The Upside of Downsizing for Seniors

For those contemplating a change of one’s home address, Bill Goldstein, long time real estate agent with Harry Norman Realtors, advises: “Move when you want to, rather than when you have to.” As a senior in his 70s, Goldstein empathizes with those who anguish over the thought of selling their large home to downsize or giving up the house they’ve shared with their families.

In an interview with Jewish Family & Career Services, Jenny Gay, supportive services manager at the Aviv Older Adult Services Team, told the AJT that “moving is a loss and transition that can resemble a grieving process. Often homes we’ve occupied for significant amounts of time can even feel like they become part of our identity. Transitioning to a smaller, more accessible and age-appropriate living space later in life can be traumatic.”

Jenny Gay is the support services manager at Aviv Older Adult Services of JFCS.

Yet, the move can also be full of positive new beginnings, lower expenses, and a more manageable household that, in some circumstances, can enhance independence and overall quality of life. Gay advises seniors to think about the ways in which “decluttering will lighten the burden on your loved ones and on yourself later on. Often a smaller space won’t require as much upkeep and cleaning, giving you more time to do other things that bring you joy.”

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Goldstein told a story about a couple who lived in a large home for 30 years, where they raised their family, and who wanted fresh surroundings. Goldstein said, “Their wishes were pretty typical — all over the ballpark. They wanted a cluster home; they wanted a townhouse with elevator; they required a master on main; they wanted easy access to walk their precious dog; they wanted a modern, fully equipped kitchen; they wanted brightness and openness with lots of sun light; and of course, they wanted to stay in Sandy Springs.”

However, the search process, Goldstein says, is really an elimination process: you need to see, feel, think, and digest your alternatives, as well as temper your preconceived ideas with your new notions of reality. He said, “People have many reasons for not wanting to move: change, memories, finances, indecision, risk, insecurity, unknowingness, and back to change!” So, what began as a search for a cluster or townhome in Sandy Springs, ultimately ended with a high-rise unit in Buckhead. For other seniors, who may be living alone, downsizing may come with the desire to live closer to members of their family.

Granddaughter Juliette Appelrouth can now spend more time with Bubbe Arlene.

After her husband died, Arlene Appelrouth decided to sell her 4,600 square-foot house in the Toco Hills New Brittany neighborhood and temporarily move into her second vacation home at Lake Lanier until she found what she needed. She had already rejected smaller houses in her former neighborhood — built in the 1950s — to downsize to, since that would have required major renovations. But life at her lake house was lonely, especially during the pandemic. So, with her son’s and his family’s encouragement, Appelrouth moved back to the Toco Hills area, renting an apartment for the time being. She looked at several luxurious 55+ assisted living and independent living options in Atlanta and Buckhead, but for what she needed the costs seemed too high. Although several people she knew from the Toco Hills neighborhood were very happy in their new living quarters at Holbrook, she continued her ongoing search.

For Appelrouth, living in close proximity to her son Jed and his family in the Decatur area was paramount. A full-page ad for ATTIVA in the AJT caught her eye. This brand-new apartment complex for the 55+ crowd, located in Chamblee, included an outdoor saltwater pool, pickleball court, and grills. What sealed Appelrouth’s decision to move there was meeting three women in the lobby the day she took the tour. She said she felt this would be a “welcoming community of people like myself in a location that was 6/10th of a mile from Jed’s home.” Her new 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom was within her budget, with parking and storage as reasonably priced extra fees. Whole Foods, with prepared meals, was within walking distance and the MARTA station was just a 10-minute walk, making access to the airport easy.

Bill Goldstein is a real estate broker with Harry Norman Realtors.

“I have no regrets about selling my big house, as living there alone was very stressful,” she said. Because her “toddler granddaughter, Juliette, is the joy of my life … I could not be happier in making this decision to move at the end of October.”

Over in Sandy Springs, Marilyn Holzer and her husband Bob decided in April to make the move from their retirement home in Santa Fe to metro Atlanta. They had raised their two daughters in Buckhead’s historic Garden Hills neighborhood for 37 years and belonged to The Temple. As a retired career social worker, Holzer knew how to prioritize what was most important to her. She said the main reasons for making the move back to Atlanta was “to be near family, consisting of my two brothers and their wives and one cousin who is like my sister.” She also wanted to live in a larger metropolitan area like Atlanta that had a good array of medical care, as health issues were becoming more of a factor.

Retirees Marilyn and Bob Holzer recently moved to Sandy Springs from Santa Fe.

Holzer admits to not being hesitant in making the decision to move and find another house. But, after previewing homes on Zillow, instead of actually downsizing, she found a house in Sandy Springs listed by real estate agent Bill Goldstein. Her two brothers went to the inspection, and without ever seeing the actual house, the Holzers made the purchase. Holzer says “my husband is an audiophile who has his man cave in the finished basement where he can listen to opera or classical music and watch TV.” Having their main bedroom on the first floor was a must. Now in her early 70s, she is looking forward to spending more time with her family again, as well as partaking of newfound activities with her return to metro Atlanta.

For those who still find it difficult to make the decision to sell one home for another, Gay says that many people, regardless of age, “face the challenge of indecision. The consequences of a decision can seem overwhelming and suffocating, so postponing the decision-making process can often be a more comfortable place to exist.”

She pointed out that, when working with couples, a common challenge is that “one spouse may be ready to downsize and/or transition to a more age-appropriate environment while the other may want to remain in the familiar home where they have raised a family and feel a sense of comfort and consistency.” This is where JFCS can help older adults understand the advantages of making a transition to increase safety and be closer to family and friends.

Marilyn Holzer with her cousin, Debbie Nelson, and sisters-in-law Alice and Janet Byrne on Rosh Hashanah.

“JFCS is not there to tell people what to do,” Gay said. “We are there to share the realities of the aging process, to empower them to plan ahead and to make those decisions when they are healthy and have their highest level of ability. This enables people to live their lives and age how they want to with the highest quality of life possible.” Typically, she says, downsizing can save money, which can help pay for hefty out-of-pocket care costs in the future that many older adults don’t realize exist, or that Medicare and insurance do not pay for. Gay also notes that there are affordable senior housing alternatives all over the metro Atlanta area, but that waitlists, lengthy applications, and — for some communities — income eligibility guidelines.

Gay pointed out that aging is highly individual, like any life experience. Those who are in their 60s or 70s may have extensive health issues that may require earlier decision making to make the move. She said, “I’ve worked with 80 and 90-year-olds who wait to make a transition because they have aged without medical issues or decline and have sustained a safe and secure quality of life.” For those seniors, the decision to transition can occur later on.

“It’s hard to pick an average age of when people decide to transition,” Gay said, “but as people continue to live longer, the age will probably continue to increase.”