Has anyone downsized? How did you find it?

[SpringItOn]

We currently live in a large 5/6 bed Victorian villa, with 3 floors and two cellars. We've been here around 9 years, haven't been able to afford to do what we want with it, (have put in a new kitchen and done some decoration but many rooms not been touched) nor had the time as any decorating is a massive task due to very high ceilings/ old black plaster.
It's expensive, it's drafty and it never seems to look like the ones in house magazines!
Getting tradesmen in costs ££££ as we're in an expensive part of the city so they presume we're loaded and we're not! Quotes are ridiculous.
I can't keep on top of it, I've had enough. DH works away most of the week, (two dcs 12 &13)
I work four days and I seem to spend all my free time trying and failing to keep on top of it. We're thinking of buying something more manageable as well as an investment property. Possibly a 3 bed semi with potential to add a conservatory/loft conversion or with this already done.
I know it's a very lucky problem to have but I have my reasons for living here initially. I am well aware of how this must read. Just want others experience.

We've sold our property for much the same reasons and would recommend it wholeheartedly. Life is too short to spend it devoting yourself to a house that you don't love. Move on.

We've sold our property for much the same reasons and would recommend it wholeheartedly. Life is too short to spend it devoting yourself to a house that you don't love. Move on.

Yes we moved from a lovely cottage over 3 floors to a 2bed bungalow extended and it's fab... Do it for your self. You will never get the time back again . like the prev poster said life it too short for bricks and mortar if it is causing turmoil.

OP are you me?
Well, i know you're not as my millstone is a large bungalow with pretty gardens ... too pretty for us to keep on top of iyswim. Only been here two years and am seriously considering selling for something under stamp duty price. Before we trash it too much Is this bonkers?
Every room needs decorating and i am worried daily we have overstretched ourselves - two teenagers in the house and we can't go anywhere or do anything. We made a mistake buying - but would it be a bigger one to sell and buy cheaper?
Am interested in answers too!

I've downsized twice. Once from large 4 bed in London worth 450k to small detached cottage in rural south norfolk and then again 6 years ago when I got divorced - now live in modest 3 bed semi worth about 160k! I love it. I hated the London House as we never had any money to do anything to it. Was miserable and always cold. I love my little cottage now... but I didn't realise how much stuff I had till I moved !! So definitely de clutter first!!

Thank you for your replies, We've only got a small garden Absent but because the house takes up so much time, the garden is an overgrown mess! I'm trying to tacke one room at a time, get rid of junk and get it marketable.
The hall, stairs and landing really need painting which is a massive job, but I think a job worth doing before going on the market.

I'm rapidly coming to the 'selling and downsizing' conclusion. Especially as interest rates will start going up. I have lost the enthusiasm i had when we bought the place to be honest.

I see people on this forum wondering whether to overstretch themselves to buy their dream house and wonder if it is worth it. Obviously everyone's situation is different but knowing what we know now i would have bought the other house for £80k less (and probably still be whinging ).

Good luck Spring

my only other comment is to ask what your children would think of moving. If they were very attached to the house I would perhaps wait another few years (giving you time to do it up, and giving you something to aim for) until they'd left home.

I downsized from a large three-bedroom place with huge garden, to a small two-bedroom bungalow with manageable garden. Partly for the reduced maintenance inside and out, and partly because the smaller place was in a much quieter area (so wasn't much of a cost-saving tbh). I am MUCH happier and it's so much quicker to feel on top of house and garden, so I have more time to enjoy life. I was absolutely brutal about getting rid of things before the move though, which I think was one of the main reasons it went so smoothly!

We've not broached it with the kids yet as its not going to be iminant, but when it's put to them I think they'll be ok as long as its still fairly local. My DH is a contractor, working away all the time in order to pay for a house he's never in and when he is, it's full of jobs

We'd be able to buy an apartment in our favourite holiday destination if we sold up and down sized.

So no negative stories yet! Downside I suppose is going to be bedroom sizes, all ours are huge. I have four full double wardrobes too, some serious de cluttering to be had.

I did this as a child. I grew up in a huge house and when my parents divorced moved into a much smaller house. It was no different from my perspective. In our old house we didn't use halves the rooms... I have a colleague at work that feels the same about his large family home.

The extra time and money needed to clean, maintain and heat a larger house has always MADD me focus on owning just the space we need in the best area we can afford.

Decluttering is great. All we own, except for 2 suitcases of clothes, is in a small storage unit until our next house finalized, and I haven't missed any of it yet.

Interesting thread. I would like to do this, we don't have a period house but it's quite big, as is the garden and I never feel "on top of it". I would love to have the extra time to enjoy it or enjoy time with the children.

Funnily enough, I lived on this very road in a large house when I was a child. I hated that house ( it wasn't like this one it was an upside down house so all the bedrooms were half underground and gloomy) My mum got sick of it, only lasted two years and downsized. Best learn by her mistakes and NOT run off with a man 17 yrs her junior who then took every penny!

That's decluttering to the extreme DrX! So, how much of its worth doing up/decorating prior to going on the market? Ideally needs new bathroom, kids rooms decorating/dining room we could get away with/ spare rooms need doing.

Once we've decluttered, I think I'll get an estate agent round to give us a current value and see from there. There's an immaculate luxury new build estate over the road. You could get one of those for a bit more than ours, so any potential buyer would be buying for original features rather than minimalism

We did. Relocated from London to a smaller house but in a really great area in a town 40 miles away. Great schools, lower mortgage, we all love it.