Are we mad to sell up our lovely home?

[hearthat]

We have a large 4 bed semi, 3 double beds, one single. Huge kitchen, loads of storage, 2 large reception rooms, flat south facing garden etc. We’ve been here 27 years and brought our children up here very happily.

Children have now flown the nest and realistically the house will be a bit big for just me and DH. It’s 50 years old so we are looking at the possibility of a new roof which we have had quotes for around £13k. The gardens could do with new fencing and block boundary walls built etc - all a lot of work for a house that will be a bit big.

House has been valued for £325k. I will not downsize for less than a 3 bed and ideally that would need to be detached.

We would like something newer built, smaller and a bit more cosy / warmer in the winter. Newer Houses near us and nearer to shops etc are around £315k for 3 bed detached. So by the time we sell and pay fees we are no better off financially - effectively swapping to a smaller house for no gain.

I worry about fitting in our furniture- one house we saw that was 14 years old you could barely fit chests of drawers in by the time the beds were in. It was on for £310k and it was a semi. Higher prices as it had a garage (ours doesn’t) and it’s round the corner from shops and a nice pub etc.

So conflicted about whether we are doing the right thing. I’d like to be closer to amenities but it feels like we are making a financially silly decision to have a smaller house for no financial gain.

Has anyone done the same later in life? How did it work out?

Depends on health, many peoeps aren't going to live until they're 90.
We downsized to prepare for the future a few years ago when the kids left home. I have a chronic condition and will be lucky if I make it to 75 as will h who has health problems.

I wouldn't move @hearthat. Your house sounds lovely.

I disagree with everyone, I'd say at least start looking. You aren't getting a smaller house for no gain, the gain/s could be that it's detached, has garage, newer and better location. You've got a good amount of equity so why not use it to live in a place that really suits.

Is there any research that compares problems caused by bungalow legs syndrome to problems caused by falling down stairs? I can see that lifestyle changes that cause a loss of muscle tone is problematic but a fall resulting in a broken hip or similar is often a sudden end to any mobility in an elderly person which IMO is more problematic. So my move to a flat might mean that I use stairs less often, but I go to a personal trainer twice a week, use my rowing machine daily (unless I'm having a particularly good glucose day and don't need to) and walk quite a lot including fairly steep hills which ought to be enough without four or five flights of stairs a day. I would rather move early and risk bungalow legs than leave it too late and be stuck in a house with no downstairs bathroom (just a downstairs loo with narrow access) and I have to sleep in the sitting room because I fell and broke something.

it’s odd isn’t it.

my ex-sil decided her parents weren’t allowed to move into a bungalow as “they needed the stairs for exercise”. They were in their bloody 80’s! He’d ad a knee replacement and she had a terminal illness!

but no, could not convince her otherwise. We visited once, my kids found it really upsetting as they’d manage to get up the stairs for the loo, then have to shout for someone to help them down, and sil would point blank refuse saying the exercise was good for them!

thank god for social services!

I'd say the only thing its sounds like you need to think about is - is the house going to be appropriate for you as you get older, possibly need more accessible living etc. Ideally you can stay where you are, as it's easier and cheaper to do so. What you don't want is a rushed / necessary move in x years time.

You would be mad. DH and I are in pretty much the same position in our 60s and have no intention of selling, Our family home would probably go for the same price, if not slightly less, than a new build or a bungalow around here.

There would be no upsides to downsizing and I have a chronic health condition. I'm not putting myself through the stress of trying to sell a house - particularly in these unsettled times. I cannot bear the thought of moving as it is such an upheaval.

Research presented to the ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). by Dr Sophie Paddock, University of East Anglia states this. It was a huge study.

"Stair climbing was associated with a 24% reduced risk of dying from any cause and a 39% lower likelihood of dying from cardiovascular disease.5 Stair climbing was also linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease including heart attack, heart failure and stroke."

There have been plenty of studies. My own GP told me this years ago, but this is one of the latest.

I can’t get to the raw data and full analysis and methodology - only the abstract which makes some pretty broad claims but still only says stair climbing is a good form of exercise and that exercise is good for maintaining heart health. No shit sherlock, that is why most gyms have them and step classes operate. Its still perfectly possible to get good exercise whilst living in a flat or a bungalow.

It simply doesn’t support the claim:

There is very strong research evidence that people age much faster when they are not obliged to climb stairs. The conclusion in the studies is to put off single-storey living as long as possible.

I’ve also seen claims on here about “bungalow knees” a phenomenon which puzzled colleagues from apartment dwelling populations with perfectly healthy elders.

OP, what stage are you at In your life? I ask this because my children rarely came to stay in their 20s. Another 10 years later and we have grandchildren staying in the school holidays. Those spare bedrooms have been put to good use. We can also have people to stay.

We decided to stay in ours! Ideally we would need a bungalow but found out very quickly that the price for a 3 bed 1 bath 1 rec room was almost the same as our 5 bed 2 bath 3 rec room detached! So we stayed and each of us got one of the rec rooms for our hobbies

How old are you? If you're in your 50s or 60s then don't do it yet. Live in it a while, you might expand into the space. If you are 70s maybe start planning to do it by mid to late 70s depending on your fitness etc.

Is that specific to the elderly though and moving into bungalows?

or is it just a general “stair climbing is good for health”?

the second statement is obvious. But it’s not relevant to whether moving into a bungalow has a negative effect on health.

