A client of mine, 67, told me she felt guilty. She’d been up past midnight scrolling listings for a one-story house with a smaller yard, and she felt like admitting she wanted less house meant she was giving up on something. I hear a version of this almost every week. Somewhere along the way, we decided that wanting a smaller, simpler home in your 60s or 70s means you’re settling. I want to push back on that for a minute, starting with the word itself.
Rightsizing asks a different question than downsizing
“Downsizing” asks what you’re willing to give up. “Rightsizing” asks something better: what does your actual life need right now? Sometimes that’s fewer square feet. Sometimes it’s the same square footage in a different layout, a single story, a walkable neighborhood, or a home office you never needed before. The goal was never to have less. It’s to stop paying, cleaning, and worrying over space you’re not using. You can keep anything, you just can’t keep everything, and that includes square footage you’ve outgrown.
Here’s the part nobody warns you about
Before you assume smaller automatically means cheaper, look at the numbers. A recent HousingWire report found that many smaller homes and condos now cost as much as, or more than, the larger family homes their owners already live in, once you factor in rising insurance, HOA fees, and property taxes. One agent quoted in the piece put it bluntly: we’ve quietly created a generation of “lonely nests,” people who’d move if they could, but the math doesn’t pencil out. That’s not a reason to give up on the idea. It’s a reason to run your real numbers early, before you fall in love with a listing.
It’s not just retirees buying smaller anymore
Here’s a trend that surprised me. Realtor.com data reported by Florida Realtors this August found that 12 million of the 62 million Americans aged 65 and older are still working. That’s reshaping what “rightsizing” even looks like. These buyers aren’t just hunting for low maintenance. They want a dedicated home office, strong internet, an accessible garage and entry, and a location close to healthcare, shopping, and dining. If you’re still working (or freelancing, or consulting, or helping run a grandkid’s schedule), your next home needs to work as hard as you do.
What buyers are actually choosing
A 2026 survey of nearly 1,000 buyers 55 and older, conducted by Private Communities Registry, gives a clear picture of what rightsizing looks like in practice. It’s not tiny houses. Almost 60 percent of these buyers prefer homes in the 1,500 to 2,500 square foot range, and 66 percent say low maintenance matters more than square footage itself. Over 60 percent plan to pay cash. And here’s the reassuring part: 38 percent say they’re still unsure of their timing, the highest uncertainty in years. If you’re not ready to decide yet, you are in very good company. Walking trails and fitness centers topped the amenity wish list, which tells me this generation isn’t downsizing their life. They’re upsizing their time.
Before you list your current house
A few things I’d ask you to sit with before you put a sign in the yard. Start with the life you want, not a square footage number, and let the house follow from there. Run the real cost of the new place, insurance and HOA and taxes included, before you assume it saves you money. If you’re still working, treat your home office and internet like non-negotiables, not nice-to-haves. And don’t let “the stuff” be the thing that stalls you. My guest Heather Dawson, a licensed auctioneer who works with MaxSold, shared on the podcast how much value people leave on the table when they rush through an estate sale just to get it over with. Her point stuck with me. The goal isn’t to get rid of everything fast. It’s to get real value for what you’re releasing, and take your time with what you’re keeping.
If you’re the one circling listings at midnight and feeling guilty about wanting less house, stop. You’re not giving up. You’re getting specific about what actually serves you now. That’s not a smaller life. That’s a smarter one.
Relax, I got this.
214.226.3770 | RelaxIGotThis.com | Robin@RelaxIGotThis.com
Sources
- Many older Americans stuck in homes that no longer fit – HousingWire, June 8, 2026
- Working older adults reshape downsizing market – Florida Realtors, citing Realtor.com, August 18, 2026
- What 55+ Homebuyers Want in 2026 – Private Communities Registry, 2026