Should You Downsize Your Home at Retirement?
When approaching retirement, one of the most pivotal decisions to make is choosing your living arrangement. For older adults, especially current homeowners, there’s a range of options available. Many choose to remain in their current homes, a concept called “aging in place.” Alternatively, there’s the possibility of downsizing to a smaller and possibly less expensive residence. The question arises: should you downsize your home at retirement?
Determining whether to downsize is a complex decision influenced by many individual factors. While we can’t offer a definitive answer tailored to your exact situation, we’ll explore all the pros and cons of downsizing in retirement so you can make an informed decision.
Pros and Cons of Downsizing in Retirement
Benefits of Downsizing in Retirement
Downsizing is an attractive choice for many reasons. While some factors are dependent on your individual circumstances, several benefits of downsizing in retirement are factors are fairly universal. They include:
1. Typically Lower Housing Costs
A smaller home typically entails lower housing costs, including mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, even the costs of maintenance. This can free up funds for other priorities, such as travel, healthcare, or hobbies. If you consider downsizing to a retirement community instead of another house, the savings can be even more substantial, as you’ll get to forgo property taxes completely, and can even subsume extra costs like gym memberships and dining if those are amenities offered by the community.
2. Less Maintenance
Smaller homes require less maintenance, such as yard work, snow removal, and repairs. This not only saves you time but also money. If you’re downsizing to a retirement community or an HOA, all maintenance work is handled for you. At retirement communities, that tends to include repairs as well. Never worry about replacing a water heater or roof again!
3. More Convenience
Downsizing can offer retirees added convenience, especially those who have limited physical abilities. This includes less stairs to climb, less area to clean, less rooms to worry about, etc. You can choose a location closer to stores, restaurants or whatever your essentials may be. Again thinking about a retirement community, you can have amenities like fitness centers, swimming pools, libraries, woodworking shops, hobby classes and more on the same campus, perhaps even in the same building.
4. A Fresh Start
One of the best benefits of downsizing in retirement is that it presents an opportunity to embark on a new chapter and create a new home tailored to your preferred retirement lifestyle. You may have the chance to select a residence in a more desirable area or with amenities that are important to you. Move to a warmer climate or near a golf course, as two examples. Or move closer to family and use your profits from selling your home to spoil your grandkids!
Disadvantages to Downsizing in Retirement
While downsizing offers numerous advantages, it’s essential to consider the potential disadvantages so you can make a more informed decision that aligns with your specific needs. Some of the most common disadvantages include:
1. Less Space
When downsizing to a smaller home, you'll inevitably have less space. This can become an issue if you have a large family or regularly host guests. Additionally, storing lots of belongings may be challenging, as smaller homes generally offer limited storage space. The question to ask yourself will be whether in your retirement life you need the same amount of things.
2. Less Privacy
A smaller home may have less privacy, especially if you plan on downsizing to a retirement community or apartment complete, since they are often designed with social interaction in mind, which is great for your mental and physical well-being but by its nature can limit personal privacy.
3. Less Flexibility
A smaller home may be less flexible if your circumstances change in the future. For example, it may not adequately meet the needs of caring for a loved one or accommodating mobility challenges. This is where a retirement community may provide the best benefit, as they tend to be built with this exact consideration in mind.
4. Emotional Attachment
Emotional attachment to your current home can make downsizing emotionally difficult, especially if it holds cherished memories from raising a family.
Considerations for Downsizing in Retirement
The decision of whether you should downsize your home at retirement depends on your individual circumstances. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of downsizing in retirement carefully and make a decision that is right for you.
Here are some individual factors to consider:
1. Financial Situation
Your financial stability plays a crucial role in the decision to downsize. Calculate whether you can comfortably afford housing costs and other expenses. Even if your mortgage is paid off, your property taxes will continue increasing — and are they worth it now that you’re retired and potentially don’t need as much space? Consider if the earnings from selling your current property can cover the costs of your new home and leave extra funds for other expenses as a nice retirement nest egg. Analyzing your financial situation and long-term financial goals will help you understand whether downsizing aligns with your financial wellbeing.
2. Lifestyle
Consider your activity level and whether you frequently entertain guests. Assess your space needs for hobbies and other activities. Also take this opportunity to consider if you really need as much space as you think you do — are you paying for and maintaining extra bedrooms you don’t need? Would you be able to enjoy a favorite hobby if you moved, like having more opportunities to fish if you moved closer to a lake?
3. Health
Can you effectively manage the maintenance and mobility requirements of a larger home? If you anticipate needing assistance with mobility or daily tasks in the future, a smaller home, especially one in a continuing care retirement community with healthcare and assisted living services, may be more suitable for your evolving needs.
4. Emotional Attachment
How attached are you to your current home? Are you willing to let go of memories and belongings? Remember that you’ll be giving up a lot more than just square footage if you move to a smaller home. Just know that leaving your home doesn’t erase those memories; it simply offers a new space to create future memories while potentially improving your physical and financial wellbeing.
5. Family Members
Consider your proximity to family members, especially if you have children or grandchildren living nearby. Maintaining these connections might be difficult if you move somewhere farther away. Meanwhile, if downsizing allows you to move closer to loved ones, this might make it a more attractive option.
Should You Consider Downsizing to a Retirement Community?
Many retirees considering whether to downsize often find retirement communities the best option. Modern retirement communities tick most of the boxes when it comes to what retirees are looking for in a new home. The better ones feature resort-like campuses with on-site amenities that can cater to your hobbies and interests.
When moving to a retirement community, you can cancel your lawn service and your gym membership, spend every day in the pool, and expand your hobbies and interests with art studios and woodworking shops. Many communities also offer accessibility accommodations like one-floor living spaces, support bars in the bathroom, and other important features for aging adults.
If you choose a continuing care retirement community like Acts Retirement-Life Communities, you also benefit from a phenomenal health services plan. Put simply, if you ever need a higher level of care such as assisted living or skilled nursing, you don’t have to move to a different facility. It’s all included on the same campus. With certain types of CCRC contracts, there’s also no increase in fees when you need a higher level of care. From the moment you move in, you can have a good sense of what budget you need for the next several decades.
So, to Downsize or Not – What’s Best for You?
If you are still unsure about whether you should downsize your house in retirement, it’s only natural – it’s a major decision! You may want to talk to a financial advisor or retirement planner for some additional guidance in making your choice. They can help you assess your financial situation and make a decision that is right for you. Whether it’s aging in place, downsizing to a retirement community, or anything in between, remember it’s your retirement, so be sure to make decisions that allow you to enjoy it to the fullest.
Ready to downsize for retirement? View downsizing tips for seniors and explore any of the 27 beautiful Acts Retirement-Life Communities throughout the East Coast.
