<p>Over thirty years of stuff in my case. We are just now selling our house and renting while we work on the plans for a new one. The new house will be a bit smaller, the big difference will be that it will be one floor living for us (with guest and family rooms downstairs) and much lower maintenance than our mid-century contemporary with an indoor pool, large pond and extensive landscaping. I love to garden but will plan the new landscaping with lower maintenance as one goal. </p>
<p>It willl be hard to leave this house, which we absolutely adore, but we are happy to have found buyers who love it just as much and are looking forward to being “the next owners-cum-caretakers of what is in every sense a unique house”, as the wrote in their offer letter.</p>
<p>Aside from all the family memories I have here I will miss this wonderful garden, which I loved creating over the years.</p>
<p>I CANT leave my garden, it’s not done yet!
:x
( that’s a joke, cause gardens are * never* complete)
But that’s great that you found buyers that love it.
It broke my heart when I saw what the new owners did to my childhood home. My dad was ahead of his time with native landscaping. He put so much work into that.</p>
<p>S1 will be a college senior in Sept. and S2 will be a college freshman. My H & I will downsize by moving out of state in 4 years when S2 finishes college. We are in New England and will be moving farther south. Can’t wait. I’m ready now, but have reassured S2 that we’ll stick around until he is finished with college. Hoping that either S will relocate to where we’ll be eventually. If not, then we’ll get by on airplane visits. Not sure if we’ll downsize our square footage…now in a 3000 sq. ft. home and will still need the space, but in a new redesigned way. We’ll also be looking for a large home office space (either a loft or a basement space) and hopefully master on main level. (we have master on main level now and love it) I personally like my privacy and will not relocate to a 55 or older community. My parents did that and hated such nosy neighbors! Those are zero lot line homes and I would like a bit more of a yard, hopefully with our own swimming pool! No reason to downsize just cause kids are leaving…we’d like the same 3000 square feet in a new home or not smaller than 2500. We’ve never had a guest bedroom. In our home we have three bedrooms and an office. So having guest bedrooms will be nice for the boys to come back with girlfriends, eventual wives and someday grandchildren. Can’t wait to leave so much snow, though! :)</p>
<p>We bought a fairly small 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, all on one level, so don’t plan to move. It’s only about 1200 square feet anyway and is comfy for H & me, as well as when the kids visit. If they want to, we could always add another story if one of them wants to move back with us, but who knows what they want. S visits about 4x/year and D has extended visits as well. Both say they plan to move back to HI.</p>
<p>One thing I’d be careful about because H & I are getting older and I have a chronic health condition is to be sure that wherever we live, we have access to decent health care. The neighbor islands and some rural places are tougher to get to healthcare when needed.</p>
<p>Eventually we probably will want to move to a location where everything is walkable, with no yard to maintain (although I love my garden). Dh requires a deck or patio to enjoy his morning coffee outdoors, and I need to be near good markets as well as good health care, and near our dear friends. </p>
<p>I’m with you @ordinarylives - counting the years until I qualify for that over 55 community. If I’m paying for someone to do snow removal and lawn care anyway, I’d just as soon have the lower taxes and insurance and not worry about things like roof repairs. I don’t know that any space will be much of a downsize since my house is only 1350 sq. ft now, but it will be a downsizing of outside yardwork to deal with. I am not a fan of gardening or any other kind of outside work. I am a fan of swimming pools and reading a good book by the pool. </p>
<p>Some of our over 55 communities are ranch style condos- no shared walls, some land available still. That would be great with me. </p>
<p>It’s interesting what people consider downsizing! Some here downsize to 2500 square feet, while some currenlty live in 1200 sq ft. We are in the middle… have 1900 sq ft. and could live on first floor if we needed to do so. It felt too big when the kids went off to college, then DH took over DS’s room for a meditation studio, and I took over DD’s room for a music studio, and the house feels rightsized again! Taxes are outrageous, but we can’t imagine moving, and it will be paid off in two years. </p>