We did this. Moved from a huge Victorian house that we’d been in for 30+ years to a new
build semi.

Honestly I am thankful every day that we were brave enough to do it when we did. But the process was very hard. We had to get rid of 2/3 of our belongings, there was no room for sentimentality. We had outhouses, an attic and a cellar to clear, it was massively stressful. I had moments of regret but I knew that the older we got, the harder it would be and I think we picked the right time for us.

I would say don’t move too soon, because you can’t go back. But equally be realistic about how long you can manage your current home. The minute you feel it’s getting away from you is the time to sell.

I think I’d start the process of clearing out stuff, so you will be better placed to move if you decide you want to. And do any essential maintenance.

Them just relax and keep your eye on the property market in case the perfect house does come up

It wouldn't be possible to state that a bungalow has a negative effect on health - how could it, in isolation. The study would need to do an exhaustive analysis of the other factors in each bungalow dwelling person's lifestyle and exercise habits. If the person had other ways of incorporating stair climbing into their routine then it would cancel out the bungalow not having stairs.

what a bungalow does is takes away the opportunity to spontaneously climb stairs day to day as a consequence of bedrooms being upstairs, so a multi-storey home helps ensure the person does have a way of muscle-strengthening in the home. If the bungalow dweller has no other ways of performing that exercise because they don't go out much it contributes to muscle loss.

Have your children moved to another town and likely to want to come and stay? And they likely to have partners and children in the future?
If so you might want a bigger house.
Also as 50 you are stil young and it sounds as though you don't really want to move to a small new build yet.
Imagine yourself in one of the newer houses you have seen do you feel happy or regretful?
Can you afford to stay in your current home? Can you keep it clean? Can you heat it?
Think carefully about it, remember if you sell now you can't go back, but you can always wait and sell later when you are sure it's what you want

Sorry just realised the house is 50 years old not you!

I’m with @Ophirand @Ohpleeeease absolutely get cracking on the decluttering but do it with gusto and urgency. After 27 years there must be lots that you won’t need in the next two decades. If you really make a difference to off loading unnecessary items it will become more apparent in your head whether a downsize is do-able sooner than later and give you clarity. I would also make your decision in two ways ; firstly setting aside the financial implications and thinking what you want if money was not a factor, then again with your head. I recently moved 300 miles. At least half of people who commented on my move to me said they weren’t brave enough to up sticks and do something but wished they were.
Personally, I would do a ruthless decluttering and prepare my house for sale and in the process you might fall in love with staying or more likely, make new adventures while you can.

I wouldn’t be looking at properties that are less than 20 years old. Houses built from the mid 00’s onwards weren’t built like they were built in the 1900s.

I’m guessing you are up north as that is cheap for a property of that size?

Although your DC have flown the nest - you’ll still need space I’m guessing for Grandchildren and visitors I’m guessing?

We sold our 4 bed semi in January 2025 and brought a 2 bed bungalow which with extensive re-modelling and extensions - we have converted into a 4 bed bungalow with an office study. We were in our old home since 1991 so a massive life change and it was a risk especially with the condition of the property.

You could buy a doer upper if you really wanted to move? It’ll be cheaper if you can get the right property at the right price.

Yes stay where you are.
We were in same position. In a big house which we fully modernised before I retired. Put in wood burners in the sitting rooms. All bathrooms redone high spec, wet room etc. So it’s like a new house. Our costs would be nearly £40k to buy and sell.
My grandchildren are at the school nearby and ideally I’d like to see them through primary. All their friends are nearby and they have great fun playing in the large garden.
We put it on the market and were offered the full asking price and the potential buyer wanted to buy all of the furniture as it’s all newish.
My husband became ill and was in intensive care when the viewer made offer and the timing was useless. I couldn’t have put him through a move. He was never keen to leave our home as he built it.
I’m so glad we stayed. We have a hospital nearby and his health needs mean regular appointments. I think it was meant to happen. We can afford the bigger bills and the family love this house and can stay when we all get together. Some things are meant to be. The moving costs are so high it’s lost money you will never recoup. Good luck whatever you decide.

thank you thank you thank you! I was about to say the same. Yes of course its important to stay as active as possible at any age but there is no great magic in the domestic staircase and, like you, I have never found any quality evidence.. You might as well say that nobody should have a downstair loo because it will mean they will use the stairs less often.

Id stay and throw loads of family parties when the kids come home

OP I am in the same position as you and I have decided that I won't move as things stand because there is no benefit to me right now. Does your roof actually need replacing? Because if it does then that will reduce the value of your house and if it doesn't then why are you doing it? Can I suggest that you do an objective pros and cons list?

A financial planner recently told me that these days it's more about 'right-sizing' than downsizing as you age and there's often little, if any, financial gain from moving due to the costs. It's all about having a property that's cheaper to heat and run, a more manageable garden, closer to bus routes/shops/health care, and easier to lock up and leave if you're still keen to travel.

I rattle around in the old family home, which is far bigger than I need and with a large garden to maintain. I Iove it 8 months of the year, put up with it for 2, and hate it in the depths of winter when it's so cold. Like other pp's, I'm trying to declutter decades-worth of stuff and redecorate as I go, so if/when I see somewhere I'd like to move to, it's ready to go on the market. But for me I think there will ultimately need to be a big push or pull factor to finally get me to move.