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Do: Have an open mind before you start out. 

Would you like a bungalow or is it an apartment which requires minimal maintenance that you are looking for?  Do you want your next home to be a new home that is ready to move into straight away, without the need for fresh painting etc?... Or do you have time for a doer-upper?

Do: Choose an area that suits you

Carefully choose where you want to live whether that be closer to family and friends or in a completely new area by the sea or in a pretty rural village. Have you considered the local amenities and transport?

Do: Declutter, declutter, declutter.

Get market ready by organising and decluttering to help your house look cleaner and more appealing to potential buyers, as well as help with your downsize move.  Don’t have a ‘maybe’ pile, only a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’ pile!

Do: Consider all your needs.

Most downsizers won’t want to do it more than once, so consider what your forever home needs to comprise; from your home office to storage requirements, parking spaces to personal space, bedrooms for future visitors or returning family. 

Don’t: Forget your financial goals.

If your goal is to boost your finances and release equity, careful budgeting is needed to ensure you can still fund your retirement in addition to any money you want to put towards travel or gifts to family members. Many downsizers are providing deposits for struggling children looking to purchase homes.

Don’t: Fail to take into consideration that timings are much longer at the moment.

Scarcity and increased costs of labour and materials are prevailing factors at the moment so chains and the whole process of buying are taking longer.  Make sure you're not in a rush, give yourself plenty of time to make your move and this will ease some of the pressure from you.

Don’t: Take on a bigger garden than you can manage.

Be realistic about the size of the garden you can manage - a garden should be a pleasure not a burden.

Don’t: Start acquiring new possessions

Acquiring new items won’t help with clearing out your home ready to downsize & probably won't fit in your new home. Don’t double up with things that you already have as tempting as it might be. 

Don’t: Avoid talking to your family about downsizing

Downsizing can be an emotional prospect but it also offers a chance to bond, to do what’s best for you and look forwards to the new memories you will make in your next home.