Downsizing

We moved to a village with a good bus service to town and the supermarket. In fact, the supermarket is in walking distance for those who want yo walk. We downsized to a bungalow with downstairs bathroom and bedroom but it also has 2 bedrooms upstairs, one is my craft toom, the other DH uses for his music and cycling on yhe turbo. We are walking distance to the Doctor Surgery, the library, the Post Office and cornerstore. There is a church, walking distance, of course. It is quiet but lots going on for those who want more social activities. We researched the area beforehand, including for our old age. Write down what you want for now and longer term, then research possible areas.

Your future neighbours are the unknown element in any move. Hard to discern that piece though.

We downsized and moved to be near family three years ago. It took a long while to find what we needed as it’s a more expensive area and we had a limited budget. We thought we would have to have an apartment/flat which wasn’t really what we wanted. After looking at loads in different villages/some rural/some not so much - a house came up that we probably wouldn’t have originally considered. It was £50k over budget as well. Went to look despite reservations - offered £50k less expressing that we literally were unable to make the asking price and three years later we couldn’t be happier. Size wise - 3 beds/shower room/good size lounge/diner, reasonable kitchen and downstairs loo, smaller garden- we use all the space and don’t have anything we don’t use- in other words it fits us perfectly. Easy to maintain and most of the big jobs had been done. Village but five minutes walk from shops/eateries and transport. Keep an open mind and try and get something that’s future proof. Good luck - we’ve never been happier.

Lots of wonderful advice here, couple of tips (I used to help people to downsize for a living)…
1. Lots of people think the downsize is going to be their final move so look for the new property to fit all criteria to suit rest of life. In reality often people have a downsizing move and then a rest of life move when a small flat, retirement living etc is required. So dont miss out on that fab property just because it isn’t near a bus stop etc,
2. Talk to your chosen estate agent about getting your property ready to put on the market, get photos taken, agree brochure wording so if you find the perfect property you are market ready, so will be considered as a suitable buyer. If the agent wants to charge for this service, just agree it comes off the final bill when you complete.
3. Start the downsize of belongings even if you think you won’t move for the next few years! It is hard work and taken slowly is so much easier.
4. There are some great downsizers out there with wonderful tips, I follow Benella.co.uk

M0nica

Milest0ne

I am trying to get OH to move. Location is my present problem as we are 1/2 mile from a bus stop and with 1/4 mile of private drive and roadway so we don't get many visitors. We even have to get in the car to put the rubbish in the bins. The only advantage is an excellent health service. I want to move to be nearer to DD. in our home town The latest excuse for not moving was "Sea level rise will cause flooding".

I suggest that one of you,or possibly both of you develop a medical condition that means you cannot drive for a month or two. Sprain a wrist or ankle, smething curable and not too long lasting. If the inconvenience caused doesnot shift him. Nothing will.

Monica. I am the only driver. I refuse to drive in snow and ice. Or long distances. I have even thought of taking equity release and moving on my own. My hope is with BT removing our landline. We have very poor mobile reception.

Milest0ne

I am trying to get OH to move. Location is my present problem as we are 1/2 mile from a bus stop and with 1/4 mile of private drive and roadway so we don't get many visitors. We even have to get in the car to put the rubbish in the bins. The only advantage is an excellent health service. I want to move to be nearer to DD. in our home town The latest excuse for not moving was "Sea level rise will cause flooding".

I suggest that one of you,or possibly both of you develop a medical condition that means you cannot drive for a month or two. Sprain a wrist or ankle, smething curable and not too long lasting. If the inconvenience caused doesnot shift him. Nothing will.

LOUISA1523

J52

All of the above, plus at least 2 toilets, preferably 2 bathrooms !

Why do 2 people need 2 bathrooms?

No one uses my ensuite bathroom, they can use the other one any time and the 3rd toilet too but not mine. Privacy is everything to me.

Pick a small town with a good bus or rail service, not too far as the ambulance speeds from the nearest A&E and walking or mobility scooter distance from the nearest shop, doctors, library, chemist. Not too steep.

