In our area, when estates sold off parcels, the smaller houses that were built were also of excellent quality and finishes. For a long time, only one1story houses could be built on those parcels, so that the the estate owners could still enjoy their views. The new homes still had beautiful grounds (inherited from the estates) but not the vastness. So, is such a thing available in your area? Or perhaps you can buy a parcel and build?

I did things backwards. I downsized before we started our family to allow for me to be a stay at home mom without financial worries. Before we started our search I made an honest list of what I knew I could not live without. This list included rooms, details of architecture, yard features and personal belongings. After making the list I was able to figure out what I still needed in a smaller home and then I started looking into options in the location I wanted.

I think you will be able to make an older home or new build a beautiful home, just like you did with your present home, but take your time to figure out exactly what you are and are not willing to sacrifice for this new life adventure. Good luck and have fun with it!

If you are truly downsizing to a smaller home, but want some of the amenities your current (and beautiful) home offers, then you probably will be better off building. However, there are other possibilities depending on where you and your DH want to re-locate. In our area, there is a highly desirable, older area of homes where people are either extensively remodeling 60's ranchers or doing total tear-downs and building a new home on the lots. I know you live in the country now, so if you're going to live in the same area, then your choices will be limited to (possibly undeveloped) acreage available for a new build.

And I think you actually could build a smaller home with wider hallways if you choose to do so if that is important to you. Roarah makes exactly the same points I would recommend you do before you start. Make a priority list of what you absolutely must have, require if possible, and desire if it can be done. (In my business we categorize these as 'Mandatory, Required, and Desired'.) It will be fun to plan this next phase of your life and the project ahead.

Historic and older homes also tend to be on prime land, really good lots.

I can't believe you are leaving your beautiful new basement and the rest of your gorgeous home! But of course I understand....we'll be doing the same thing in a few years when DH retires. We're even worse off because we don't even know where we want to go.

I would love to build my dream house but that probably won't happen. I've looked at retirement communities online and I'm usually turned off by the layout. Most have the master right off the kitchen/great room area.....fine if you both go to bed and wake up at the same time, but in our case I'm a night owl and DH is an early bird so forget about trying to sleep if the other is cooking or watching TV.

I agree the "list" is a good place to start....puts things in focus. I assume you are staying in the general area which makes things easier. You can be constantly looking and wait for the right property or lot to come along. Good luck and please keep us posted...can't wait to see your new place!

When we built our home 10 years ago, we were not downsizing but were trying to be reasonable about the size of our house (budget being the obvious reason but I am also concerned about the use of resources other than money, too). I remember at the time reading articles about the trend of people building smaller houses but with better finishes. I won't say those articles were wrong but I will say I found no evidence of that in my area or at least not within a price point I could afford. In your area and your price points, it may be out there but the search could be very long and drawn out. If possible, any finalists you consider, I would see if you could take your interior designer for additional feedback on the feasability of a place.

You know what you like so I would spend a lot of time determining what is a deal breaker for you and what you would be willing to live with in terms of space, amenities, trim packages, what furniture you have to have room for, etc. I agree with others above, you would most likely get closest to what you want doing a custom build. Good luck.

Can you maybe look for smaller-sized model homes? At least where we live, lots of builders really dress up the model homes and they come in different sizes b/c they enter home shows at different price level categories.

I can't believe you are selling your beautiful house!!

Thank you for all these good ideas and carefully considered suggestions! I am starting to get the tiniest bit excited at the prospect of going to a home that does not require the oversight that ours does.

1. There is a "retirement" community here in our area but the houses are very, very close together. Not sure DH would maintain sanity in such a situation. I don't know if they have a neighborhood that has bigger or more private lots, can check on this. I have friends who live there, they are so-so on the quality of their homes. The builder is Pulte, about whom I know nothing----at the moment!

2. List: I have started one, and in order to accommodate our children at Christmas we will still need four bedrooms. The thought of them not coming home at Christmas is my own personal Armageddon, so the "down" size is looking like 3200 square feet or thereabouts. I want living space and master on the ground floor, three bedrooms, two baths and a central lounge area upstairs. With its own stackable washer and dryer in a closet. Never having to go to upstairs if I don't want to.

NO BASEMENT because I want a level lot and to be able to open the door and walk outside onto a patio with no steps! My dogs are getting too old and arthritic to make it down the deck steps and perhaps some day so will I.

