Downsizing - people’s experience of moving from a house to bungalow

When I downsize and I looked on it as a fresh start and used a bit of the money to buy new furniture. With smaller rooms the old stuff would have been all wrong. I’ve seen quite a lot of friends bungalows and flats that feel cramped and dark because they’ve taken their big house furniture with them.

One of my friends rented a storage unit for a year, just took what was essential and then worked out over the year what else he would like/ need in his new place. I thought that was a really good idea for people like him that find it hard to get rid of stuff.

Actually though, after a year, the storage unit was nearly empty and the bungalow was just like the place bed left, bursting at the seams🤣🤣🙄

I am thinking of doing this our House is too big, a family needs to live here. But the though of sorting and packing up fills me with dread.
Having sorted my Late Mums flat was bad enough and she had been "decanted" from my parents old house only a few years before.
All I can say is best of luck.

We did this too. A more drastic downsize than the one you describe. Once we were realistic about what would fit and indeed which items we really didn’t need or want we’ve been and are comfortable. Some furniture was replaced to be more suited to smaller rooms.

Window-wise we had wooden venetian blinds fitted to the bedrooms, the installer added hooks to fix them to the window ledge at the bottom. Not totally burglar proof of course but we sleep easily with windows wide open knowing any attempt at entry would make enough noise to wake us. The blinds also keep the overly friendly local cats out! We’re very happy living in an easily cared for bungalow with a manageable garden to keep me happy.

We have done it this year. We moved from a large detached house to a smaller bungalow with far less space. We had been in our house for almost 40 years and all the rooms were really large.

We needed to move due to husbands ill health but we didn’t want to leave our area because of family, friend, doctors, church etc. We were very lucky that we found a suitable property very quickly and sold ours within a week. It all went so very smoothly overall.

However, it was up there as one of the most stressful things I have ever done. Downsizing isn’t for wimps and you have to be ruthless about what you can fit into your new place and what you cant. I lost countless hours of sleep fretting about it.

But ,we got there and life now is so much easier. It takes us just an hour to clean the whole place rather than over 3/4 hours, we are warmer as the rooms are smaller and I know that should anything happen to my DH, then I will be able to manage this bungalow on my own. There was no way I could have afforded to live in our big house and maintain it on my own. We also feel happy sleeping with the windows open as we live on a very quiet road and our garden is secure.

We have no regrets at all doing this so I wish you the best of luck if you decide to go ahead.

We moved from a house to a bungalow 20 years ago.

I love it, but then I was brought up living in a bungalow.

We sleep with our top bedroom window (a small one) open at night, our bedroom overlooks the back garden, it’s never worried me having it open.

As we age, it’s easier having things on one level. And don’t worry about ‘bungalow legs’. Just keep walking and using steps and stairs where possible, e.g. use stairs instead of escalators when shopping.

Wishing you all the best in your new bungalow, if you decide to go for it.