I love having my own shower-room so if anyone comes to stay I much prefer them to use the other one.
I can share, and I currently do, but if I move house it would be best to have 2 bathrooms.

J52

All of the above, plus at least 2 toilets, preferably 2 bathrooms !

Why do 2 people need 2 bathrooms?

Having lived in the same 4 bedroomed detached house for 47 years, we decided to downsize to not only be nearer family, but to not have to continue to maintain such a big house. We moved two years ago to a detached bungalow. We absolutely love it & wished we had done it years ago. We did have a wish list within our budget, the first being as we had been used to living in a detached property wanted the same again, and not to be overlooked. Not too isolated and within a bus route. We have all that and are more than happy. Good luck with your decisions.

JaniceF62

We’ve put our house on the market, we’re looking for a smaller house (currently in 4 beds for just the 2 of us).
Do people have any tips/ideas from their experience, we’d appreciate any thoughts. We can’t decide whether to stay in a town, or go more rural, house or bungalow, etc. thanks.

I hope this helps as we downsized from a 4 double bed Edwardian House last year to a 3 bed (3rd bedroom v small!).
1. If you know you will have fewer bedrooms, get rid of surplus bedding, duvets, pillows before you move as they are surprisingly bulky to pack. Also sell or donate surplus beds.
2. Once your offer accepted on a new home, measure up rooms and if your furniture doesn’t fit, sell or donate as soon as practicable bearing in mind whether it’s essential.
3. Be ruthless with ornaments, books etc.
4. Consider how easy any property would be to maintain esp if one of you left alone. Same with garden. We love our more modern house which is easy to clean, and has a more manageable garden.
We moved specifically to be near family but would have thought twice if there hadn’t been library, doctors, enough shops to get basics and a bus service.

We moved to a smallish seaside town after having a caravan there. It has everything we want, garden, parking, doctors, walkin center, beaches, woods, countryside park, and large city only 12 miles away. Nice neighbours and friendly people are a bonus too.
Spend time checking out local areas at all times of day and late evening. Visit local pubs cafe etc and busses

Yes, a suitable bungalow is hard to find, but well worth a persistent search. It took us 18 months to find one. No regrets at all - life is so much easier and manageable here.

Bungalows are hard to find around our way, or at least in areas where we’d want to live. The only other option is a retirement apartment with a lift, but I’m not ready for that yet.

I am trying to get OH to move. Location is my present problem as we are 1/2 mile from a bus stop and with 1/4 mile of private drive and roadway so we don't get many visitors. We even have to get in the car to put the rubbish in the bins. The only advantage is an excellent health service. I want to move to be nearer to DD. in our home town The latest excuse for not moving was "Sea level rise will cause flooding".

I downsized 5 years ago and moved 100 miles to be closer to my daughter and grandchildren,
In that time my health has gone downhill and my mobility is not good so I wish I had bought a bungalow, I also have numerous hospital appointments so I’m pleased I’m not far from the local hospital
My husband is loving life up here as he has made many friends with his walking hobbies, I still have a garage full of furniture from my last house, so for what it’s worth here are my tips

Don't move to far from health services as with age we sometimes need them more often than we did

I would go for a bungalow thinking of possible future problems

Sell any furniture you don’t think will fit into your smaller home it will save you storing them

Don’t move to close to a school although its lovely hearing the children playing it’s not so nice home time with all the traffic parking ad hoc
I’m sure there are many more that others will warn you about
Good luck in whatever home you choose 💐

Take into consideration that the day will probably come when one or both of you should no longer drive a car.

So, don't buy a property far away from shops, GP's consulting-room, dentist etc. and that is not on a bus route. Easy access to a railway station is also a good thing.

When looking at houses, make sure that the bathroom will be accessible if one of you should end up in a wheel-chair or using a rollator and large enough for a carer to help you shower etc. And that stairs are wide enough for a stair-lift to be installed if needed.

