At what age you should downsize?

[Anonymous]

At what age you should downsize?

[Anonymous]

65?

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on your health and how big your house is. If you have an 8000SF home in McLean, maybe you downsize when the kids are in college/done with college.

If you have a 3000 or 4000SF house with a first floor master suite, I would think there's no urgency unless you need the equity out of it or don't want to pay for cleaning and lawn care as you get older.

[Anonymous]

Depends what your home is. One level, room for caregiver with ensuite, why move

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on your health and how big your house is. If you have an 8000SF home in McLean, maybe you downsize when the kids are in college/done with college.

If you have a 3000 or 4000SF house with a first floor master suite, I would think there's no urgency unless you need the equity out of it or don't want to pay for cleaning and lawn care as you get older.

Lol, 3-4k sf house is not a small house. Particularly if you're cleaning it yourself.

[Anonymous]

We did it at 51. Best decision ever.

[Anonymous]

OP, are you the older person's adult child? or the homeowner?

[Anonymous]

I did it at 58. Downsized from a 5'3" 200 pounder to something more in the 5'2, 125 lb range. My advice: don't wait too long! I think I would have a harder time pulling it off now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on your health and how big your house is. If you have an 8000SF home in McLean, maybe you downsize when the kids are in college/done with college.

If you have a 3000 or 4000SF house with a first floor master suite, I would think there's no urgency unless you need the equity out of it or don't want to pay for cleaning and lawn care as you get older.

Lol, 3-4k sf house is not a small house. Particularly if you're cleaning it yourself.

I posted that- if the master is on the first floor, you don't use the second floor unless people are staying with you. My parents moved to a house like this and were fine until about age 70. In their case, they had laundry and the master bedroom on the main level, and the cleaners only did the second floor a few times a year (mostly just dusting).

[Anonymous]

I don't know.

But DH and I just did it about a year ago. He's 67 and I'm 55, neither of us are retired but I'm down to part time and he will likely retire in the next two years.

[Anonymous]

My mother downsized at 84 and should have done it earlier. She wasn't keeping up with house maintenance and it showed.

I plan to downsize at around 70. DH and I both work from home and will work at least part time until around that age so need the separate workspaces. Our adult kids also visit pretty regularly so we need space for them. Our house is just a standard 4 BR house though, not a mansion.

[Anonymous]

Start getting g rid of stuff now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Start getting g rid of stuff now

This. I am regularly working on this so that when the time comes we are not dealing with sentimental items from the kids' childhood, crap my parents foisted on me, holiday decorations that never see use, etc.

[Anonymous]

When, if you want to travel more or be away more. In an apartment, condo, co-op, you just close the door and leave. More concerns with leaving a SFH for weeks.

[Anonymous]

I want to upsize in early retirement- get a place on a ton of land, work and play on the land and have some fun. Then downsize as my health deteriorates.