Is it crazy to downsize right now?

[Spryte]

Please don’t quote, I may delete the more personal details later, for privacy:
 

This is partly in light of another thread I posted recently, but was already on the table for summer here.

We want to downsize, and make ourselves more open to a possible move bigger move or other change. Is this crazy in this housing market?!

We love, love, love our home and property, so it’s a tough call. If we could pick it up and move it, that would be perfect. But that isn’t an option.

Reasons to move:

- Our neighborhood had drastically changed since Covid. A few people have moved, less friendly people have moved in. Where we used to have herds of kids playing, and evenings with cappuccinos on the porch with adult neighbors, and a tight community — everyone is more isolated. There have been falling outs over politics and Covid (not on our part, we keep our thoughts private). We might run into this anywhere, but we are definitely mourning the loss of community here.

- An individual from our past has moved in very close to us, and that lends an unsafe, vulnerable feeling. I can’t write more than that and will possibly delete, but it has added an element of sadness.

- Our property requires a lot of upkeep, and expenses to maintain, especially in spring. (Hello dump trucks full of mulch!) … so much weeding.

- DH can move anywhere for his current position. We homeschool.

- We are considering a bigger move in the upcoming year, and getting things settled with the house now could be good and freeing.

- Our house value has sky rocketed, so we could pay off any debt we have, still have enough for 20% down on another similarly priced house when we are ready to buy, and still have leftovers, especially if we move to a slightly LCOL area. We are in a higher COL now.

- We would stay visiting-distance to our general area since our parents are here. We are considering moving closer to extended family in a slightly LCOL area where DS is looking at a school, and there are more homeschool groups for DD. 

So our thought right now is to put the house on the market, hopefully do a rent-back type deal while we find a rental for the next year. Put some stuff in storage and take a minimal amount of our stuff to a rental. (Prior to the bigger move being on the table, we were thinking we’d buy). Renting is high right now, and places are going fast, so I’m nervous. I suppose if things really went south, we could buy instead, assuming we can find something.

Are we crazy?

We have never sold without first having bought another house! And haven’t rented since our 20s. 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Spryte

[mommyoffive]

The only reason that jumped out as me as don't was that you live by your parents.  But there seems to be a ton of reasons to move.  I say it sounds like that is what you really want and would make you happy.  So do it.  So you would sell, rent a home, and then in a year you moving somewhere different? 

How many kids do you have at home?  Is down sizing forever?  

Y

[Arcadia]

It would depend on your housing and rental market. Here rentals with washer and dryer in units are going fast and sometimes unavailable. Buyers with kids like to move when schools close for summer in first week of June. 
If we were selling now, we would secure a rental starting from June as soon as possible because the probability of buying successfully is very slim even if we settle for only those we can pay all cash for (which would be a very long commute).

[catz]

Just make sure you know the tax implications of selling and not buying again within a certain period of time.  I think it is possible to get dinged for that if you don't put it back into a house in a certain time frame so maybe research that piece of it.  I'd also be tracking closely the costs on move #2 and what the housing market looks like on that end.  

[Spryte]

9 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

The only reason that jumped out as me as don't was that you live by your parents.  But there seems to be a ton of reasons to move.  I say it sounds like that is what you really want and would make you happy.  So do it.  So you would sell, rent a home, and then in a year you moving somewhere different? 

How many kids do you have at home?  Is down sizing forever?  

Y

We would sell, rent a home for a year or so, and then know more about what and where we want to be. The only thing holding us to our current area is the three parents. And friends, of course.

We are looking at two areas to rent, possibly but if we decide to stay permanently. Both are easy driving distance to visit here. One is near our extended family (and another set of parents, we have extras 🤣) — they would be thrilled. It’s also near a university DS is considering, but that could change. The other area is more for us, little less expensive, little farther away, beach town we like. Initially our idea was to try the area short term, then buy if we like.

Now we are looking at a potential move overseas within the next year. We have to decide about whether that’s what we want. That move would be covered by the company, and we’d be in a company apartment on the other end.

We have two kids at home.

