Are you wondering if it’s time to downsize?
The term downsizing simply means selling your home to buy a smaller one. But while the definition is easy to understand, the decision certainly isn’t easy to make. Choosing to sell your home is a big decision. And downsizing can feel like an even bigger one.
People sell their homes in exchange for a smaller one for many different reasons. But it’s usually because the space isn’t right for them anymore.
If you’re unsure whether you’re ready to downsize, here are five signs it might be time to make the move.
The bigger the house, the harder it is to maintain – and that’s a fact. From general repair work to regular hoovering, there’s a lot that needs to be done to keep a house in check.
If you’re struggling to keep up with the maintenance of your home, because of changes in your mobility or just because your priorities are different, downsizing can make these things much more manageable.
Do you have more empty bedrooms than you know what to do with? Many families need a lot of space in the early days. But, as the kids get older and move out into places of their own, it can leave parents with lots of empty bedrooms.
Some people enjoy the extra storage space or use the bedrooms to create a home gym or office. But if you don’t have any use for your empty space, that may be because there’s too much of it.
When daily life becomes a strain because of your home, it’s not a good sign. Many people prepare for older age by moving into a home that’s smaller with no stairs. Others choose to make adaptations to their homes to stay living in them for longer.
Just because your health and mobility have changed, it’s not an automatic sign that it’s time to downsize. But if you’re struggling to get by, even with adaptations, making the move could make life easier.
Finances are a big reason why many people choose to downsize. When you retire, reduce your working hours, or just have one less person around to help pay the bills, your outgoings can easily outweigh your incomings. If this happens, downsizing could be the solution you need. By moving to a smaller property, you could create a sustainable living situation with more manageable bills.
Our homes should be places that make us feel happy and comfortable. But if you feel lonely, sad, or even scared when living in your house, it may not be the best place for you to live.
Moving home can feel like a fresh start for many reasons. While downsizing may not always be the solution, moving somewhere smaller or that’s in a different community could feel safer and more like home.
Downsizing is a big decision that you shouldn’t feel pressured into making. The most important thing to do is to make sure it’s the right choice for you.
If you’re thinking about downsizing from your London home, our friendly team at Properly is happy to help talk through your options.
Give us a call today at 0207 459 4400 or send us an email at mariel@properly.space for an informal chat.
London Youth work to improve the lives of young people in London, challenging them to become the best they can, and last year helped over 27,000 young people through their sports development, youth action and involvement, arts and outdoor education programmes and employment prospects. We feel strongly that all young people should have an opportunity to develop themselves, and so are delighted to be able to support London Youth in their work, providing young people with access to opportunities they might not otherwise have had, to learn new skills, to make a positive change in their communities and to shape the city they live in.
Glass Door helps homeless men and women in London through their large network of emergency shelters and support services. These winter shelters provide a warm welcome, food, safety and shelter for up to 170 people every night. Properly feels passionately about the issue of homelessness. That is why we are delighted that together with our clients we can assist Glass Door in their fantastic work to help some of the most marginalised people in society.
Families become homeless for reasons we can all identify with. We are concerned about people who are struggling to keep things together in our fast-paced world – and we care about those who have no support. We chose the Doorstep Homeless Family Project because they are passionate and effective yet they are a small team with limited funding. They provide homeless families, living in temporary accommodation in London, with access to services to secure the emotional and practical support they require to enjoy a better quality of life.
We need nature and nature needs us. We support The London Wildlife Trust because we share its concern for the environment. We want to ensure that we keep nature in mind as we work in the property market – and crucially, with people’s homes. We also want our employees to engage with nature and benefit from the wellbeing this brings. London Wildlife Trust cares for over 37 of London’s spaces, and their vision is: “a London alive with nature, where everyone can experience and enjoy wildlife”.
Mariel and Michael have been absolutely great, by far my best ever experience with an estate agent. Properly is honest, upfront and friendly, responding really quickly to any and all queries and with a lovely personal touch.
I cannot recommend this estate agent enough. Michael and Mariel have been very good to us throughout the process and have made sure everything has been as smooth as possible. They have gone above and beyond to ensure everything was dealt with and in a timely manner too. A great experience throughout!
Michael and Mariel have been very helpful from the time I contacted them on a property I was interested to rent and through the offer process. Mariel did a wonderful video call showing of the house since I was not in London at the time. I felt completely comfortable to sign the lease from the video call. Thank you Mariel!
We did not feel rushed at all which was great as it really allowed us to really take the property in. We did put down an offer and Properly did a great job in securing a good outcome for both the sellers and ourselves.If you are looking for an agency that will do more than just open the door then look no further.
We had the opportunity to interact with Michael of Properly in our search for a new rental flat. Michael was professional and courteous in our dealings with him. He was a pleasure to interact with and he frankly stood out amongst all the agents we interacted with over a search of several weeks.
Mariel helped me sell my apartment in West London. She was always there when I needed her. Her advice was invaluable and made everything a whole lot easier. I can’t recommend her highly enough.
The level of customer service I received at Properly with Mariel and her team was frankly outstanding. It’s lovely when people genuinely care and go the extra mile which certainly they did. I couldn’t recommend them more highly, the most pleasurable property experience ever for me.
Mariel and Michael made the process of agreeing a housing let incredibly seamless, stress-free and quick. Their timely communication and fantastic ‘customer service’ was second to none. Would highly recommend