Anyone moved home in their mid 60s? What did you get right? And wrong?

We bought the ideal house a bungalow with a smallish garden all seemed idea but now 25 years later the town is far too far for me to walk into . The bus service is only once an hour and not reliable and not really convenient. How I wish I could just walk to the shops instead of having to go by car and find a parking space .

It was a 'downsize' move to a bungalow, encouraged by and welcomed by the adult children. We are much nearer to them now. However, not all has worked out as the adult children had hoped as although we aim to please we have obviously failed in some respects. So advice would be to please yourself first and others should hopefully 'fit in' with your choices. Good luck.

In my early 70's! Huge upheaval and 7 years on I'm still not settled. DH loves it though!!

Farzanah I didn't have a home once my husband took his last breath it was a house which I rattled round. As soon as I decided to move I didn't think of it as mine . Moving gave me a home again and will never move again.

My bungalow is in a lovely area and not dark or boring . Northerners are so welcoming never know such kindness.

That’s such a positive story Whiff and good to hear. I think you also need to have a positive mindset to settle in to a new area also, which you clearly have.

Bungalows from the ones I’ve been in can be either fabulous if surrounded by a lovely garden or boring and dark with no interesting views if the windows are set too high and you are not in an elevated position amongst too many others.

Space for a top class stair lift if it is a house and preferably a proper hallway, with a seperate lounge ie not kitchen/diner through-lounge.
Definitely downstairs shower room and loo. Try and picture what it might be like if you ever need people to help you in the future and with regards to walking aids and chairs etc and their storage.
Making it as accessible as poss without it looking like a prospective care home.

I moved over 100 miles to the north west from a large 3 bed house to a 2 bed bungalow 5 years ago aged 61 and couldn't be happier. I was widowed 20 years ago . But couldn't move to closer to where my children lived as I couldn't abandon my parents or mother in law even thought I hated her for 40 years.

My house sale fell through twice but they keep the bungalow for me . It would have upset if I lost it. I did all my own packing . And made the bungalow mine as I am disabled and needed it to be safe for me.

I existed before my move but since live my life to the full. Have better healthcare , neighbours who care ,great friends I can rely on and my daughter and family lives close by so see them regularly. Even though my son estranged me via email 4 years ago after seeing him and his 2 eldest every week for 7 months and have a grandson I don't even know his name or date of birth . Last time I saw my grandsons they where 4 and 2.

But it was his choice and will never understand why. I don't regret my moving here one little bit . The grief I feel over my husband dieing hurts me more than what my son has done

My weeks fly by go to sit fit ,gel printing and craft group every week . Transport system here is very good as I don't drive .

Moving has given me my life back and a better life and found me again .

My grandparents bought the home we've always lived in/owned since we married, as their retirement home, in their 60s.

They had modern electric, plumbing, heating, built-in wardrobes and a nice utility/ loo/ dog sleep space/ trades entrance accomplished.

We've added up - Mansard, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, storage. And along the entire long backside all big windows and french doors - similar to a conservatory with a solid roof and casements between windows - to enlarge kitchen, eating areas, playroom, and informal spaces.

We're done. We can live on one level, no steps. Fireplaces keep us warm, my grandparents boiler seems to be beyond repair.

We've marvelous gardens and grounds, garages, shops, sheds - room for anything we want to store, do outside or with children. Paid mowing.

We have moved many times. The thing you need to watch out for the most is what needs doing when you are considering buying somewhere. We have been caught out in our current property with hidden things such as strange, illegal wiring in places, a squeaky floor which has had to be replaced, 2 showers that did not work properly, artex ceilings and many other smaller things all of which have cost us thousands. It is really difficult because, even if you use a surveyor, they don't pick up a lot of it. When viewing, my advice is to take someone with you who knows a lot about what to look for. These days everything costs twice as much as a couple of years ago because of increased material costs and labour costs which are sky high. Based on what you discover, don't be afraid to make a lower offer. Good luck.