I don't necessarily want a kitchen/family room, but I would like a great room (or great big room, lol) that accommodates living at one end and dining on the other.

My preferred style of house is a one-and-a-half story with dormer windows in front. I used to loathe front loading garages and now just don't care.... if the garage is too ugly I will put a fancy door and hinges on it and call it a carriage house.

Lot size is tricky, we need enough room for a tennis court, which we will have to build. This is a non-negotiable and the only way I can sell the move to DH.

You don't say *where* you want to live. Do you want to stay in a neighborhood where houses are older and all custom builds, or a housing development which builds in 'phases', with a final build-out anywhere from 3-5 years? Many have several builders to choose from, in different price ranges and you may have the freedom to upgrade, but there will be additional costs, of course. Many will have acreage, others will be zero lot line garden homes, with very small back/side yards. And then there are 55+ communities, small house(usually under 2000 sa ft)and small yard with a maintenance fee, so no gardner is needed. Of course all this varies by the region you live in, and may not be available. Have you considered a townhome or condominium? Maybe in the city?

Sorry, just finishing this up now! DH isn't ready to retire just yet, he would like five or six more years of working, so we want to stay in the general area, although we could move about twenty miles in any direction from our current home, which would open up other small towns to us. I like living in a smaller town, car traffic makes me crazy. Atlanta, the nearest city to us, has horrible traffic and in any case is too far for DH's work.

To answer some other questions...aside from the 55+ community I don't think there is a model home anywhere in town. We don't have lots of newer subdivisions. There are a few established ones with empty lots that we might consider though. Our town is about 22,000 people, with the county population around 50,000.

I am open to a historic house, would absolutely LOVE that. Or, I could see getting a substantial ranch style house and renovating it, too. I've been in some remodeled ranches that have a great relaxed feel and wonderful spaces. But I'm not sure I have the stomach for a full court press renovation. Those of you suggesting new construction are probably right. An automated house would be wonderful, and I would also like to incorporate as many energy saving features as possible---solar roof, geothermal heat pump, etc.

That's a great point about trimwork....do I feel the lack of it because I am just used to it, and would 12" ceiling moldings overwhelm a smaller house----probably they would. When I see house hunting shows with down-sizers who keep complaining about the size of the rooms I want to remind them that they are downsizing, and now I have to remind myself, lol!

Moving has been a discussion in our house for about two years now. We were in our last home (ranch, added on) 20+ years (great school system, raised three) and custom built our current home saying we would live here until they carried us out. But two of our three that went out of state to college (San Francisco and Chicago) are now back in AL, so the big house we built for visiting children/grandchildren is no longer needed. While we can live on the main level, that leaves the lower level - which DD1 has been living with us for the past 12+ months. I don't see her going anywhere anytime soon, which is fine with us. She has her own BR/BA and den but uses the main kitchen.

We love our valley and I want to stay out of the city and/or close living quarters. I love being on a lake and would like to continue that, but would give it up for DH's swimming pool. He needs to swim 5/6 days a week for his arthritis. We have been waiting patiently for over a year for a lovely couple to sell one of their two houses. It is smaller than our current home, but still a nice size and it's on a lake. DH could add a lap pool if he desires. In the meantime, I look once or twice a day at local new listings.

We don't have any retirement villages besides condos/apartments, and quite frankly one would not work for us at our ages. Plus we have dogs/cats. I, like you, still want nice finishes and spacious rooms. I'm not willing to give up or move down. If we could find a decent lot (private, acreage, secure) we would build again. DH plans on working another five years. We are our own bosses.

We've been to several open houses and driven by many that were ruled out by simply driving by. We have four vehicles, one is a work truck/tools, so it needs a large garage and not street parking... just in case.

If we end up staying here that is fine, but I/we would really like another project. Not a large one, but some gutting (bathrooms and kitchen) and additions (front entrance, main level garage w/apartment above for DD1).

Good luck with your hunt and possible move. I'm right there with you.

Allison, it sounds as though our circumstances are fairly similar. You have the advantage of much nicer housing stock where you are! As soon as I started watching the listings I saw a sold house a few miles from us that would have been perfect :-(

I empathize with you. I would like a much smaller house, but I don't want to give up the quality finishes and room sizes of the rooms we use. If I could cut my house in half and put it in a more walkable neighborhood, I'd be happy. Building is not an option for us because of our location.

