IS IT TIME TO RIGHT-SIZE?

Are you wondering if your home still works for you and your family? You may be feeling cramped in your current house or perhaps your home is more than you need since you’ve become an “empty nester”. Are the costs of upkeep more than you want to spend?

It may be time to “right-size”- choosing a home to fit your current needs. Here are a few ways to tell if it’s time to make a move and look into purchasing a home that's better suited to your current lifestyle.

Cleaning rooms that are seldom used

No one wants to spend free time dusting vacuuming and caring for rooms that are almost never used. Consider how and where you spend your time at home. Most people spend most of their time in a few key spaces like the bedroom, TV room and kitchen. If you’re spending more time cleaning rooms than living in them- it may make sense to right-size to smaller space.

Too much or not enough lawn

With family, friends, work and extracurricular activities, the yard is one part of a property that many people don't have time to care for or even use, consistently. Other people love spending an hour or so in the garden each day or sipping a cup of coffee while the sun is coming up. Finding the right space to entertain, relax after a hard day or give the kids room to safely burn off some energy, is important. Needing more outdoor space or having too much outdoor space to maintain, may be one of the factors in deciding whether it’s time to move to a different house.

Cramped quarters

When you have several younger children, space is always an issue. When the kids grow up, things change—including the size of the home needed. Whether you're a growing, or the family dynamic is shifting so there are fewer people in the home, the size of the house is an important factor.

Gathering space for the family

No one likes crowding into a tight space for dinners or special occasions like birthday parties and other family celebrations. Sitting in a huge great room by yourself thinking about how much wasted space you have, for only two or three people in the home is also an indicator that it may be time to right-size.

Thinking about recent life changes like an elderly parent moving in or adult kids moving out can help you decide when it's time to make a move. Keeping your finances and life plans on track isn't always easy, but as a family evolves, so too must your living accommodations. Right-sizing up or down makes sense.  The key is to recognize when it’s time! At Beninati Associates we are here to help you with those decisions – call us at 632 765 5333 or come visit our office at the corner of Main Road and Horton’s Lane in Southold.

Source: RISMEDIA, June 10, 2019, Upsize or Downsize- which is right for you? Meghan Belnap