If the problem is the house itself
Adapt it
A stairlift costs around £2,000 to £5,000 fitted (less second-hand or rented). A downstairs wet room is £5,000 to £12,000. A through-floor lift, £15,000 or more. Grab rails, a raised toilet, lever taps and better lighting are a few hundred pounds. Compared with £20,000 or more to move, adapting can be far cheaper, and the council's occupational therapy service can assess what you need for free. In England and Wales a Disabled Facilities Grant of up to £30,000 (£36,000 in Wales) is available, means-tested, for people with a qualifying disability; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes.
Buy in help
A gardener at £20 to £30 an hour for two hours a fortnight is about £1,000 a year. A cleaner for three hours a week, £2,500 a year. A handyman a few times a year, a few hundred. That is £4,000 a year to keep a house you love, which is a fraction of the cost of moving and can be paid for many years out of the money you would have spent on stamp duty alone.
Close off the rooms you do not use
Turn the radiators off, shut the doors, and heat the rooms you live in. It is not elegant but it can cut a heating bill by a third.
If the problem is money
Equity release (a lifetime mortgage)
You borrow against the home and repay nothing until you die or move into care; the interest rolls up. It lets you stay put and have cash, at a price: the debt roughly doubles every 12 to 15 years at current rates, so a £60,000 loan at 65 can be £150,000 or more by 85. It is regulated, advice is compulsory, and Equity Release Council products guarantee you can never owe more than the home is worth. It suits people who want to stay, have no need to leave a large inheritance, and would otherwise struggle. Equity release vs downsizing does the comparison properly.
A retirement interest-only (RIO) mortgage
You borrow against the home and pay the interest every month, so the debt never grows. The loan is repaid when the home is sold after you die or go into care. Cheaper than equity release over time, but you need enough income to pay the interest for life, and the lender checks that. Mortgages in later life.
Take in a lodger
The Rent a Room scheme lets you earn £7,500 a year from a lodger tax-free. A spare room in most of the country rents for £400 to £800 a month. It is company as well as income, though it suits some people far better than others, and it can affect benefits.
Rent out the whole house and rent somewhere smaller
Occasionally makes sense if the family house is in a high-rent area and you want to try a new place without selling. The rent is taxable, you become a landlord with all the rules that brings, and the home no longer counts as your main residence for capital gains tax after a while. Talk to an accountant first.
Check the benefits you are not claiming
Around a third of people entitled to Pension Credit do not claim it. It tops income up to a guaranteed level and opens the door to help with council tax, a free TV licence over 75 and more. Attendance Allowance (not means-tested) pays £73 to £110 a week to people over State Pension age who need help with personal care. Neither depends on moving house. Age UK will do a free benefits check.
If the problem is people
Loneliness is a reason to move, but it is not always cured by moving. The U3A, Men's Sheds, lunch clubs, volunteering, the library and the parish are all free or nearly so and are in every town. It is worth six months of trying them before selling a home you otherwise love.
A way to think about it
| Your main reason | Alternative worth trying first | Move probably wins if |
|---|---|---|
| Stairs and bathroom | Stairlift, downstairs wet room, OT assessment | The layout cannot be adapted, or the house is also too big and too dear to run |
| Upkeep and garden | Gardener, cleaner, handyman | Help costs more than you can sustain, or the worry is the problem, not the work |
| Money | Benefits check, lodger, RIO mortgage, equity release | You need more than about £50,000, or you do not want debt secured on the home |
| Loneliness | Clubs, volunteering, a lodger | The people you want are simply somewhere else |
A note on the numbers. Tax thresholds, benefit limits and typical costs are correct as far as we know at the time of writing (2026) and, unless we say otherwise, are for England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ in places. Rules change and your circumstances matter. This is information, not advice: check the current position and talk to a solicitor, an FCA-authorised adviser or a tax professional before you act.
Quick answers
Is equity release a bad idea?
Not in itself. It suits some people very well. The two things to understand are that the debt grows quickly because the interest compounds, and that it reduces what you leave behind. Get regulated advice, use an Equity Release Council member, and involve the family before you sign.
Can I get help paying for adaptations?
Yes. Ask your council for an occupational therapy assessment. Small items are often provided free, and the Disabled Facilities Grant (England and Wales) can pay for larger works for people who qualify. Some charities help too. The process is slow, so start early.
Would a lodger affect my Pension Credit?
Some of the rent is disregarded and the rest may count as income, and it depends on the arrangement. Ask Age UK or Citizens Advice to check your figures before you advertise the room.
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