Yes! I could also cut my house in half and move it a little!

Come buy my house! Big Cape Cod,no basement, dormers....whole nine yards.

I wish, Vedazu! The commute would be a bit of a problem but I have the feeling that I would love your house :-)

Someone asked if we could build on our own property and sell the current house. Unfortunately that isn't possible. We have 12 acres but most of that is in a voluntary land conservation management covenant we entered into with the county.

Would local policies allow you to buy a house on the perfect lot, tear down the house, and build new?

Yes, our local zoning policies consist largely of do whatever you like. If we found something like that it would probably be chance, but it's worth considering if something suitable came up in our search.

WHERE do I start?

I've just gone through downsizing due to my husband's passing away in 2014. Sold our 4,000 sf dream house that we designed -- on 4.5 acres with extensive gardens, water features and a swimming pool.

Aside from my emotional issues over the reason for my downsizing, here's my list of pros and cons.

Cons:

1. Giving away "big" furniture cost me thousands; then, I spent thousands buying "small" furniture and my house still needs a lot of tweaking, window treatments, landscaping, etc. Landscaping is as important to me as interior finishes.

2. Leaving my wonderful neighbors of ten years was difficult. It takes time to cultivate new friendships and due to my year-long renovation, I've not had time to get to know my new neighbors.

3. I moved to the city because my son asked me to be close to them--so that I'd be a part of his children's lives, Well, the reality is that I still don't see them as often as he'd led me to believe; nor does he offer to help me, because he's too busy with the kids. Instead, he asks for my help.

4. I settled on a two-story house with a basement, rather than a one-level on a level lot, as I wanted, but couldn't find in a good neighborhood. I added a master suite on the first floor, even though the 1700sf overall, would have been enough for me. Renovations were much more than a new build, especially when matching the character of an older home, like my 1939, and updating the electrical, plumbing, foundation, etc. Like many of you mentioned, I didn't want to give up quality. That said, the old house is quirky and some things can't be changed.

Pros:

1. The utilities are so much less. Hundreds less per month.
2. Even with a higher property tax rate in the city, my taxes are thousands less per year, compared to the larger home.
3. Walkability-- Here in the city, I can walk to wonderful cafes. There is a fabulous hiking trail that connects to my street, so I can do a 3-mile loop, with or without my dog, on a safe trail.
4. I'm a mile from a major hospital and primary medical care.
5. I'm within 5-10 minutes of everything I could possibly need for daily living and entertainment. I'm 15 minutes from a large shopping mall.

I also think there's a difference in downsizing while working (money coming in) and downsizing when retired (limited income).

I retired early from the corporate world and am a freelance writer, though I've not written since my world turned upside down with his diagnosis in 2013.

Dyh, your #3 con makes me sad. I hope with time that changes.

Although we live in a relatively small house (1700 sf) I'm beginning to contemplate downsizing. We're on an equally small city lot (75x150), but the upkeep of the yard/gardens is becoming more of a chore every year. Even though it's something I've always been passionate about I can see the day coming when the effort will far outweigh the enjoyment.

I do love living in the middle of the city with all of the convenience that affords.

we've looked at pulte before during one of our moves- they put together a home for a relatively low $/sq ft- they're minimally customizable i think... i think they have a fair reputation, but that probably varies somewhat on the area of the country...

i would probably wait until my hub retired if i were you... but, we're changing geographic location when he retires, so it's easier for us to wait!

allison's comments are one of the reasons i want to wait closer a few yrs to build (we already have a lot)- we have no idea where our kids will settle!! i would love if at least one moves relatively close to us!! but, i don't know if any of them will settle 'for good' so i think we have to plan for enough bedrooms, baths, etc for each of them and (hopefully) future grandkids (but none are even married now or have kids!) i think i would rather have larger than we need than smaller and wish we had more space...

We made two moves last year - one was our second home which is on a lake and the other was our primary home in the city. Neither were downsizing and in fact both are larger but the design of both places is better suited for aging with all the requirements for living on the main floor. We moved the lake home to get more privacy in the woods. It has a walkout lower level that is mostly unnecessary space other than bedrooms and bath for guests though DH now has room for a ping pong table. The main floor has a great room (living/dining/kitchen), master suite, powder room and laundry along with a screen porch that I love. Upstairs has two guest rooms and a bath. It's way more space than we will likely need at some point but for now we want room to have guests.

