There has long been an unwritten expectation that, as we grow older, we should grow smaller. Sell the family home. Purge the belongings. Make room for the next generation. Books, television shows and well-meaning friends all seem to suggest that downsizing is simply what responsible older adults do.
While there is certainly value in decluttering – and as someone who has helped clean out my own parents’ home after they passed, I understand the emotional gift that can be – I also wonder why we’ve created the expectation that people should begin shrinking their lives while they’re still living them.
A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted a growing trend: Instead of downsizing, many Baby Boomers are purchasing larger homes or expanding the ones they already own. The article reports that 7 percent of buyers ages 61 to 70 now say they need a larger home, up from 4 percent in 2016. That may still be a minority, but it suggests more older homeowners are questioning the assumption that aging automatically means living smaller. After the pandemic, many people rediscovered that space isn’t simply a luxury. It’s part of comfort, wellness and quality of life.
I understand that perspective.
My husband and I currently live in a home that’s honestly too large for just the two of us. Our son is grown and married, leaving an entire lower level with a family room, two bedrooms and a bathroom that gets more visits from the cat and the Roomba than from people. But I don’t look at those empty rooms and think “wasted space.” I see possibility. Lord willing, one day those bedrooms will once again be filled with grandchildren, overnight visits, toys scattered across the floor and the joyful noise that only family can bring.
That was my childhood. Both sets of my grandparents stayed in the homes where they raised their families. After their children grew up, those bedrooms sat quietly for a while. Then my brothers and I came along and, suddenly we each had our own room whenever we visited. Looking back, I realize the greatest gift they gave us wasn’t an inheritance. It was a place where we always belonged.
As a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), I also understand the realities of aging, especially here in our mountain communities. Multi-story homes, steep driveways and endless stairs can eventually become genuine safety concerns. Aging in place doesn’t mean refusing to adapt. Sometimes it means remodeling for accessibility, removing clutter to improve mobility, installing better lighting or even moving to a single-story home with easier access. Those decisions should be made because they improve your quality of life – not because society thinks you should occupy less space.
Perhaps we’ve been asking the wrong question. Instead of asking whether seniors should downsize, maybe we should be asking whether their home still supports the life they want to live. If that life includes holiday dinners, grandchildren sleeping down the hall, lifelong friends staying for the weekend and a house that’s been thoughtfully adapted for the years ahead, then maybe the biggest luxury isn’t a bigger home at all. It’s having room for the people you love.
Theresa Grant is a real estate broker and columnist covering Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, Running Springs, and the surrounding mountain communities. Reach her at (909) 442-1345 visit www.HomesInLakeArrowhead.com, and follow her on social media @TheresaGrantRealtor. Theresa is a Broker Associate with REAL Broker Technologies. DRE#01202881.
0 Comments