Is Your Home Still Right For You? The Numbers Behind Rightsizing
Around 4.3 million households headed by someone aged 65 or over have at least 2 spare bedrooms. But moving to a smaller home is about far more than bedrooms. Here is how to work out whether rightsizing could improve your finances, lifestyle and future.
Is Your Home Still Right For You?
There is a point in home ownership where bigger stops automatically meaning better.
Perhaps the children have moved out.
Perhaps 2 bedrooms are permanently closed.
Perhaps you spend more time maintaining the garden than enjoying it.
Or perhaps you simply look around a home bought for a completely different stage of life and wonder:
Do we still need all of this?
If you have, you are far from alone.
The latest English Housing Survey found 58% of households headed by someone aged 65 or over are under occupying their home, meaning they have at least 2 more bedrooms than the household is considered to need.
That equates to approximately 4.3 million households.
A decade earlier, the figure was 53%.
So this is not a niche property conversation. It is one of the biggest untapped moving markets in England.
Source: gov.uk
The Better Question Is Not “Should We Downsize? ”It is:
“If we moved, could our life actually improve?”
Because counting spare bedrooms is a terrible way to decide where somebody should live.
A bedroom might accommodate grandchildren.
A large kitchen might be where the entire family gathers every Sunday.
A garden might be somebody's favourite part of their home.
Government research into housing for older people actually makes this distinction clear. It found people still value adequate living space, spare bedrooms, access to amenities, green space and proximity to friends and family when considering their next home.
So forget simply moving somewhere smaller.
Think about rightsizing.
Finding a home that better fits the next 10 or 20 years of your life.
The 5 Numbers We Would Work Out Before You Move
This is where the conversation becomes genuinely useful.
Before deciding whether rightsizing makes sense, establish these numbers.
1. What Could Your Current Home Realistically Achieve?
Not an online estimate.
Not the highest asking price on your road.
A realistic assessment of what a buyer could pay in today's market.
If your home could achieve £800,000, that becomes the starting point for everything else.
2. What Would The Home You Actually Want Cost?
Do not start by searching for a “smaller house”.
Create the specification first.
Maybe you want:
3 bedrooms instead of 5.
A beautiful kitchen.
A manageable garden.
A garage.
A downstairs bedroom or space that could become one.
Walking distance to shops.
Closer proximity to family.
Less maintenance.
Once you know the specification, investigate what it actually costs.
Because there is little benefit selling an £800,000 house to discover that the property you genuinely want is £750,000.
3. What Would Stamp Duty Cost?
This is one of the figures homeowners can easily overlook.
For somebody buying a replacement main residence in England for £500,000, current standard Stamp Duty Land Tax would be:
0% on the first £125,000
2% on £125,001 to £250,000 = £2,500
5% on £250,001 to £500,000 = £12,500
Total SDLT: £15,000
At £600,000, the SDLT would be £20,000.
At £700,000, it would be £25,000.
That needs to be included when calculating what a move actually releases.
Current SDLT bands for a single residential property in England and Northern Ireland are published by HMRC.
4. What Would The Move Cost In Total?
Now add:
Estate agency fees.
Legal fees.
Survey costs.
Removals.
Stamp Duty.
Mortgage charges where applicable.
Any work required on the new home.
Do not ask:
“What's the difference between the 2 house prices?”
Ask:
“What will actually be left once we have moved?”
That is the number that matters.
5. What Would Your Monthly Life Cost Afterwards?
This is the number people rarely discuss.
A smaller or more efficient home could potentially mean less spent on:
Heating.
Maintenance.
Gardening.
Repairs.
Insurance.
Mortgage payments, where borrowing remains.
The financial benefit of moving therefore might not simply be the capital released on completion.
It could also change what your home costs you every month for the next 10, 15 or 20 years.
Now Run The “Stay Versus Move” TestTake a piece of paper and create 2 columns.
STAY
Current property value
Current mortgage
Annual running costs
Expected maintenance
Work required over the next 5 years
Accessibility
Distance from family
Proximity to amenities
Rooms genuinely used
MOVE
Purchase price
Stamp Duty
Selling costs
Legal costs
Removal costs
Money released
Estimated monthly running costs
Location
Accessibility
Lifestyle benefits
Once you compare the whole picture, rather than simply the size of the property, the decision can look very different.
Why Do So Many People Still Stay?
This is where the data becomes particularly interesting.
The government's Older People's Housing Taskforce found that nearly 9 in 10 people aged 65 to 79 live in under occupied housing, yet relatively few actually move.
Why?
The research identified barriers including the expense and physical challenge of moving, emotional attachment to an existing home and difficulty finding suitable alternatives.
It also found that around a third of people aged 65 or over would consider moving.
In other words:
The desire to move exists.
Often, the missing piece is finding somewhere genuinely worth moving to.
Source: gov.uk
The Biggest Rightsizing Mistake? Selling first and asking where you are going afterwards.
For many rightsizers, finding the onward property is actually harder than finding a buyer for the existing family home.
You may want fewer bedrooms but still expect:
A large kitchen.
A generous living space.
A proper garden.
Parking.
Privacy.
Space for grandchildren.
A premium finish.
The same neighbourhood.
And good access to amenities.
That is a very specific search.
Government research similarly identifies a shortage of appropriate homes that meet older movers' expectations around size, design, accessibility, tenure and location.
So we would turn the process around.
First establish what would make moving worthwhile.
Then go looking for it.
What If The Right Home Is Not On Rightmove?
That is where a proactive property search becomes valuable.
Rather than repeatedly searching the same portals, we can understand exactly what would tempt you to move and actively look for it.
That can include properties currently available, upcoming opportunities and direct approaches where appropriate.
Or register what you are looking for and receive relevant opportunities as they become available.
The Avenue View
We think downsizing is the wrong word.
Your next move should not be about giving something up.
It should be about exchanging space you no longer need for something you value more.
Perhaps that is £150,000 released from your property.
Perhaps it is lower monthly expenditure.
Perhaps it is walking into town rather than driving.
Perhaps it is travelling without worrying about maintaining a huge garden.
Perhaps it is being 10 minutes from your grandchildren.
Or perhaps you run the numbers and realise your current home is still absolutely perfect.
That is valuable information too.
The objective is not to persuade somebody to move.
It is to understand whether their property is still serving the life they want to live.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is rightsizing?
Rightsizing means choosing a home based on what suits your current and future lifestyle rather than simply moving to the smallest property possible. For some homeowners that means fewer bedrooms, but location, accessibility, running costs and usable living space can be equally important.
How common is under occupation among older homeowners?
The 2024 to 2025 English Housing Survey found 58% of households headed by someone aged 65 or over had at least 2 spare bedrooms according to the bedroom standard, representing around 4.3 million households.
How much Stamp Duty would I pay when downsizing?
It depends on the purchase price and your circumstances. For a standard replacement main residence in England, current rates start at 0% up to £125,000, then increase through several bands. HMRC provides the current rules and calculator.
Should I sell my current home before finding my next one?
There is no universal answer. If your onward requirements are particularly specific, understanding what suitable properties exist before committing to a sale can be valuable.
Can I find out what my house is worth without putting it on the market?
Yes. A valuation can simply be used to understand your current position and establish whether the numbers behind a future move make sense.
COULD YOUR HOME BE FUNDING THE NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR LIFE?
There is only one way to know.
Start with the numbers.
Find out what your current home could realistically achieve, what the right next property might cost and what the move could leave you with.
No commitment to sell.
Just clarity.
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