I’m a lot older - 84 - and downsizing was decided for me. I was in hospital when I was 78, and it was obvious I wouldn’t be able to return to my large house and garden. I had lived there for 40 years. My son found me a one-bedroom retirement flat where I still am. When I was in the house I had to employ gardeners, window-cleaner, cleaners etc. Here, this is all done as part of the service. It is a great relief to me, even though I do miss the garden. Every time it rains I gratefully think “The roof is no longer my responsibility”. My house was old and needed constant attention.

My sons and grandchildren live at the other end of the country, but they do visit regularly. They are happy to stay in nearby hotels or guesthouses.

I downsized when I was 67, after being widowed. Left a 4-bedroom detached house in 3/4 of an acre for a 2-bedroom terrace with a small back yard. My spare bedroom doubles as a study. (I have a Sofa bed in there as the big bed took up far too much space.) I love the cosiness of my new home, but there are a few points which niggle…. I wish I had a bit of proper garden space. I have lots of pots, but it’s just not the same. Also, since I moved, 3 grandchildren have turned up and there is nowhere for them to play outside. I also wish I had picked a house with a downstairs loo! Make sure you view loads of houses, the more you see the more you can fine tune exactly what it is you want!

Rent first if new area
How far away are family
Shared drive/road - will it cause aggravation (so many posts here about this), if private and shared can you afford maintenance

In my mid sixties, downsized from a large 5 bedroom, 3 living rooms, almost an acre garden etc to a convenient 4 bedroom house with a small, easily managed garden. Pub, corner store, church, bus-stop, all within walking distance.My only regret is that I didn’t move to a Bungalow. The stairs are something of a problem now due to painful knees. At some point, I may have to install a stair lift…on the other hand, the stairs are a form of exercise. So, no regrets at all. Btw I am on my own, through divorce.

Unfortunately there is no recipe for downsizing. We are doing it at 81, selling a large 4 bedroomed house, which we fully use, with a large garden to move nearer to AC.

We have our eye on a large 3 bedroomed project house in the middle of a town. Not most people's idea of downsizing, but just what we want.

So start by visualizing your ideal life, then work out what kind of home this requires - and almost evrrybody's idea of what they would do in your circumstances would be different.

I moved in late 50s.

The bit I got wrong was not living near any shops. Nearest are 15 minutes walk. Nearest bus stop is 10 minutes walk. But this is the price you pay for a nice detached house in a leafy suburb. Mobility issues means I now have to order online of go by taxi.

What I got right was to move to a small detached after having a series of ghastly neighbours. One was a "care in the community" and quite violent (finally arrested). The last one liked to play boom-boom music with no thought of the effect on others.

At least in a detached you can keep the neighbours at arms length and they have no way of knowing that you are actually at home. My house is on an end so extra privacy and only one (unpleasant) neighbour.

Bus routes are one of the things that change.
We came here 14 years ago - excellent bus service, which I used a lot as it saved on parking. About 10 years ago cut to almost nothing, 2 buses a day at the wrong times for appointments or connecting with other transport.
Just last year, a new shopping centre opened a few miles away, and they have paid for a 5 times a day service that connects well!
So although it's sesible to consider, that's why I wouldn't turn down something that suited in other respects.

lovely round here

I moved from a large 4 bedroomed house to a 2 bedroom flat. I was almost 60. Although on the first floor once I'm home no stairs to climb. I am in my late 70s now and have arthritis so having no garden to tend is a huge bonus. We have gardener who keeps the grounds looking good.
Living in a safe area was a top priority and here is very low crime.
I also wanted somewhere near a town but out in the countryside as I have always walked most days and it is lively round here.
There are buses but only every half hour. I can still drive so not an issue.
It's best to set out your essentials in a new home followed by other things that would make life better.