A large garden may be desirable right now, but will be a burden later on.

It does take some time to sell at the moment so putting the house on the market seems like a good idea. No seller is going to take an offer seriously unless there is at least some sign of a sale in the offing, and a "dream house" may well be appealing to quite a few people.

Are you sure you should have your house on the market when you don't seem to have made positive decisions on what you are looking for in your new home. I know that specific wants often change if you find say, your dream home but not quite where you would like etc. But how do you start looking without some idea of what you'd like.

I have moved 19 times as an adult and 6 as a child. so have some ideas that might be useful. Once you have found your new home, then get some graph paper and draw the house out to scale. Then make matching graphs of your furniture. Then you can move these small bits of paper round and work out how and where you want to put things. A lot less effort than moving the actual furniture!! Then when that precious chair just will not fit in anywhere, you have to accept that is the case and can sell it before you move. Saves you space and hassle. I would also suggest that before you get that far, if you think a particular town or area is where you want to be, then I suggest that you go there and spend some time in a b/b or renting a flat, in autumn or winter time. That will let you find out more about what it is like to live in that area. You will either confirm that that is the place for you or you might decide that perhaps it is not the place you thought it was. You could also think of seeing if clubs that you belong to now, have a branch there so it might be the gardening club or the rotary or WI. You can make a connection before yo actually move so that you have somewhere to go to when you actually move.

Oh , once you move in , do take lots of photos when you arrive. Write on the back of each one where it was taken and what was there. Then in the years to come when you want to show someone how it looked before you sorted it all out.

Another thing I think is very worth while is when you have got a moving date, that it is worth staying b/b or hotel for the first night that you move. That way you can do as much work as you want to do and then go somewhere to have a shower and a comfortable place to stay, so you dont need to make the beds up that first night. Good Luck with your plans

Downsized from a 3 bed 3 bathroom detached to a 2 bed bungalow 3 weeks ago.
We absolutely love it and feel a bit like we are on holiday ( like a PP said)
Not that far from our previous house, quiet cul de sac, extension for a second reception room, drive for 3 cars and lovely outdoor spaces. Best of all we are literally round the corner from our daughter now.
Everything is cheaper, bills, council tax insurance etc.
We are replacing the kitchen and bathroom whilst my DH is still working. On a bus route nearby and we can stay with our doctors.
Had the alarm upgraded but the windows have vibration sensors so can be left open. We also have 2 dogs!
It was an emotional move but we don’t regret it.

agree

loopyloo

We had a conversation about what we'd do if one of us died and we both said move nearer our daughter so we said well let's move now!
We downsized to somewhere more expensive! Slightly smaller and with the bathroom down stairs.
This has proved to be useful as we get older.
It also proved to be a good investment
We are now within walking distance of the doctors, 2 underground stations and a good bus network.

We had also said that we'd move to be closer to family if one of us died and that is what we've done, but together! I envy you your underground stations, our nearest is a bus ride away - though are buses are pretty good.

M0nica

We are in the process of downsizing. We move into our downsizer in 2 weeks time. We have moved from a large 4 bedroomed house with a large garden in a village well served by public transport, but where supermarkets, trains, doctors, dentists etc were all 5 miles away to a 3 bedroomed house with a small garden and off street parking close to the centre of a small town.

Bungalows tend to be mainly in the suburbs, and personally I prefer to sleep upstairs. if you buy a house, make sure the stairs could take a stairlift, if required.

The things that governed our decision was firstly to be somewhere where as much as possible of our future likely needs could be met without getting into a car and secondly somewhere more convenient for our children. They lived 100 & 200 miles away, but linked by the same motorway.

We also checked the town out for the presence of activities we could get involved in that we would enjoy. There is no point moving somewhere new, wanting to build a social life and finding there is nothing going on that interests you. We excluded several locations because of this.

The location of your new home sounds very well thought out, particularly as rural public transport can change for the worse so quickly. I wondered how far you have moved to find it?
I hope you'll both be very happy there.