[Spryte]

4 minutes ago, catz said:

Just make sure you know the tax implications of selling and not buying again within a certain period of time.  I think it is possible to get dinged for that if you don't put it back into a house in a certain time frame so maybe research that piece of it.  I'd also be tracking closely the costs on move #2 and what the housing market looks like on that end.  

Oh, good point on the tax implications. I’ll have to check into that.

I’m a little worried that housing prices will continue to rise while we are deciding what to do/where to go.

[Ann.without.an.e]

I can see the reasons why it would be appealing but I would never choose to move twice lol. 

My low low key concerns would be where the housing market and interest rates go? It feels a little unpredictable 

In neighborhoods I know, most people keep to themselves. So I'm not sure a change would help there? I think your previous situation was the exception and not the norm.

You do mention some positives though so it is a tough call.

[Corraleno]

With prices increasing as fast as they are, I would not want to sit out of the market for a year. I would wait to sell until you know where you want to move and are ready to buy another house.

[Spryte]

21 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

The only reason that jumped out as me as don't was that you live by your parents.  But there seems to be a ton of reasons to move.  I say it sounds like that is what you really want and would make you happy.  So do it.  So you would sell, rent a home, and then in a year you moving somewhere different? 

How many kids do you have at home?  Is down sizing forever?  

Y

Hmmm. Is downsizing forever?

I don’t think we are going to be buying our forever home when we are ready to buy again. However, I can’t imagine wanting the level of landscaping maintenance we currently have, either. So, yes, in some ways I want to downsize permanently. 

Our current home is set up to always have places to house extra people, too. We have a tendency to offer our home to people in need. Six times in our marriage we’ve had extra people move in for 6 mos to a year, and supported them while they got back on their feet. It’s just part of our personalities and family culture. I am feeling, now, like I need a break from rescuing people in need so the extra space is sitting empty. 

[prairiewindmomma]

We sold before a contemplated major relo several years ago. On one hand it’s good to know you are free and clear of your old home (the other homes on our street moved slowly and took a few years to sell). On the other hand:

1. We weren’t awarded as much relo money in the relo package because they weren’t covering our specific moving costs.

2. Rent prices now are considerably more than our mortgage payment in our area.

3. Don’t underestimate the emotional toll of successive moves. If you are going to downsize, seriously DOWNSIZE. 
 

4. Mortgage rates will likely only continue to go up because they need to cool an overheated housing market. Part of the reason it has been overheated is because investors were getting low mortgage rates and high returns on properties. With your contemplated relo, maybe this isn’t a big deal, but I just wanted to toss that out there.

5. Our house appreciated $120,000 from March 2021 to now. Can you afford to sit out of the market? For our specific location, this is likely not a huge bubble. There are few new homes being started due to material costs and a LOT of Bay Californians continue to move here. 
 

 

[Spryte]

11 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

With prices increasing as fast as they are, I would not want to sit out of the market for a year. I would wait to sell until you know where you want to move and are ready to buy another house.

Yes, that’s where I feel concerned.

Prior to a possible overseas move being on the table, we were already looking at houses to buy in our potential new areas. Now, with another potential move within a year, buying only to sell so fast doesn’t make sense, does it?

[prairiewindmomma]

Fwiw, Spryte, if I wanted to achieve something similar to what you want, I think I would majorly downsize my belongings, and then buy a home in the new town you want staying there now for tax purposes (capital gains) with an eye towards turning that into a rental or college housing for ds if I had a relo ahead of me.

[Spryte]

4 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

We sold before a contemplated major relo several years ago. On one hand it’s good to know you are free and clear of your old home (the other homes on our street moved slowly and took a few years to sell). On the other hand:

1. We weren’t awarded as much relo money in the relo package because they weren’t covering our specific moving costs.

2. Rent prices now are considerably more than our mortgage payment in our area.

3. Don’t underestimate the emotional toll of successive moves. If you are going to downsize, seriously DOWNSIZE. 
 

4. Mortgage rates will likely only continue to go up because they need to cool an overheated housing market. Part of the reason it has been overheated is because investors were getting low mortgage rates and high returns on properties. With your contemplated relo, maybe this isn’t a big deal, but I just wanted to toss that out there.