<p>I’m still under 50 (well, just barely) and my daughter is still in college, so an over-55 community is not yet an option for me. But I would be reluctant to consider it even after my daughter graduates from college and is launched in the world. What if she or my (hoped-for) future grandchildren ever need to move in with me? Plus, I enjoy having families with young children around.</p>
<p>We downsized two years ago when we moved from WI to FL. Not at all interested in over 55 communities- rather be part of our largish city with university et al. btw- people own their condos and still will have to decide when to replace things as they wear.</p>
<p>When house hunting we only looked at single story houses - looking to the future when stairs may be impossible. I thought 3 BR/2 bath would be good. We discovered that in order to be in the upscale (upper middle class) neighborhoods larger houses than we thought were appealing. So we gave up a large (over 3500 SF, 3 full baths, plus unfinished basement- hope to have more than one kid and room for inlaws) with a large garage. I wanted at least 2000 SF knowing what H had when we married. Ended up with almost 2700 SF with 2 full and 1/2 bath inside and an outside entrance pool bath with an outdoor shower. MORE bathrooms/toilets to clean except that we never use the outdoor one (and the shower being outside means rinsing off after being in the pool doesn’t mean another shower to clean). 4 bedrooms- ours, guest and we each get a computer/office- nice when we’re both home most of the time. Plus- no basement for storage so stuff in BR closets, including kid’s stuff he didn’t take to his apt). Also- the water heater takes up garage space. Didn’t need a formal living room and dining room with the large family room and dinette space but they came with the house. Still got rid of furniture- kept the La-Z-Boys! Don’t worry about the house looking good, but that we are comfortable. Oh- that pool bath has a sauna! All one has to do is step outside into the 95 heat and humidity to sweat so- what were they thinking??? It is a storage area for outdoor stuff.</p>
<p>We hope to be here another 20 years or more- then we’ll be in our 80’s like the widow we bought from. We have the lawn, pool, pest people instead of doing yard work. I’m gradually redoing the landscaping (too hot now) and we updated the whole house (the '80’s blush pink cabinets/countertops, mauve carpet and many pink striped walls had to go). Good library system, Indian groceries, restaurants of all kinds, shopping and classes for seniors via the U. </p>
<p>Downsizing meant going through everything and culling a lot of books and stuff that there was room for there but not here. It means a twin and a queen tall air mattresses for more guests than the one queen guest room (eg if both son and mother-in-law are here at the same time). It did not mean giving away a lot of cooking/baking items- that can wait until I have no kitchen storage and am sure I won’t use them. We never had that many clothes- H’s suit/tie apparel sits in a closet. Most of son’s childhood stuff was gone through and given away/discarded (finally, those homework spirals from HS are gone!).</p>
<p>It was good to move and need to have less stuff- an excuse to get rid of many things. One floor living is good. Space to be apart is good (btw- there were 5 of us in a 100+SF 3BR/1bath house growing up). Feel luxurious. I can also see why people without basements or large garages need extra space. Glad neither of us is a packrat and hauled stuff we would never use. Downside is not being able to go furniture shopping like years ago- we already have enough stuff to fill the space. Some completely get rid of the old furniture and start fresh but we value comfort and are not concerned with what looks good.</p>
<p>There is freedom in finding a house for just the two of you instead of what works for a family and job. Schools, kid friendly amenities were not a consideration. We use every room often- except the guest room and 1/2 bath near it. Like the neighborhood mix with some older empty nesters and younger from babies to teens.</p>
