Is it time to downsize?

It seems like just yesterday you were moving into a spacious new home with an infant in tow. Today, your children are adults living on their own, and you’re wondering if you should continue to live in a large house with a big yard.

Options for downsizing abound. But how do you know if it’s the right decision for you? Before you make a move, you (and your spouse or partner) should ask yourselves these three questions:

• Where will you go? Contrary to popular belief, most people choose not to relocate to another state once they retire. Rather, they appreciate the familiarity of their current community. Others want to move somewhere new. Which one is right for you? If being close to friends and loved ones is important, you’ll want to ask yourself which location helps you best accomplish that. If you’re on a fairly tight budget in retirement, cost of living will be a major factor. Lifestyle is another. How do you like to spend your time? Do you love the outdoors or are you content to be indoors much of the time? Do you like having access to a variety of walking trails and/or shopping options? Do you need a large amount of space for your hobbies? Your lifestyle and hobbies are important considerations when deciding where you’ll live.
• What about your stuff? Downsizing means you’ll have less space to store your things. That’s one of the major drawbacks to moving to a smaller home. Are you ready to let go of some (or a lot of) your stuff? If not, you may want to think twice about trading down to a smaller home. But maybe at this point in life you feel like you have too much stuff and you’re ready to let some of it go. Have a candid conversation with your spouse/partner about your joint ability to de-clutter and get rid of items you no longer need or want.
• Have you spent enough time in a new area? Before you move to a new area, make sure that you’ve spent enough time there first. Are you able to continue doing the things that you enjoy in the new community? Does it have the shopping, medical facilities and other things you want or need in a community? Will it be easy to make new friends? How about the weather? Have you spent some time in the area at different times of the year, including winter and summer?