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Done; I regarded the spare room question as relating to spare "bedrooms" ie rooms with beds not normally in use by the occupiers, where guests can sleep.

I've downsized twice; in each case it was to get a smaller, more manageable or convenient house rather than to raise money, once after children left, once after husband left!

We downsized to our converted garage and transferred our number. That way we had no need to redirect post or send change of addresses. We sold our big house to a lovely family so chose our neighbours carefully. With our children married off, we get by with a spare bedroom and two-bed settees. All winners!

Done. If we downsized it would be to a birdbox.

We need to upsize, in fact, but we could never afford that, so we're staying put. For now.

I agree Teetime, also I cant remember them asking if I was living with a partner and whether or not we slept together, i.e spare bedrooms
Sympathise Marmite, our removal company couldn't get lorry down road and we ended up with them having to get smaller lorry to unload and ferry our belongings three miles down road, it cost us a further £200.+ most of furniture ended up in a work room, we had to move most of it ourselves later as by now it was mid evening and raining, had to employ another local company to move heavier stuff for us. By the by was a well known company and the original cost was the highest quote we had (thousands), still not over it,
plus the problems we have had with major thing being broken and leaks and work surveyor never mentioned, I could go on but think I"ll go and have a lie down.

Done.

Done- but our ‘spare’ rooms are often used for child care and serve as a study too.

Have done it, but a lot of the suppositions about downsizing don't apply in many cases, I suspect.
For a start, most people who are still couples, and live in a nothing-special family home, would often have to move to a much cheaper area to make all the hassle worthwhile financially.
Most couples do not suddenly find an ordinary family home much too big for them, especially if they have dcs/gdcs visiting regularly - (like us).

The only couple I know who downsized before being widowed/becoming decrepit, moved from a large 5 bed 3 reception etc. and a very large garden - which was also in the middle of nowhere, so car needed for absolutely everything.

I also read of a fairly local couple, still far from ancient and perfectly fit, who moved from a large period family house selling for over £2m, to a very large new build flat with 2 balconies overlooking a Royal Park, which cost over £1m.

Anyone can see that that move was worthwhile, but not many of us will ever be in that sort of position. (They also got rid of their inconvenient dog, which made me hate them.)

Agree, Witzend, downsizing doesn't apply to us at all. Our 'spare' bedrooms contain a lot of stuff I used for my textiles work (keep meaning to start again some day....) and are needed as bedrooms when MIL, DCs and DGC stay over. We need every inch of space and could do with more as MIL complains that we only have one bathroom.

I wonder if the company who sponsored the survey will take note of all the comments on this thread, which seem to show that their preconceived ideas (which will have been the basis for the survey questions) re why people downsize are well off beam.

Can't downsize. The other half don't like change!

Done