<p>I do have to start thinking about this. We have a house, I suppose, for the kid (aged 15). Once she’s gone…hmmm. My goal would be to find a green home where we could age in place. I’m thinking a condo with a substantial porch/balcony in a big renovated loft building with parking and a elevator in a relatively safe neighborhood near healthcare, grocery, and social/recreation options. That we can afford. I’ll try to become a minimalist. Leaving my very special house with the garden I’ve built over 16 years will rip my heart out. Living in a multi-unit building with others is not my cup of tea, but I guess I have to do it because at some point, my achy body’s not going to be able to keep up a house. Maybe we should start poking around for down-sizing options now, for a move in, what?, seven years? </p>
<p>We bought the lot for our empty nest/retirement house 15 years ago. Our plan was for dh to retire at 55. We built the house 4 years ago (used it for weekends and holidays). Two years ago, we sold our big 4 br house. We rented in our town for 2 more years waiting for dh to turn 55. We move to our new home right after DH turned 55 in May. If we hadn’t bought our building lot 15 years ago, we wouldn’t be able to afford it now.</p>
<p>We just sold our 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath house in Cincinnati–moved to DC where we just moved into an 1100 sf two-bed, 2 bath condo. Drastic downsizing! But so far we really like it. We still need to do more closet-culling, and learn to buy less at the grocery store.</p>
<p>We did the move a year and a half ago. From an older 2200ish SF home with 3brs, 2ba and lots of first floor rooms in addition, to a 768sf 2BR house…but with a finished basement that works as a bedroom for S1 and makes the house more like 1200SF.</p>
<p>I love it. I can vacuum the main floor without unplugging the vacuum :D</p>
<p>The clearing out of 15 years of stuff from the old house was very liberating and I have resisted re-acquiring a lot of stuff I find i really don’t need. I only wish I didn’t still have a big yard, we don’t use it and I have to take care of it. But it makes for nice privacy on the back patio, I guess.</p>
<p>I grew up in a NYC apartment so the larger home thing always felt weird to me.</p>
<p>When we were downsizing a few years ago, we rented a small storage space to keep some stuff we could not get rid of but were unable to ship to our new place at that time. (We are still renting that storage space. But eventually we need to do something about it. The problem is that the rented storage space is thousands of miles from where we are at now.)</p>
<p>Does anybody here need to do something like this when downsizing?</p>
<p>The clearing out of decades of stuff from the old house was very liberating, but we miss our garden at our old, 5-bedroom house very much and we now have some concern about what we do when there are visitors (yes, our grown-up child is almost like an once-a-year short-term visitor to us now!) It sometimes just does not feel right to ask them to stay at a hotel.</p>
<p>We use the extra tall air mattresses for extra guests. We had one which we used for almost two weeks waiting for our furniture. Small M-in-law liked the twin one. In our old large house we had many relatives for son’s HS graduation and put them in various places (Grandpa got son’s bed and he slept on a sofa in the basement after his late ending class party). </p>
<p>2200 SF seems average, not large, to me. But from the Midwest, not NYC.</p>
<p>Having a freestanding single story house is wonderful. FL is not great for gardening (weather, soil) but nice to have one’s own space. We had a vacation condo- neighbors can be good or bad. I figure condo fees are similar to all of the maintenance we outsource (lawn, pool, pest…).</p>
<p>We knew we were paying moving costs by the pound and had less space so we tried to eliminate what we could. Kept things that couldn’t be easily replaced in some cases- such as some books. Also I kept so many kitchen things I rarely use but still want to have available. When we are truly old and downsize to a condo or apt I’ll cull stuff again. Having less storage space here makes it easier to not acquire too much. </p>
<p>It is liberating to get rid of stuff you’re not enamored with but have no reason to discard/give away et al. Never especially liked the big formal dining room set H had (he had a house he let an interior decorator fill before we met). Old round glass top table became dinette table (and since replaced- the chairs were leaning backwards). The inexpensive wooden set we got for our old dinette when we had a vacation condo became our dining room set with the extension- to fill the space and a good large surface to use. Kept our good dishes- love them. We have entertained with a crowded table here but casually. If you expect luxury here- tough luck. We have mismatched stuff etc. Not because we can’t afford to replace it but because we like it and it is comfortable. Just remember to take your shoes off.</p>