We moved in our early 60s to our present home, having previously downsized too quickly without enough thought, to a small detached on an estate in a location which we didn’t like and to a house which proved just too small.

We then rented for a year and chose more wisely. We are now settled in a new build, not on an estate, on a quiet no through road, with nice neighbours.

The most important things, after our initial mistake was location, location. Safe established area, near bus route, shops, pharmacy and doctors all within walking distance.
A modern house means there is easy maintenance, warm with good insulation, small gardens. Four small bedrooms, inbuilt wardrobes, 3 showers/WCs (1 en-suite 1 downstairs). It is detached, no neighbour noise is important to us.

The compromises are, the stairs, which could be a problem in the future, but we would fit a stair lift. Lack of a garage for storage, but have plenty of driveway parking. Downsizing “stuff” is very liberating, most of us have too much and we didn’t miss things put into storage. There are always some compromises when you move, but can be an expensive mistake if not thought through carefully. Best of luck.

So many helpful and thought provoking comments - thank you.

Hadn't considered being on a bus route as never use buses at the moment.

Also the idea of having a property where ground floor living is possible, with a 'hobby room' upstairs.

I was 71 when I sold my house in town and downsized to this Park Home in the country 15 years ago. I'd always wanted a bungalow in the country and this is the nearest I'm going to get to it. Also, I needed to pay off some debt and this enabled me to do so.
I like one-storey living, no stairs to worry about. It was cold here so I had central heating installed.
I've got a detached garage but the side door is near the house.
I'm slightly anxious about how I will cope when I can no loner drive, but there are buses. All in all, I think I made the right decision for me.

I am in both a good (and bad) position to answer this. We built our own home in our mid-60s, so we didn't have to deal with some basic issues. But we did have to consider a lot of other things, and we have, overall, got it right, so here is my check list (very similar other posters)

How important is it to be near family / friends/ places that are important to you?
Do look for somewhere that seems to have access to decent services - however, these will change over time, so I wouldn't let them be a deal-breaker.
Unless you know the area well already, try renting for awhile if possible - at least staying for a little while. And look around at what is on that interests you. Also go out at different times of the day - and night - to see what the area generally feels like. If you are socially confident, try calling in at a coffee morning / library group / U3A talk to have a chat with people.
Definitely future proof your home, if it needs work, plan your finances to include this.
If you can afford it, plan for at least one good spare bedroom, so friends and famiy can visit.
Ideally, plan a home where you can, if need be, live comfortably on the ground floor. A good plan is ground floor living, with spare bedroom and 'hobby' room upstairs, but all sorts can work.
Definitely avoid the kind of single or short flight steps that are often found in older properties. Accidents tend to happen when you suddenly remember something, say in the kitchen, and rush to get it.
Good insulation is the key to being warm.
Agree about the garage if funds allow.
Look at how you will get from your car to your house late in the evening, or when the weather is bad.

Good luck!

We moved to a bungalow- then extended it! We needed space after leaving a big house. I would say choose a bungalow or large spacious flat or apartment. I definitely need a private garden with some sun. Must be walkable to shops, pub, park or something nice and a bus route. Drs dentists & hospital easy to get to independently. Good luck in your search

Everything about downsizing worked well, but really wish we had a downstairs toilet! I kept thinking that one day we'd have a toilet fitted under the stairs in the hall, but apparently it's not possible with our very low staircase.

I think we got everything right when we downsized 12 years ago, moving 80 miles from a five bedroomed house to a three bed, which has the possibility of a downstairs bedroom as there is a shower room off it.
Daughter lives four miles away, son 14 miles.
Great access to major routes, walking to local shops in 8 minutes or Aldi one minute. Good connections, frequent bus to big city is 100 yds. from my front door. Not a noisy road. Level outside, apart from two steps to the front door and to the lawn, might be a drawback but is not hard to change.
The biggest drawback now I am on my own is that the garden is too much for me, but I get occasional help. It is a safe area with good neighbours.