There comes a time when one has to think about what to do next as it applies to housing. So many things influence that decision particularly health, lifestyle, empty nest. The hubby and I are thinking we may be at that point now, but making a decision involving change is not easy.
We live in a house we love. It is one that we dreamed about for years before finally building, and it is pretty near perfect except for the fact that we no longer need all the space. Our daughters are gone, I’m not working in my studio as much which means the entire second floor goes unused except for those few days a year when a relative visits.
In addition, we spend half the year in Maine where we are fortunate to have another house. Thanks to having frequent guests, its space is much more utilized, but it is not a forever home.
So, what do we do? It makes sense in Houston to downsize. To that end we’ve looked at so called luxury apartments thinking it makes sense to rent rather than buy.
We’ve looked at condos that reach high into the sky and open to either lovely views of Houston or rooftops with mechanical equipment and parking.
We’ve checked out midrises that seem a bit more intimate than the multistoried condos and apartments.
We’ve visited some lovely townhome developments, but a townhome doesn’t satisfy our desire to have a lock and leave place.
So, what’s a couple who’s happy in place but realizing it may no longer make sense do? Do any of the rest of you face this conundrum and how have you addressed it? Right now I’m feeling like Scarlet O’Hara whose approach to a hard decision was often to think about it tomorrow.
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Lulu's Musings 
Take your time, it’s a big and difficult decision. Nine years ago we took the leap and downsized. We went from the country home and land where we lived for over twenty years and raised our kids to a cottage at a gaited lake community. We are loving having less to clean and look after. 🙂
Oh, Linda, we had to sell our home in Dallas or our home in Maine – loving both! It seemed like the minute we unpacked things we were packing up again to leave. In the 80’s, we lived in Dallas, in a 2500 square feet on the 12th floor of a high rise and LOVED it. Very safe and a whole bunch of splendid accommodations – parking our car, partying with the friends we made on our floor, groceries/packages carried up to our “home”, called down and had car at the door when we were ready to go. Big party room for get-togethers. Extra bedrooms on the main floor for visitors. When we decided to spend life in one place we chose Maine and sold Dallas, making frequent visits to the big city life. We’ve been in Maine for 25 years – 10 years in the house we are now in. It’s a tough decision, my dear friend, but you will have a ball looking for that Houston dwelling. Whatever you decide it will be the right decision – I KNOW it!
All we can do is hope we make the right decision. Ultimately, we know we will be in Houston as sad as that makes me to think about.
There is always a bedroom waiting at the Bausch house, Linda.
Two years ago I watched my boss and his wife go through this same type of situation. He had a beautiful home in Buffalo, NY and another beautiful home in South Carolina where he was spending more and more time. It took a full year for him to decide what he was going to do and he’s happy now with his decision. It was difficult listening to them trying to decide and I always tried to be a good listener as I think they needed that rather than advice. Ultimately he ended up selling both places and he rented an apartment in the suburbs here in Buffalo and purchased a patio home in South Carolina. Take your time, pray about it and keep talking it out!
Tina, you are a love.
We are in the same situation, so will follow this post to see if inspiration can be revealed. We too are lucky enough to have a second home in Maine. We love it so, but we don’t think it would work year round as it is so far from all our family. I am mightily tempted though. We’ve lived in condos three times and every time we sell, we swear we will never, ever, ever again buy a condo. The fighting and politics drove us crazy. The simplest issues became overblown arguments, it was so stressful. Apartments are nice, but small. Sigh. Good luck with your decision. I’m going to look into agri-communities next. They sound interesting.
We moved back to Texas from South Florida 11 years ago, going from 5000 to 1900 sq ft. That solved the downsizing issue! We are back within an hour or two’s drive to all our family and that is more and more comforting. We have a cottage in a fabulous neighborhood called Hometown, in North Richland Hills, Tx. Our house is zero lot line and one story. HOA takes care of all yard work except our side yard where we have a vegetable garden and all of the outdoor cooking equipment. I love not having a second home any longer because there is more time for grand babies!
Ouch! Hard decision! I agree with above advise. Do not be hasty. Just thinking about going through and sorting out to downsize makes me exhausted. I have started trying to purge things but haven’t gotten very far and I don’t plan to downsize yet. Start downsizing contents and maybe you will have a clearer picture. I also think the first priority is to pray about and seek wisdom from God. He knows all the answers.
Tough decisions, Linda! As we get older, 20 acres, our home, garden, and a workshop will be harder and harder to manage.
We are right there with you, Linda. Pondering what is next for us. We have also decided to forgo home ownership in our next move—-when we downsize. And most advice we have received is to do it sooner rather than later. But we are still pondering this difficult downsizing decision.
I’ve been considering a lot of things in choosing our next abode. My hip has been screaming this week and stairs hurt the most. Walking along a level plain is okay but once I start up the stairs the pain is tough. Sooo… I’m thinking it makes best sense at this stage of my life to choose a home on one level. Something that will be manageable for many years. My best advice would probably be to take some time to consider and look and not to be hasty. It’s a blessing to have your two homes.
I feel your pain, sister. With my repeated surgeries, it seems to us that living in a 2-story home is probably not feasible for much longer. I hope you will be able to find something that will be perfect for you
Good luck with making your decision. I’m afraid we tend to always go larger. I do like my space and privacy. 😅
Take you time. We went from our favorite home to a beautiful condo in a small luxury development of 36 units in 7 buildings, moving to Florida from Illinois. After 3 years I decided we needed a yard…built, beautiful yard, pool,spa,
Now 5 years later I’m thinking condo life was much simpler, way less expensive even with condo fees. If only we had maintenance of the yard! So take your time deciding!