<p>I have seen elderly people’s places that are way too stiff, formal elegant. Also stuffed to the gills places because they downsized in space but not possessions. No room to move or afraid to sit. </p>
<p>We’re not trying to impress anyone or keep up appearances. It helps that we like clean lines and more minimalist than traditional design. It is fun to not care. Neat and clean, comfy. I do wish I had an excuse to buy new things but don’t need much and like what we have.</p>
<p>In our new tiny apartment, H and I decided to collect nothing unless it could hang on a wall. We buy art whenever we travel, or go to street festivals. We’ve almost filled up one large wall in the living room. But the rest of the place is pretty minimalist. We used to have lots of books - but got rid of them all in the move (a few ended up in storage). Now, whenever we buy a book, we take one to the charity shop. Same with clothes - one in/one out. Keeps the clutter to a minimum. Typical of many British houses, storage space is non-existent. We use the space under the beds and on top of wardrobes and all furniture needs to have storage capabilities - drawers, storage ottomans, etc. </p>
<p>I would like to buy a new sofa. The old one, which I inherited from my grandmother, looks pretty heavy in our small living room. We like mid-century modern and I’ve seen some great reproduction sofas that would look great in our space. I just need to sit on them and make sure they are comfortable. One good thing about a huge sofa, however, is that it is actually a very comfy guest “bed”.</p>
<p>Mr. Ellebud has floated the idea of “someday” downsizing. We still have the need for our house, and could use 3 more rooms. I love this house. Simply put it is elegant in a way no new house could ever be. I am driving less and I can walk to much of what I need or want. I can drive to anyplace that I need to go to as well because I know the routes are short and I know where I am going.</p>
<p>We will see what happens when Mr. Ellebud retires in about 5 years. Another question will be where our children live. </p>
<p>But for now I can still add some new pieces of art, plant new flowers and have 60 people for dinner. Our home has a very formal side and a huge den which is filled for game days. And, it was the last house that my parents saw us in. </p>
<p>@wis75: I need to copy and paste your post into my master To Do list that I’m working on for our eventual move. Next I need to get dh to read it. We both may need a few reminders along the way. </p>
<p>When we moved to our current house, I thought we might be here forever. It’s suited to multigenerational living, which is what we expected to need. The house is way more formal and over twice as large as our former house, so I bought quite a bit of new furniture. Dh was tired of me making do and buying bargains, so among other things I bought two Hancock & Moore sofas, multiple H&M chairs, plus a few other pieces. I never got over the sticker shock, although I know other people spend far more. (It didn’t help that I had no idea of what had happened to our finances while I was focused on medical issues.)</p>
<p>Now we’re getting serious about downsizing and this formal furniture does not fit our picture of the next house. If we sell the H&M stuff through a consignment store, we’d be lucky to get 20% of what we paid for it even though it looks like new. Dh doesn’t want strangers coming to the house, so craigslist is out. After seeing the damage done to donations picked up by the main charity stores here (china shattered as boxes were thrown on the truck, furniture scratched, lamps broken), I hate to go that route. Dh may insist on keeping it unless I find someone who wants it.</p>
<p>I just downsized from a 5-bedroom house with a den and a HUGE finished basement to a 2-bedroom with an additional non-conforming bedroom/bathroom suite in the small basement. I’ll be honest, it was a lot of work, who knew we were hoarders? The stuff from the basement just kept coming! </p>
<p>Both of my kids, ages 25 and 21, grew up in our old house, so it was an important move for all of us. The new place is much smaller, but in many ways much nicer than the old place, and both kids like it. My daughter looked around and said, “it’s all our stuff so… it’s home.” </p>
<p>Harder to contemplate was the reality of aging (meaning me and DH) and whether this will be the last move we’ll ever make. A very strange, unsettling thought. </p>