You may find that after your children have moved out, you’re in a home that’s now too big and you’re wondering “what size house do I need?” or, perhaps you want to move to a home with lower energy bills and one that doesn’t need lots of repairs and renovations. Whatever your reasons for looking for a new home, here's our guide to moving to the right sized home.
What is rightsizing?
To rightsize your home means to make sure the space you have in your home is right for you. You may want to move to a smaller house, or a home that’s a similar size but configured differently, perhaps with fewer bedrooms. Rightsizing could mean moving to an energy efficient home that’s cheaper to run and easy to maintain. Location is a key factor when choosing where to live and, if you’re rightsizing, you may want to move somewhere with green space, shops and services nearby, perhaps on a bus route or close to a train station.
What is downsizing?
When downsizing, the focus is on finding a smaller home. We often meet homeowners who are looking to move from a four or five-bedroom home to a perfectly sized three-bedroom new home after their children leave for university, or because they want something more manageable.
What to consider when downsizing or rightsizing
Whether you’re downsizing with a family, on your own or with a partner, perhaps in retirement, there are some key factors to consider when looking for your ideal size home.
How many bedrooms do you need for the people who’ll be living in your home? If one or all of your children have moved out, maybe it’s time to downsize to a home with fewer bedrooms. Our Lifestyle Homes are built on the footprint of a four-bedroom home, but have three larger, more luxurious en-suite bedrooms and include a walk-in wardrobe or dressing room to the main bedroom. Downstairs, the living space is the same, with plenty of space to relax or entertain. They could be the best sized home for a retired couple or for families with multiple generations living under one roof. An extra bedroom or two means there’s plenty of room for when the grandchildren stay over.
Think about how you use the rooms in your current home and any spaces that are underused. If you’re not making use of your dining room, moving to a home with a different layout, perhaps with an open plan kitchen/dining area, which opens up straight into the garden could be the solution. If your grown-up children regularly visit, your kitchen will probably become the real hub of your home, whether you’re cooking and eating together or simply catching up. This probably needs to be one of your main focal points. As seen in Heritage Collection homes, our open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas – often with space for a sofa and TV - are just perfect.
If you need a home office or have home-based hobbies that require a little space, a study, snug or extra bedroom could be the solution. Your home office could even double as a guest bedroom. Discover more about flexible study space ideas and how to create the ideal dual purpose space for co-working, homework and more.
Don’t forget the all-important outdoor space. As part our Placemaking principles we include green space in most of our developments. We also ensure those new neighbourhoods are easy to get around, with the amenities people want and need nearby. We create “streets for life” helping build a sense of community, while making it easier to live a healthier lifestyle. New Redrow houses all come with gardens and, wherever possible, our apartments feature a balcony, terrace and/or communal outdoor space that all residents can enjoy.
Future proof yourself. Moving to a new home means you won’t have to worry about replacing the boiler or other costly renovations for years to come. Plus, many of our developments include Lifetime Homes designed to be more accessible and easily adaptable for changing needs.
Consider your current housing costs, including household bills such as energy and council tax, and the potential to save. Moving to the perfect size home could save you money when all things are considered. When downsizing, mortgage repayments could be reduced, along with energy bills. It could even mean you can pay off your mortgage earlier and release equity that’s been tied up in your home.
The benefits of downsizing
The emotional affect of moving from what was the family home may cause you to delay moving, but you will make new memories in your new home. Here are just some of the benefits of downsizing.
Moving to a smaller home should mean lower bills, but you could enjoy even greater savings as our Eco Now Homes and our “zero carbon ready” Eco Electric Homes are among the most efficient available. Our latest homes have the potential to lower energy bills by £2,575 a year compared with older houses.
A new home offers a low maintenance solution to modern living, so instead of spending time and money on repairs and renovations, you can get on with living. Research by the Home Builders Federation suggests it would cost more than £70,000 to bring a three-bedroom semi-detached home to the same standard as a new build.
Less time spent cleaning means more time to do the things you enjoy. Instead of dusting and vacuuming rooms you don’t use much, you could be taking the grandchildren to the park or having lunch with friends.
Release of equity from the sale of your old home could mean money to spend on enjoying life or perhaps you’d like help family members onto the housing ladder. You could both benefit from our gifted deposit match or recommend a friend schemes.
Lock up and leave – with less time and money spent on running costs and repairs you can head off on adventures, safe in the knowledge that your new home won’t need lots of work doing to it on your return. Discover our guides on how to sell and buy a property at the same time and how long it takes to buy a house.
How to downsize your home
Once you’ve decided to downsize or rightsize your home, there are some practical steps to take before making the move.
While there may be an emotional impact to you and your family if you’re moving from what was the family home, focus on the long-term benefits of rightsizing for your life.
Decluttering is a must before selling up and moving home, particularly if you’re downsizing. Here a decluttering expert reveals uncommon hacks for organising your home which can help you prepare for moving day.
Downsizing your belongings well in advance of moving will mean you can reminisce while sorting through items. Decide what to keep, what to gift to family members, donate to charity or to recycle.
If you have a house to sell, you’ll want to read our guide to how to sell your home, it’s full of handy tips including how to prepare your house for sale.
Speak to the sales team on your preferred development about Help to Sell.
Packing and unpacking can be one of the most time-consuming parts of moving. Learn how to move house quickly with our handy hints and hacks. We’ve also put together a guide to a sustainable move including packing tips.
Homeowner stories: Meet the downsizers
Paul and Pamela, both in their 70s are enjoying a new lease of life after moving to a new Redrow home, a four-bedroom detached Balmoral at Woodborough Grange in Winscombe.
Pamela said: “We knew we wanted to downsize – we’d lived in our previous six-bedroom home for over 40 years but now the children are grown up and moved out, we didn’t need all that space anymore. It was important to us that our new house was smaller without feeling like we’d compromised on space – the Balmoral is perfect for us.”
Paul added: “Having a new-build was vital, all the homes we’ve lived in have been new-build as I’m hopeless at DIY – we wanted everything to be ready to move into without needing any work. We thought the quality and finish of the Redrow show homes we viewed was the best – especially the traditional 1930s style of the homes.”
Tony, 61 and wife Alison, 48, have downsized to a three-bedroom Warwick at The Grange at Yew Tree Park in Burscough.
“Our last property was a 1910, six-bedroom, semi-detached property, which we’d lived in for over eight years, so we weren’t prepared to spend more time and money on renovations,” said Tony.
“We wanted to purchase a smaller property that was easier to manage, but needed a flexible space for when all our five children are at home.
“We had a few new build developments on our doorstep so started to view show homes. Once we’d been to Redrow’s show homes, we never looked back.”
Discover downsizing locations and read our guide on how much it costs to move homes.