5. Our house appreciated $120,000 from March 2021 to now. Can you afford to sit out of the market? For our specific location, this is likely not a huge bubble. There are few new homes being started due to material costs and a LOT of Bay Californians continue to move here. 
 

 

It’s a lot to ponder.

I have some anxiety about securing appropriate housing, that meets our needs, in this market. Rental or otherwise (though buying would be easier, I’m fairly sure we could find what we want). 

[fraidycat]

I would wait until the possible overseas move is a definite yes or no before I considered moving, because two moves is not something that sounds appealing, at all. The pros don't outweigh the cons. You actually haven't listed much for pros aside from the money, where a lot can get eaten up in taxes, high rents, storage fees, and moving costs. It's amazing how much a move will nickel and dime you, even just on a local move (BTDT a lot!) - it's not just the cost if the moving truck and fuel. It's all the hook-up fees on utilities, getting new keys cut, convenience foods while busy with moving tasks, etc.

 

[Spryte]

Just now, prairiewindmomma said:

Fwiw, Spryte, if I wanted to achieve something similar to what you want, I think I would majorly downsize my belongings, and then buy a home in the new town you want staying there now for tax purposes (capital gains) with an eye towards turning that into a rental or college housing for ds if I had a relo ahead of me.

Oh, that’s a thought!

And I’ve seen some excellent options for that, browsing real estate sites.

[Lawyer&Mom]

Can you rent out your current house and then rent somewhere cheaper while you consider your options?  Depending on the rental markets this kind of arbitrage could work out financially. 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Lawyer&Mom

[Spryte]

2 minutes ago, fraidycat said:

I would wait until the possible overseas move is a definite yes or no before I considered moving, because two moves is not something that sounds appealing, at all. The pros don't outweigh the cons. You actually haven't listed much for pros aside from the money, where a lot can get eaten up in taxes, high rents, storage fees, and moving costs. It's amazing how much a move will nickel and dime you, even just on a local move (BTDT a lot!) - it's not just the cost if the moving truck and fuel. It's all the hook-up fees on utilities, getting new keys cut, convenience foods while busy with moving tasks, etc.

 

Yes, our pros are hard to quantify.

[Corraleno]

If you're planning to make some major decisions within the next year about whether you want to move overseas, or what areas nearby you might want to move to, it really doesn't make sense to sell your current house right now, move everything into storage, try to find a rental that can accommodate your family, get moved in and get utilities and everything set up, and then start over with house hunting and moving a year later. That's a whole lot of hassle, expense, and increased risk of financial loss (if the market keeps increasing while you are out of it), in return for not having to clean a few empty rooms and skipping a year's worth of yard maintenance. 

I'd go ahead and downsize your belongings and do things to prep your house for sale, because that's useful no matter what you do in the future, and then spend time seriously exploring the other areas you're considering moving to and deciding whether or not you want to move overseas, and then when you have a firm idea of where you want to go, you'll have all your ducks in a row and be ready to move quickly.

[prairiewindmomma]

On a related note, have you already started the work of downsizing? It took me a full year to comfortably downsize. We went from a 5 BR house with a full basement, office, schoolroom with 6,000 books, 3 living rooms, etc. to essentially an apartment’s worth of things. Doing the downsizing work before we ever put the house on the market made it much easier to prep to sell, and it also clarified exactly what we needed out of our new home. Moving was much easier as well. 
 

ETA: I am not excited about any plan which has you getting rental storage space. Own your downsizing process, iykwim.

Edited April 28, 2022 by prairiewindmomma

[Laura Corin]

Would re-landscaping be an option?  It's something that we considered before deciding to move.  I had created a quite high maintenance large garden.  If we had wanted to stay, we would have put a lot to grass, as we already had a ride-on mower.

