Thinking about a smaller home? Start here.
Take your time. Honest, plain-English help with a big decision: the reasons people downsize, the ups and the downs, what a move could release, and how to pass some of it on to the family. Free guides, calculators and printable checklists. Nothing to buy.
- No adverts
- Not selling equity release
- Written for UK rules in 2026
Four questions, in the right order.
Most people start with "where would we go?". The money and the reasons come first, and everything is easier once they are clear.
Should I?
The reasons people move, the ups and the downs, and the questions to ask yourself before anyone else asks them.
Read more →What would I get?
What a move would release once the costs are out, the tax, and what it means for gifts, care and inheritance.
Read more →Where would I go?
Bungalow, flat, retirement village, nearer the family, by the sea. What to look for so it still suits you at 85.
Read more →How do I do it?
The timeline, selling well, forty years of belongings, moving day, and settling in somewhere new.
Read more →See your own numbers in two minutes.
No sign-up, no phone number. Just the sums, with the assumptions written down.
Money released
Sale price, new home, every cost in between, and what lands in the bank.
Try it →Stamp duty
Tax on the new home in England and NI, Scotland or Wales, including if you buy before you sell.
Try it →Gift and inheritance tax
What a gift to the family could mean for inheritance tax, and the seven-year rule.
Try it →How long will it last?
If you draw on the money each month, how many years it gives you.
Try it →Downsizing, step by step.
One printable plan from "we're thinking about it" to the first night in the new place, in order, with what to do a year out, six months out and in the final weeks. Plus five more: the self-check, the ups and downs worksheet, the money planner, the gifting guide and the declutter list.
Free. We ask for your email so we can send them, and we will never sell it or pass it on.
- Do the self-check and the ups and downs worksheet
- Get two or three valuations on the current home
- Run the money released calculator with real figures
- Talk to the family, early, before decisions are made
- Visit three very different kinds of home
- Start the declutter with the loft and the garage
- Choose a solicitor who does lots of later-life moves
- Book a removals firm that does packing for you
The questions people ask first.
Twelve reasons people downsize
Stairs, bills, the garden, the money, the family, the fresh start. Which ones are yours?
Read →The ups and the downs, honestly
What people say they gained, what they say they miss, and the things nobody warned them about.
Read →How much would I actually get?
A worked example from a £450,000 house to a £300,000 bungalow, every cost included.
Read →Gifting a deposit to the family
How to do it properly: the gift letter, the seven-year rule, care costs, and keeping it fair.
Read →Retirement villages, explained
Age limits, service charges, event fees and resale. The questions to ask before the show flat wins.
Read →Alternatives to moving
Equity release, a retirement mortgage, a lodger, adapting the house. When staying put is the better answer.
Read →Straight answers
How much money does downsizing actually release?
Less than the difference in house prices, because the move itself costs money: estate agent, two sets of legal fees, stamp duty on the new home, removals and the bits and pieces afterwards. On a typical move from a £450,000 family house to a £300,000 bungalow the costs come to somewhere around £20,000 to £25,000, so you would be left with roughly £125,000 rather than £150,000. Our money released calculator does the sums for your own figures.
Do pensioners pay stamp duty when they downsize?
Yes. There is no age or downsizer relief in any part of the UK. In England and Northern Ireland the first £125,000 is tax-free, then it is 2% to £250,000 and 5% to £925,000. Scotland and Wales have their own taxes with different bands. If you buy the new home before selling the old one you pay the higher additional-property rates and claim the extra back later. Calculator here.
Can I give my children some of the money?
Yes, and many people do. Gifts are free of inheritance tax if you live seven years afterwards (and £3,000 a year is exempt regardless). The lender will want a signed gift letter and proof of where the money came from. Two things to think about first: whether you will need the money yourself later, and how a large gift would look if you ever needed council help with care costs. The full guide.
Is a retirement village a good idea?
For some people it is the best move they ever make; for others the service charges and the exit fees come as a shock. They are nearly always leasehold, usually have an age limit of 55 or 60, and can be slow to resell. Read the paperwork with a solicitor before you fall for the show flat. Our guide.
What if I do not want to move but need some money?
There are alternatives: a lifetime mortgage or other equity release (regulated, and you must take advice), a retirement interest-only mortgage, renting out a room, or simply adapting the house you have. Each has a cost. Alternatives to downsizing weighs them up.
Is this site trying to sell me something?
No. It is free, there are no adverts and we do not sell equity release, retirement homes or anything else. If you decide you want professional help, there is one page that points you to where to find it, clearly labelled. Everything else is just information.
Get the free downsizing checklists.
Six printable PDFs: the self-check, the ups and downs worksheet, the step-by-step plan, the money planner, the gifting-a-deposit guide and the room-by-room declutter list. Free, in your inbox in a minute.