At what age you should downsize?

[Anonymous]

We are slowly downsizing out stuff in our 50s. When we move for DH's job, we will rent a smaller place for a while and then eventually buy a smaller place. We still have kids at home, but by the time we purchase we will possibly have just 1 kid living at home or not. We want them to be able to visit comfortably, but our other priority is being able to age there for a long time before we move to a CCRC in out late 60s to early 70s.

We have lived the whole age in place thing with our parents, and it was a nightmare for us even once we outsourced everything. Not doing that to our kids. We want them to enjoy visiting us, not end up fighting and guilt tripping eachother only to end up estranged before or after we pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say maybe when you think you have 5-10 years of good health left? Don't wait until the last minute to do it.

Do it after 50ish

It's tough to predict the last 5-10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No desire to ever do that but I live in a 2300 sqft home, not a mansion.

I am 60 and live in a 1500 sqft home, and my dream is to upsize. My house, which was cozy for raising children in, doesn't feel big enough for having adult children visit. I'd like a guest room with its own bath and a bigger family room.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to upsize in this area, so I'll just stay here. We're in a good location and I want a yard for the dog, so I'm not interested in moving to an apartment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No desire to ever do that but I live in a 2300 sqft home, not a mansion.

I am 60 and live in a 1500 sqft home, and my dream is to upsize. My house, which was cozy for raising children in, doesn't feel big enough for having adult children visit. I'd like a guest room with its own bath and a bigger family room.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to upsize in this area, so I'll just stay here. We're in a good location and I want a yard for the dog, so I'm not interested in moving to an apartment.

You never know what your relationship will be with daughter/son in laws and they may chose to stay in a hotel to keep things amicable. It's for the best you have a home that works for you.

My friend's parents built a mansion they could retire in and have huge family gatherings where everyone stayed with them. They also got in fights with all their adult kids over anything and everything and they spent decades in their mansion on their own. Eventually they did try to have large family gatherings, but they asked everyone to stay at hotels not in their mansion. It was strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No desire to ever do that but I live in a 2300 sqft home, not a mansion.

I am 60 and live in a 1500 sqft home, and my dream is to upsize. My house, which was cozy for raising children in, doesn't feel big enough for having adult children visit. I'd like a guest room with its own bath and a bigger family room.

Unfortunately, I can't afford to upsize in this area, so I'll just stay here. We're in a good location and I want a yard for the dog, so I'm not interested in moving to an apartment.

You never know what your relationship will be with daughter/son in laws and they may chose to stay in a hotel to keep things amicable. It's for the best you have a home that works for you.

My friend's parents built a mansion they could retire in and have huge family gatherings where everyone stayed with them. They also got in fights with all their adult kids over anything and everything and they spent decades in their mansion on their own. Eventually they did try to have large family gatherings, but they asked everyone to stay at hotels not in their mansion. It was strange.

?? We get along fine with our kids, no fighting whatsoever, and they visit frequently, even with our small home. The reason I'd like a real guest room with bath is for the comfort of future DILs so they won't have to go to a hotel if they don't want to. But if they prefer a hotel, that's fine. I'd still like a guest suite for when our siblings and friends visit. That **would be** a home that works for us--we enjoy having visitors and people seem to like us and the area we live in enough to visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instead of downsizing, just get rid of things. Make sure all the spare rooms have empty dressers and empty closets. Nothing in your attic.

💯 this. Healthy and have a first floor master suite, you can probably age in place for a while, but do the clean out while you are healthy and able.

[Anonymous]

My father never downsized nor did he move from his 1400 sq ft home and died at 80. My brothers and I had a lot of hard work cleaning up so we could sell the house. My mother retired at 65 bought a 30 acre farm and worked that until she was 80...then had a stroke at 85..never downsized. More hard work getting her stuff sorted out and the property sold. My in-laws are in their early 80's with significant health issues and are only now downsizing and moving. Its been a tremendous strain on their health. My husband and I are in our late 50's - the kids will graduate college in the next few years - we are downsizing our stuff now - we have no plans to sell since we are in a ranch and it could be a great house to age in place in.

The downsizing is taking time but its so much better to manage this now when we have the health and energy. Plus the kids have been helpful when they come home going through their stuff. Who knows what our future holds, but I don't want to burden our kids the way my parents did with never taking the time to clean up their stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd say maybe when you think you have 5-10 years of good health left? Don't wait until the last minute to do it.

Do it after 50ish

It's tough to predict the last 5-10.

People on this board are insane. Truly.