[Arcadia]

I agree with prairiewindmomma that relocation benefits are usually more generous for homeowners. Since there is a possibility of an overseas relocation, I would consider whether it would be better to buy at the other location now with intention to rent it out if you relocate, or to rent out your current home and rent at the other location.

When we relocated to the states, we let my parents moved in as the home they lived in though larger was less elderly friendly. My parents obviously don’t pay us rent but they helped paid the HOA and property tax. Hubby’s employer paid for H&R Block to do our taxes for the first few years because our taxes were complicated. 

[DreamerGirl]

Yes. 😀

We seriously looked into this, but the kind of house we wanted gave us sticker shock. Not sure where the market is headed, but until we decided to buy our forever home which may be a forever condo, we are staying put.

 

[mommyoffive]

Am I correct that you have 2 different ideas?  

Sell, rent, buy in the same place you were renting

Or 

Sell, rent, and then move over seas? 

I feel like you almost need to know which path you are pursing. 

[JustEm]

So, when we sold our house we decided to move into my parents' house while listing it and not having to deal with rushing to buy to time it with when ours sold. It worked out really well for us. We sold in Aug and found our current house in dec, closed on it in Feb 2019. Not being rushed was great. 

However, my brother then did the same thing. He moved his family into my parents' house while they got their house ready to sell. They ended up being stuck in that house for about a year and a half, which my sil hated. They sold their house right before prices went crazy and I think ended up buying a house that was way overpriced and not big enough for them because they put pressure on themselves to move out (my parents lived with me so they weren't rushing anyone out.)

After that my other brother did the same thing. He had a positive experience like I did. For one, I found him a house that never went to market so he didn't have to compete with the crazy bids. But also they were more laid back and go with the flow than my other brother and his wife.

So, if upheaval and uncertainty is something you manage well it could be a good idea. If you are an anxious person I would reconsider

[Grace Hopper]

Given that list of reasons, I’d be readying my house for sale. Just be sure that you can actually find an available affordable rental property because the market is tight for those. Don’t count on a buyer renting the house back to you. 

[Pawz4me]

There's no way I'd sell right now and plan on renting unless I did very thorough research on the rental market in the areas I was interested in. And if I was planning on it, and if I found something suitable available for rent, I'd probably go ahead and take it if I could afford to do so. I don't think my immediate area is all that hot compared to lots of other places, but there's very little for sale and even less for rent. Decent one bedroom apartments here are more than our mortgage payment.

[Grace Hopper]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Fwiw, Spryte, if I wanted to achieve something similar to what you want, I think I would majorly downsize my belongings, and then buy a home in the new town you want staying there now for tax purposes (capital gains) with an eye towards turning that into a rental or college housing for ds if I had a relo ahead of me.

This is a really good idea!

[1234]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

Oh, good point on the tax implications. I’ll have to check into that.

I’m a little worried that housing prices will continue to rise while we are deciding what to do/where to go.

We sold our home last year and there aren’t any tax implications on not purchasing another anymore. We’re not planning to buy again for several years. The only restrictions were how much we made on the sale. I think it’s not more than $500K for married couples and not having sold another home in the previous two years. 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Joker2

[Spryte]

Thanks so much for all the responses. There’s a lot to ponder. 

I am not good with uncertainties, so I think once we know more about which way we are headed, I will feel better.

DH will be in Munich in a few weeks, and will come home with a better idea about whether he’s interested in the position there. Once he knows that, we will be able to make decisions about whether it’s a good fit for our family to move there, and that info will play into what we do next.

Any predictions about where the markets is headed in the next year or so? Do you all foresee property prices going up, staying the same, or down? (Interest rates, I think will go up.) We are in the ex-urbs of DC, FWIW, 3 mins from a commuter train stop. Our property is pretty desirable, and one of a kind as far as the area goes. 

 

[Grace Hopper]

I don’t believe that prices will go down. I recently heard an explanation about the reason they are high. It’s because buyers are willing to plunk down the cash to outright pay the difference between selling price and appraisal value after offering way over the list price and waiving inspections, etc.

