Does Your Home Still Fit Your Life?

Wesley Stolsek

Aug 24

4 min read

When you first bought your home, it probably fit your life very well.

Maybe you needed extra bedrooms for children. Maybe you wanted a large yard, a swimming pool, a home office, room for entertaining, or space for a growing family.

But life changes.

Children grow up and move out. Jobs change. Retirement gets closer. Parents may need help. Maintaining a large home may become less appealing. You may want to travel more, spend less time on yard work, live closer to family, or simply enjoy a different lifestyle.

At some point, an important question may come up:

Does your home still fit the life you are living today?

That question can be more important than trying to predict where interest rates or home prices will go next.

People Don't Always Move Because of the Market

We hear a lot about mortgage rates, housing inventory, home prices and whether it is a buyer's or seller's market.

Those things certainly matter.

But most people don't wake up one morning and decide to move simply because a mortgage rate changed.

They move because something in their life changed.

Maybe your family has grown and you need more space.

Maybe the children have moved out and you're maintaining bedrooms you rarely use.

Perhaps stairs are becoming inconvenient.

Maybe you have a new job across town and you're tired of the commute.

You might want to move closer to children or grandchildren.

Perhaps maintaining the pool, landscaping and large property isn't something you want to spend your weekends doing anymore.

Or maybe you've simply reached the point where you want something different.

Those are real estate moments.

And they're often far more important than the latest housing headline.

Your Home Should Work for You

A home isn't merely an investment.

It's where you spend a significant portion of your life.

Your home should make your life easier, more comfortable and more enjoyable.

If you find yourself constantly maintaining rooms you don't use, driving farther than you want, dealing with stairs that have become inconvenient, paying expenses for features you no longer enjoy, or wishing you lived closer to the people and activities that matter to you, it may be time to evaluate your options.

That doesn't automatically mean you should sell.

Sometimes the best decision is staying exactly where you are.

But you can't make a good decision without understanding the alternatives.

What Would Your Next Home Need to Do Differently?

Instead of beginning with the question, “What houses are for sale?”, I encourage buyers and homeowners to start somewhere else.

Ask yourself:

What would I want my next home to do for me that my current home doesn't?

Maybe you want:

A single-story home
Less maintenance
A smaller yard
More privacy
More acreage
A home office
A gated community
A 55+ community
A shorter commute
Room for extended family
Better entertaining space
An RV garage
Mountain views
A swimming pool—or no swimming pool at all
A location closer to family, friends, shopping or medical services

Those answers tell us much more than simply saying, “I want a three-bedroom house.”

The goal isn't just buying another property.

The goal is finding a home that works better for the way you want to live.

What If You Own a Home but Aren't Ready to Sell?

You don't have to put your home on the market just because you start asking these questions.

In fact, I believe homeowners should understand their position before making the decision to sell.

That means looking at things such as:

What is your current home realistically worth?

How much equity might you have?

What would selling costs look like?

What could you reasonably purchase next?

Would your monthly housing expenses increase or decrease?

Should you buy before selling, sell before buying, or coordinate both transactions?

Would downsizing actually save money?

Could moving improve your lifestyle enough to justify the expense?

Those are the conversations worth having.

The Right Time Isn't the Same for Everyone

There is no single “perfect” real estate market that works for every homeowner.

A 35-year-old family needing another bedroom has a completely different situation from a 70-year-old homeowner thinking about downsizing.

A person relocating to Tucson for work has different priorities from someone moving closer to grandchildren.

An investor looks at a property completely differently from a first-time buyer.

That's why I don't believe real estate decisions should be based entirely on headlines.

Your life determines your timing.

The market is simply one part of the decision.

Has Something Changed?

If your home no longer fits your life the way it once did, you don't have to immediately decide to move.

Start with a conversation.

We can look at your current home, your equity, what alternatives may be available and whether making a move actually makes sense.

Sometimes the answer will be, “Yes, it's time.”

Sometimes the answer will be, “Not yet.”

Either answer is useful when it is based on good information.