How to know when it's time to downsize

As we age, our housing needs change. Is a smaller home the right decision for you?

Houses.
(Image credit: Illustrated | dikobraziy/iStock, Hollygraphic/iStock, sanchesnet1/iStock)

A friend of mine is in the process of packing up and moving from the home she's lived in for 35 years. It was in this home that she raised her children, entertained family and friends, and participated as an involved member of her community. But her children have long ago moved on with their busy lives, her neighborhood has changed, and long-known acquaintances have moved away.

Now alone, she has decided to move from her large house into a beautiful condominium that, unlike her home, is on one floor so she will not have to navigate stairs. And equally important, there will be fewer rooms to ramble through — it will be cozy. She is very excited.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Anita Harrington

With a fresh BA in English, Anita Harrington was one of six women hired by a New York bank as an experiment to see if women could survive the management training program. She did indeed survive, and went on to own and run several businesses, the last company among the first 100 non-book sellers on Amazon. She spent her career writing, to sell and market a wide variety of products, and personally for entertainment. Today she is passionate about her grandchildren and about educating retirees and future retirees about the humor, frustrations, and realities of life after work.