As the interest rates rise (expected again in May), I believe the market will slow. But as long as there are (1) a lot of folks working from home permanently, (2) a shortage of inventory, and (3) people wanting/needing to get top dollar if/when they sell, I personal don’t think prices are going to go down in general. 
 

HOWEVER, it’s real estate. Location, location, location…. these factors will vary by local market. 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Grace Hopper

[lmrich]

Have you looked at other homes yet? If not, start. It takes a while to figure out exactly what you are looking for anyways. And while you are looking, you can begin to get your house ready to be on the market. 

I would keep my eye on the interest rate hikes as well. The possible oversees move make this tricky. But, hey, go to some open houses or go out with a realtor to just start to see what you might want some day - sooner or later. 

[Grace Hopper]

Something that may affect market values are the regulations I’m starting to see local municipalities introduce. These include restrictions on homes being purchased by non-resident investors, homes being used as airbnbs, and/or usage as communal living dwellings (ie a residential home reconfigured to basically be an apartment building - something you’d see in a more urban area but not typically welcome out in the burbs).

Edited April 28, 2022 by Grace Hopper

[Pawz4me]

I'm in the process of selling an inherited property that for various reasons we'd been hanging onto for awhile. In chit chatting with the real estate agent I learned that (not surprisingly) supply chain issues are still a big problem for new construction. There's a new(ish) cookie cutter type development in our area that's ground to a halt because of supply chain issues. It's a big developer doing it, and if they can't get their supplies I figure most independent contractors are tearing their hair out. Until the supply chain issues get a lot better I don't see the housing market cooling off much. It really comes down to supply and demand, and I think the only thing that's going to cool it off is for the supply to get better.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Pawz4me

[Spryte]

13 minutes ago, lmrich said:

Have you looked at other homes yet? If not, start. It takes a while to figure out exactly what you are looking for anyways. And while you are looking, you can begin to get your house ready to be on the market. 

I would keep my eye on the interest rate hikes as well. The possible oversees move make this tricky. But, hey, go to some open houses or go out with a realtor to just start to see what you might want some day - sooner or later. 

We have been keeping an eye on homes for sale and rent in the areas we like. There’s a small window on the ones we like, everything is moving pretty fast.

[katilac]

If I were considering another move within a year or so, I wouldn't move now. Generally pretty stressful for everyone, and I wouldn't want the kids to go through it an extra time if it could be avoided. 

I agree with everything @prairiewindmommasaid about starting the decluttering process in earnest, and avoiding storage at all costs, lol. 

[madteaparty]

What strikes me in your post is that your DH can work from anywhere. In that case, I’d definitely cash out of your house, and I would do it now.

The community stuff you’d have elsewhere. You really don’t know what situation you’d be walking into, so I don’t factor that at all. 

[SHP]

On 4/28/2022 at 10:35 AM, Spryte said:

Yes, that’s where I feel concerned.

Prior to a possible overseas move being on the table, we were already looking at houses to buy in our potential new areas. Now, with another potential move within a year, buying only to sell so fast doesn’t make sense, does it?

I see other said similar, I guess should have read the entire thread

 

Consult a tax professional about having real property vs not while living abroad. A lot of my family has lived abroad for most of their careers and all kept real estate in the states for tax reasons, usually for an elderly parent. I do not know what changes happened as a result of the tax bill, but it is something I would look at before decided to sell or keep and rent out.

Edited May 1, 2022 by SHP

[SHP]

On 4/28/2022 at 12:18 PM, Spryte said:

We are in the ex-urbs of DC, FWIW, 3 mins from a commuter train stop. Our property is pretty desirable, and one of a kind as far as the area goes. 

 

I would rent it out.

[SHP]

I saw others mentioning buying a house near where your DS is looking at college and I agree with this. There are programs for students who don't want to live in a dorm or pay $$$$ for a short term apartment lease and who want to rent a room in a house. This could be a way to cover the mortgage and utilities while your DS is in school. The only downside is that using the program vs having your DS find roommates to help with expenses may be considered income which can impact financial aid for school.