We had a home in the city on a large, private wooded lot. Once we got the lake home on the large, private wooded lot we no longer needed same in the city. We moved to a detached town home on a golf course (known as a villa home in some places I think). It's actually larger than our previous home, newer and different style though similar in that it has lots of windows, higher ceilings, open informal layout, etc. I reached the point that I no longer wanted to try to keep up with yard work at two places as the one in the city always suffered from neglect. I also wanted all the necessities on one level - including the garage as our other one was down a flight of stairs. And I wanted a newer place that wasn't going to require all the big investments that the 45 year old place needed.

We did not intend to get bigger places, it's just that when we found what we wanted, where we wanted it that's what it was. There were advantages to that in that we could just move what we had and didn't have to get rid of major items or buy much of anything different other than a few things. We did get rid of A LOT of stuff at both places that had just been stored and unused.

The lake place is a beautiful timber frame home in the woods and a significant upgrade over the place we sold. I knew the town home was the one for me the first time I saw it. Beautiful open and bright with all the right spaces for us and wonderful expansive views.

I'm just not one to build a new home. The choices would overwhelm me and I'd always want something beyond my budget no matter how big my budget. I learned that when we remodeled the kitchen in our previous home. I'm okay with holding out for the right preexisting home that comes pretty close to my taste. Both of our new homes fall into that category and we are delighted with the change.

About Pulte. They used to have a stellar reputation, but these days they are a brand of the so-called Pulte Group, which is basically Centex/Del Webb. They're definitely the higher-end name, but nothing like what they were when they built the reputation they're still riding on.

I sold my house and downsized
almost 2 years ago. One of the best things about my downsize was clearing all the
clutter from the attic, the basement and the garage. It feels so free to not
have that stuff! I moved to a townhouse that is almost the same size as my 1700
square foot Victorian was, but it has the space in different places – two big
bedrooms instead of 3 small ones, for example. I also wanted nice finishes, and I
had hardwood floors installed and I re-did the kitchen and patio. But instead
of all the dusty corners and tall baseboards and woodwork, I now have a more
open plan that is easy to keep and is so different from my old house. It’s a
nice change! My new place is closer to the city and parks and highways and the train to NY
or Philly. I have closets and ensuite bathrooms that my old house did not have
so to me it feels more luxurious, or at least “this century”. I used to love
working in my gardens, but I don’t miss it at all and now I have the time to go
on garden tours or enjoy the community pool. My weekends used to be spent doing
yardwork.

It’s much less expensive than my
last house, and as a single (widowed) woman nearing retirement, that’s a
biggie.

The problem is when you go down in square footage, you go down in price, you go down in finishes. The market doesn't reward smaller houses with superior finishes.

I have the same quandary. We are beginning to think about downsizing. But we don't want to live in a home that isn't as well constructed or finished as our current one.

I don't want to compromise. That means renovating or custom build.

The market doesn't reward smaller houses with superior finishes.

Well, some people are betting against that. For example:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/delray-beach/fl-drf-mckinney-0413-20160413-story.html

For clearing out storage areas --

I called the local PTA Thrift Shop (supports the schools) and they brought two trucks out and hauled off what was reusable.

Then, I called 1-800-GOT-JUNK and they hauled off a big truck of junk at a cost of around $300 (two attics).

Then, I gave a local young man good furniture. In return, he cleaned out the garage and the storage for me for free. He took things he wanted to fix, and he took things to the local waste collection and separated everything according to the rules.

3katz4me -- I've thought about having two "lock and leave" townhouses/apartments -- one on the west coast and one here. Don't know if I'll ever act on that idea since I'm exhausted from a year-long renovation!

CindyMac -- my son's wife is a doctor (anesthesiologist for organ transplants and neurosurgery) and often works over 60 hours a week. He's a stay-at-home dad with a software business for archaeology (he was in the field until family) that he manages from home. I try to be understanding, but it's a disappointment.

The problem is when you go down in square footage, you go down in price, you go down in finishes. The market doesn't reward smaller houses with superior finishes.

