was including me. I just want agency over when I choose to repaint the outside of a house and stuff like that.

Be aware that giving up stairs is actually quite bad for you unless you obviously already have mobility issues. My 77 year old mate refuses a bungalow. He is still pretty fit and can walk 4 miles. Next door lives in a house like me and she has a bad hip and has a stair lift for when it’s a bit much. I need the window open to sleep so never want a bungalow.

Your friends are numpties and you are very sensible. Do it!

I’d have thought it entirely sensible - if you’re reasonably sure of finding the sort of thing you want in the right area.

Moving is always a PITA anyway, so far better to do it when you’re relatively young and fit, than leaving it until you’re twenty years older, feeling more tired and even less inclined for all the hassle.

We’re looking to downsize, but the market is so poor at the moment that I don’t think it’s doable. The plan was to buy something smaller and have some spare cash, but it costs about £25K to move, so by the time you’ve factored in moving costs, possibly carpets and curtains etc, there won’t be any money left to compensate for the upheaval.

Thats the reason why some of us aren’t downsizing as people feel we should be.

I think if you want to move, just move. But 55 seems very early to be worrying about stairs unless you are in bad health. My parents are well over 20 years older than you, have two flights of stairs in their house, and are in excellent health. As a PP said, stairs are good for you - especially your heart.

I was thinking that, unless you have other health conditions 55 seems very young to be worrying about stairs. Mr Monkey is 54 and runs two to three sub 3.30 marathons a year!

You are in London, it has loads of flats, house coversions and maisonettes to choose from. It seems silly to rattle round a large house on your own in London when you could easily afford a flat there and free up a lot of capital for other stuff.

There's actually a named condition called " bungalow leg"! Going up and down stairs keeps your muscle strength up!
I'd go smaller but don't necessarily preclude a house with an upstairs as long as it's adaptable, ie a room that can be turned into a downstairs bedroom and or stair that can accommodate a stairlift.

My uncle lived in a mansion flat in Bloomsbury and I always thought it was a very enviable lifestyle. He was on the top floor and used the stairs until he was pretty ancient. Also being in central London meant he walked everywhere.
There was a lift for shopping and when he got older.
He lived there (with carers in his last couple of years) until he died at 98.

We have a fair few older residents in our thirties block of flats. They similarly seem to cope happily with the stairs (we also have a little passenger lift if needed).

Go for it! I also made the downsize decision at 55, although the project took over 2 years - finding somewhere to go to and getting the bigger house cleared out and ready to sell.

We went from larger detached house to tiny terraced house, with the plan to stay here for 10 years then downsize again into a flat.

Best decision we ever made. So many people leave it far too late then can't face the logistics.

My tips for downsizing:

Learn how to do eBay and sell everything that isn't nailed down. This includes all the garden furniture and ornaments, garage contents, and everything in the house that you don't need. Be absolutely ruthless.

Start packing even before you've sold, and put packing boxes into storage. This gives you a solid idea of how much stuff you are planning to take with you. (When I did this, I realised I had to get rid of a whole load more stuff!)

Declutter like you've never done before. Remember you are also making space for your new simplified life!

Use apps/services like Music Magpie and We Buy Books to scan and sell piles of CDs, books, DVDs, videos, tech gadgets, and all the other stuff you find lying around gathering dust on shelves.

Check out your local auction house for getting rid of random stuff.

You'd be amazed how much you can raise by decluttering and getting rid.

We downsized two years ago from a largish 3 bedroom house to a two bedroom bungalow. The new home is much nearer the city centre and so much easier to clean and costs less to heat. I am aware of 'bungalow legs' and use stairs outside the home where I can. Been an excellent move for us, but we did declutter ruthlessly before moving

Currently in the process of moving from our 6 bed, 3 reception house(it was extended ) to a 3 bed, living room with separate kitchen diner house, idea was to buy something more practical, as like OP, barely used half the rooms and free up some money, not sure how it will work out but it certainly hasn’t freed up anywhere near the amount of money we’d hoped for, big issue was we simply couldn’t agree what to buy, the house we’ve bought is DWs idea of perfection but I m not convinced and can see us moving again within a few years

You've plenty time to wait for market to pick up if needed.

But its easier to move in your 50's than in your 70's: theres a point where it will seem all too much, the house hunting, the admin, the decluttering, the decisions, new place, neighbours... etc. That was case for my DF anyway.

I;m 55, though DH is older. We are moving tomorrow from a 4 storey townhouse, to a 2 bed, 2 bath flat with laundry room and nice balcony. I cannot wait. No more lugging washing up and down 2 flights of stairs. We have done 14 loads to the tip, and had a long hard think about what stuff we actually want to keep. It's quite liberating!