Having the money from the sale of your current house may have an impact on financial aid for your DS. We were asked if we had more than X amount in savings, which we did because we had not yet cut the check to the contractor for our roof. For us it was as simple as cutting the check (and sobbing over a bottle) for the funds that were earmarked. I would consult a professional about this as well. We used a free educational planning service, I don't know if they are available everywhere or not. You may check with the school your DS is interested in or a local community college. 

 

I feel really bad adding more considerations since you sound overwhelmed. Hopefully things fall into place soon

[Bambam]

I'm just going to weigh in on the amount of land and landscaping and maintenance. 
Our current house has a few acres, part of which (where the house is) is standard landscaping (trees, entire front of house landscaped, extra butterfly garden that I added plus some backyard landscaping (previous owner, beautiful, but so much work to maintain)) + many raised bed gardens in the backyard. Only like one acre is fenced and has the traditional house/regular landscaping. The other much larger portion is more wild. I've planted wildflowers and they have grown and expanded their range. I've encouraged native tree and bush growth. 

But now that my kids don't really live here any more, it is a TON of work to maintain by myself (weeding, mulching, pruning, mowing, weed-eating, etc), and now I'm really re-thinking it. My kids do help when they come home, but they would need to come home for several weeks and dedicate themselves to it!

Add in older knees and joints, and it's really hard to weed for any length of time.

So, think about the future re the property and include those thoughts into your timeline for moving/waiting to move/etc.  Or if you can afford to hire professionals to take care of them, factor that in as well. 

[Farrar]

I don't think I saw anyone mention this, so forgive me if I repeat or missed context, but... definitely don't put yourself in the position of being flush with cash when the kids are headed to college if financial aid will be a part of the picture at all. Like, dh sometimes talks about selling our very valuable house and I was like, lol, dh, not two years before or any time during when the kids are in college. We'd bank too much.

[Spryte]

Thanks for helping me think this through!

We have decided to stay put, after a few days of discussion. Kids are happy with this choice.

We do have a possible move overseas in the next 9 - 10 months (depending on what we decide there), but after reading here we are not going to take on the work and expense of two moves. So until we know what’s going on, we will just stay here. We may even opt to lease our house out when/if we move.

Funny story — we made the decision on Fri. Sat am DH was outside, and the Fed Ex guy stopped him. No package, he had some questions about our yard (liked it), then asked about our pond. DH answered, told him about the pond (wildlife questions), and Fed Ex guy said, “You should never leave here! It’s like a mini paradise!” Ha. Confirmation! Perfect timing.

 

[mommyoffive]

5 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Thanks for helping me think this through!

We have decided to stay put, after a few days of discussion. Kids are happy with this choice.

We do have a possible move overseas in the next 9 - 10 months (depending on what we decide there), but after reading here we are not going to take on the work and expense of two moves. So until we know what’s going on, we will just stay here. We may even opt to lease our house out when/if we move.

Funny story — we made the decision on Fri. Sat am DH was outside, and the Fed Ex guy stopped him. No package, he had some questions about our yard (liked it), then asked about our pond. DH answered, told him about the pond (wildlife questions), and Fed Ex guy said, “You should never leave here! It’s like a mini paradise!” Ha. Confirmation! Perfect timing.

 

Glad you made a decision.  That just is so much relief.    And your Fed Ex guy confirmed it was the right choice.

[MagistraKennedy]

On 4/28/2022 at 1:43 PM, Grace Hopper said:

I don’t believe that prices will go down. I recently heard an explanation about the reason they are high. It’s because buyers are willing to plunk down the cash to outright pay the difference between selling price and appraisal value after offering way over the list price and waiving inspections, etc.

As the interest rates rise (expected again in May), I believe the market will slow. But as long as there are (1) a lot of folks working from home permanently, (2) a shortage of inventory, and (3) people wanting/needing to get top dollar if/when they sell, I personal don’t think prices are going to go down in general. 
 

HOWEVER, it’s real estate. Location, location, location…. these factors will vary by local market. 