I agree with this to a degree. Some resort/urban markets may be a bit different, but this is the general rule. Our current home is in a 1950s tract development. Our has all of the ca. 1960 upgrades (hardwood floors and tongue-and-groove ceilings with vigas). I suspect it may have been a model home back in the day. The ceilings give it a bit more value than the same floor plan home in the same neighborhood. It was remodeled in around 2008, with the walls redone with diamond-finish plaster and baths/kitchens substantially/thoughtfully upgraded. This is typical in the $2m homes on the other side of town, but not in my little 'hood.

End result: we're a bit over improved for the neighborhood. However, the home appraised a bit higher because of it, and will stand out on the market when the time comes to sell. Our neighborhood appears to be slowly gentrifying from blue-collar to white-collar, which I attribute to the solid houses and the fairly close-in location. The homes that have come on the market this spring seem to have been remodeled with more care, rather than the DIY 70s-80s that many of the homes exhibit.

My down size house has some pluses and minuses. I like when you walk in you can see straight out the back through a nice new modern triple slider to the pool and garden. I love my remodeled master and bath. I really like the open floor plan. I love how the ocean ,shopping and restaurants are just minutes away. It was fun changing from a traditional eclectic home to a modern eclectic home. Everything else...meh. I really really do not like having eight foot ceilings. That's my biggest beef but there is more.

To get this house exactly how I want it would put me well above what I could ever resell it for, for a long time anyway.

If you find nothing existing you like you should build. Although overwhelming it's exciting too. I would love to build again but there is no land left in an area I want to be as now I'm into convienence. If there was a lot somewhere near I would not be able to afford it. But you...you should go for it.

When we built 20 years ago we built with the thought of staying here - whether we do or not. So far, we have no plans to leave. We have no children so we were able to build then what will work for us through the future. A one level home that is not too big, not too little - for us anyway. We have large rooms, no wasted space (no halls). Two low steps out the front door - one out to the patio, but that may change as we are either redoing the patio or will have a deck over it. We have a large, private lot (over an acre) and that is something I don't see changing, even if we do move. We like our privacy and we like our outside areas. Our landscaping and plantings are relatively easy to care for. If the time comes to hire out mowing, heavier work, etc., we will do that. I can't see us ever living in the city or in a villa/condo, etc. We have both always lived outside of the city, having space around us. We like being near two cities for restaurants, arts, activities, employment (for now), but far enough away we are still in a bit of a rural area. Fortunately our little area has good grocery shopping, a few restaurants, drugstores, etc. We are within 20-30 minutes of anything we could want without having to live in the city. We are near lakes and the mountains - outside activities are important to us. Some days I cannot imagine moving everything out of this place - especially my hubby's toys (his workshop LOL), and although we had a pretty good experience building. it's not something I really want to do again.

I hope you find what you want KSWL and in your area. It may just take you some time.

These personal experiences are very helpful and I appreciate you all sharing them here. I am ready for a change, of that I am sure. I guess thoughtful searching and watchful waiting are the next steps.

I've actually seen some pretty high end condos catering to your market. Maybe not to exacting standards, but my friend has a marvelous one. Now she and her husband spent quite a few years upgrading it, but folks do that kind of thing all the time. I'd rather upgrade than go through the headaches of building, but YMMV.

" I am ready for a change, of that I am sure."

See, I am not there yet. Still wavering. I just wish my mind would make itself up! If we decide to stay here until DH retires, I will do some painting, but not much else.

Our problem is we have dogs. They are our children and high rise condo living won't work. We have to have some yard. I don't want people living in the close proximity of a townhouse. I don't want to pay for the golf course at a golf community. We just haven't cracked the code.

In my new kitchen I will have green cabinets and this tile:

I love it and have loved it for decades. When we redid the backsplash I went with subway tile because it looked better with everything else and also because we were putting it in the laundry / butlers pantry across the hall. I don't regret not using the above in this house but I AM GOING TO HAVE IT in my next!

(Emphasis as note to self, lol)

Homechef59, we have three dogs. One is a Lab and loves running on our acreage when we are outside. It is fenced and gated, but he only goes in the dog corral w/o us being outside too. Snakes, etc. Having the big dogs limits our choices.

lol kswl2. Pretty tile. I've been pinning/saving ideas as well. I will most likely do another unfitted look kitchen, but plan to use green cabinets somehow.

