Downsizing is the new trend around here
But it’s not really downsizing, more moving out of a big family house to another quite large house whilst sorting ‘stuff’ out.
If you’re in your late fifties or sixties there seems to be less of an urge to hang onto the big house with increasingly empty (and cold) rooms filled only at Christmas (or the height of covid). The cost of living crisis is live, the hostel over lockdown has been utilised, a second home in the sun may beckon. It seems time to sort out all the detritus and move onto the next stage of life, unencumbered by too many accumulated unused belongings.
Recycling, repurposing and auctioning are the way forward, why hang onto belongings that you no longer use but someone else could? There’s no need to hoard as we can find a new home for everything we don’t need. And that is a relief. If you’ve sorted through a family home that hasn’t recycled a single thing in forty years then, in my experience, you kind of get the bug for it, no cupboard or innocent loft is safe, it needs sorting!
It’s worth pointing out that the generation now in their 80’s and 90’s are and were generally more thrifty and resourceful (the tide is turning back thank goodness) and had no real way of recycling anything, hence they hung onto things for when they may have been needed, hence the excess.
Once children have left home and are hopefully finding their own way (but ideally with the option of living at home for a while), grandparents are increasing fragile or have passed away having left their own houses to sort out, the bedroom heavy house (that probably needs some freshening up) can seem an additional burden that isn’t needed (unless it comes with lots of extra help!).
On the one hand it’s great that large houses are being freed up for younger families to buy. And buy they do, in this neck of the woods they are snapped up and then the real spending really starts. Within 18 months they are usually unrecognisable having been sharply bought into the 2020’s with glass, light, swimming pools, heat pumps and new windows. On the other hand it’s a little sad, there is certainly some character being lost along the way but maybe it’s just the disappearance of gentler pace of life, no one wants draughty windows when there are such good other options. Planning is maximised, lofts converted, basements dug, sedum roofs laid.
The other side of this though is more tricky…Suitable houses for downsizers are in short supply. Ideally they want space, no cozying up post retirement, smaller gardens or less land and to be close to towns (or in town)or villages so they’re accessible to all. And these houses are very popular with younger families coming into the area, their criteria are pretty similar meaning demand remains high for these types of houses in this area around Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells.
If you are thinking of ‘downsizing’ (in the new or old sense of the word), do get in touch to talk through your move and search, a search agent could be the inspiration that you are looking for.