Agreed -- my realtor husband said, "nope. Won't go down. There will just be less homes on the market. When interest rates start climbing, people will stay put." In our area, realtors outnumber listings 10:1. It's bananas. 

[Catwoman]

7 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Glad you made a decision.  That just is so much relief.    And your Fed Ex guy confirmed it was the right choice.

Had Spryte simply thought to ask the FedEx guy right from the beginning, she could have saved herself a lot of worry about this! 😉 

[madteaparty]

16 hours ago, MagistraKennedy said:

Agreed -- my realtor husband said, "nope. Won't go down. There will just be less homes on the market. When interest rates start climbing, people will stay put." In our area, realtors outnumber listings 10:1. It's bananas. 

It’s so local.  All alerts I get now are for price cuts. Yes, inventory is low. 

[Harriet Vane]

Sounds like you made a fabulous decision. Just some thoughts to add:

--I had a three-year period in which we had to move five times. Yes, five. Not planned to be that way. We moved from our own home to a rental near dh's new job. Rental had friable asbestos, so we moved to a different rental. Dh's company downsized his department away, so a new job took us to a new state. Dh moved and the kids and I stayed with dh's parents for a few months. Then we all moved into the new rental, and then a year later we moved into our current home. Moving is torture. Each of those moves was tough. It's always, always more work and time than accounted for and it always takes a while to feel settled, even if you're adventurous.

--Friends chose (wisely!) to sell one home and buy TWO homes immediately. This guy got a job on the other side of the country. He knew because of his age that this would likely be the last job, but that he and his wife would want to retire back in their original area close to their adult children and assorted grandchildren. It's a cold, hard fact that everything costs more money than we think it will and inflation is a thing, too. So are taxes, as others on this thread have mentioned. So--they were concerned that if they moved once, vaguely thinking to move again back to the original neighborhood, it was likely that life in general would whittle away money set aside for the second, later move (not to mention taxes and inflation). The result was that when they sold the family home, they bought a new home in the location of the new job, and they also bought a retirement condo in the place they wanted to return to. (I understand most of us cannot afford two homes--this was a fortuitous mix of making a fabulous profit on the sale of the family home and also downsizing drastically as empty nesters.)

--The principles I take from this are: Moving is always more expensive and more disruptive than planned, even when it goes well. Most people are not able to save as much as they hope to, and inflation can whittle away at the value of those savings anyway. I rarely think moving for a short term will save all that much.

[teachermom2834]

We are looking to sell, rent temporarily, and then move all to relocate about 40 miles. Rent is so so high. I would love to sell now and just rent for even up to a year or longer but we just can’t justify paying double in rent for a tiny place than we do for our current home. 

Now that we know for sure we are moving I would love to get out now while things are so hot and, honestly, before anything else breaks. Everything is in pretty good shape but knowing that we are leaving I really dread the refrigerator dying or plumbing needing repair or even the liability of a big repair following some kind of storm or accident. I’d like to wash my hands of it and rent while we wait to buy next spring. 
 

But rents are just so high that taking that into account with all the cost involved with moving and storage, etc. I just can’t justify it. I have tried, really. But no matter how I frame it, in our market it doesn’t make sense. I do so wish I had family to crash with though! 

[Carol in Cal.]

I think you made a good decision.

I would sit with the extra space for a while and consider other possible uses for it.  At least you could use it as a staging area for major ‘stuff’ downsizing, which is often much hard if you have nowhere to sort to.  But there are a lot of other uses for extra space and you might find that you’re very glad to have it.

Regarding the landscaping, I’d think very carefully about judicious purchases or design changes that would make it easier to maintain.  Is there a wooded area?  If not, maybe you would benefit from planting one.  Those don’t need nearly as much maintenance as ‘yard’.  Is there a big meadow or lawn?  Then a riding mower or yard tractor might be worthwhile, and useful for mor than just that.  Or maybe you could find someone that moves little goat herds around to eat that stuff up for you—it’s not free but it might be very worthwhile.  Or maybe you could start hiring high school kids to work on this a little bit and get used to delegating some of the responsibility but getting it done ‘your way’.