Whispering...I still like tile counters....

I still love the look of tile counters too.

Dyhgarden...I think we were building about the same time. I'm so sorry about your DH.

kswl2: I can see you in something like this:

IloveRed -- I (aka WonByHerWits) was on GardenWeb forums back in 2005 when we were building the house. That's how I got to know quite a few of the names still on the forums. On Facebook with one.

Bonnie Ann I love that house! The exterior style is charming, a one and a half story modern farmhouse look. I have owned two one and a half story homes and I just LOVE them.

kswl2: " I still like tile counters." When I put mine in 6 years ago, they tried to talk me out of them. I LOVE tile.--and in this particular kitchen, anything else would have looked wrong.

My last house was 3200 square feet with 4 bedrooms, living room, dining room, eat in kitchen, den, library, playroom, office, sunroom and 3 bathrooms. It was an 1898 colonial revival/victorian. I raised my two kids in that house.

Once my ex and I divorced, DH and I moved to a condo overlooking the water here in FL where we live for over half the year. It's 1900 square feet. Foyer, kitchen, dining room, living room, 3 bedrooms and two baths. Great for the two of us, but not good if we want to entertain, (or even barbecue) or when we have overnight guests because the guest bedroom is DH's study. And yes it has the high end finishes.

For us a small lot was a must (9000 square feet) and walkable to our small city's downtown area. We didn't want to live in a 55+ community.

So DH and I are building with aging in place in mind, with all the high end finishes we enjoy in a home. And we're building larger. Our new house will be 2800 square feet +. However we're building our public rooms larger (living room, dining area and kitchen) for entertaining, my studio becomes larger (I'm an artist) and DH finally has his own study that he doesn't have to share with guests who come visit. Our guest bedroom/gym and our master bedroom will be smaller. And yes we'll have the requisite lanai, pool and built in barbecue so our outdoors will become an extension of our living room/dining area/kitchen.

Downsizing doesn't mean you have to live smaller but that you live smarter for your needs, whatever they may be. Most of our living is on the first floor (because this will be our aging in place house) with just my studio and our guest room/gym upstairs. And we are building with an elevator in case either of us can't climb the stairs sometime in the hopefully distant future. Our living spaces are larger to accommodate the friends and family we anticipate having over, while we have less "bedrooms" and more spaces that suit our needs.

The builder is Pulte, about whom I know nothing----at the moment!

Pulte is a production builder. From what I gather you would not be very happy in a Pulte home.

If you're thinking of building, consider a community that allows you to choose your own custom builder. I know in my area of FL there are developments like this that have a choice of several high end builders.

I'm just following along.

I like that tile and it would great with green cabinets!

I thought I was maybe strange for liking the look of tile counters.

Big dogs and condos are not necessarily incompatible. I live in a high rise in the South Loop in Chicago. A lot of people in my building have big dogs. I see them going up and down in the elevators all the time. Goldens, Huskies, greyhounds, etc. There's even some guy in my neighborhood that has a pack of six border collies (I see them out walking a lot). I think that's the thing. You have to be willing to do a lot of walking.

Some associations have limits on size or number of pets, so be sure you check the rules carefully. You'd probably also want to check the neighborhood for convenient dog parks. But high rise life doesn't rule out big dogs automatically.

And I'm just about to downsize from a 20 acre 2500+ sq. foot home/farm in a rural town outside Buffalo, NY .. to a .41 acre suburban ranch house 1800 sq. ft. with a fenced yard for my dogs. I'm tired of the commute, the amount of work, the cost, etc.

My new (1950's) home will be 10 minutes from my office, 8 minutes from my Mom's retirement community, 15 minutes from both my sisters and most of my friends, and 10 minutes from ANY convenience I need. I'll be closing on both houses in less than a month.

I LOVE my farm, and will miss my neighbors and the quiet, but I'm ready for a change ... and was looking for the house that I will retire into in a few years.

I spent the past 2 years going through 20 years accumulation of stuff, and have gotten rid of so much "stuff". I had 2 movers come through to give me estimates, and both said I didn't have that much to move ... that was surprising and nice to hear.

The new ranch house needs the bathrooms and kitchen redone ... it will all get done over time. But the location, size of the lot, and 4 season sun room that brings tons of natural light into the house, make the house perfect for me and my dogs.