Downsizing to 2200 sq ft? Still seems big. But if I’m being honest, we could easily spread out beyond our 1,500!

We've started looking for the house for our later years. I want a single story with minimal yard and the least amount of upkeep possible. We've been looking in a community that has a community clubhouse, pool, tennis courts and park. That way, someone else is responsible for the upkeep of those amenities, but we still have access.

I think the house you've linked is lovely, but I wouldn't want the stairs or the pool.

Yeah, I agree. This doesn’t look like a downsizing place to me either. Stairs? Pool? 2200 sq feet?

How long is the swimming pool season in Massachusetts?

Beautiful house in a beautiful area. I had the same reaction as the others. This house still looks like a lot of upkeep, plus the stairs and the ladder are hardly retirement living. Maybe this is just a stop between your current home and a retirement community?

One of the first things that people start to have trouble with when they get old are stairs. I don't think this would be a good house to live out your golden years. The yard is landscaped with a low maintenance feel though with mostly large shrubs and a very small actual grass area. It is a beautiful home though.

This is not a retirement home in my world. Too many features that are not conducive to older people. I would stay put where I was at before going to the trouble of moving to this home. At some point a true downsize to a retirement community may well be in the cards. Why move twice in your retirement years, is what I say? I would pay people to deal with snow removal, yard work before leaving if I could get around my home. Things like stairs and hills and such permanent obstacles are what you need to weed out if you are bothering to move. It is shocking how fast your mobility can change. I would be ready for it, if I were going to bother moving.

It is a beautiful home. As others have said, the stairs and the ladder would be a deal breaker for me, and DH and I are healthy and in our low 70’s. The size is fine imo for this stage of your life if your kids are still coming to your home. I know it is hard to find anything perfect though and if this house meets most of your needs for the next 20 years, and feels right, then listen to your heart.

I can see why you love this house. It has many beautiful features and a gorgeous setting.

I'm the last one to criticize downsizing. My dh and I recently bought a house that is over 4,000 s/f. We're in our 50's and the master bedroom is upstairs.We're both in good shape. Lots, and I mean, LOTS, of people told us we were crazy, but it works for us now. If it is a problem down the road, then we'll re-assess. Oh, and if our HOA had allowed it, we would have put in a Gunite pool. As far as maintenance, you may be in a position where YOU don't have to do everything. We have a big yard with lots of trees. We have a lawn person do the mowing and help with the leaves. Someone else takes care of the gutters. We are fortunate to be able to afford help so that we can live in a home we love.

I would look at what you love about that house and start making a list of must-haves. Open floor plan? Main floor master? Nantucket feel? I would also try to imagine the home without furniture. I think the staging in this case adds a lot.

Maybe this is the one... In any case, have fun looking!

Jo

I love the "feel" of the house, I can definitely see why it appealed to you. But if I was looking for low maintenance, all that pea gravel and the wood deck would scare me away.

The stairs wouldn’t deter me. We just “downsized” to a 2500 SQ Victorian with lots of stairs. My 84 yo dad lives in a house with lots of stairs (and no bedroom OR bath on the main level...wth). The house is pretty!

I know nothing about pea gravel. What makes it high maintenance vs a lawn?

I love the look of well maintained pea gravel. When we lived in the South, it was common in driveways and yards because it can be good for drainage and there was no snow so no worries about it shoveling it.

But, pea gravel needs a proper install with a hefty edging and landscape fabric. It likes to migrate so it can end up in your lawn and flower beds. It gets dirty and weedy and it shifts so it needs to be blown and raked often. And if it snows, it's hard to shovel or plow. It's also really heavy so if you have to refill it or move it, it's a chore.

If you are looking for a low maintenance yard, I'm not sure if it is a good choice, especially on a driveway. I can't really tell if the driveway in this house is pea gravel or cement with gravel.

Aren't you glad you asked? :) I researched it quite a bit because I really do like how it looks.

It's a lovely home and I can understand your attraction, especially with the dock 3 min away! I have to agree with others about the stairs. My husband had a leg operation a few years back and we quickly came to realize stairs can be a real pain in the neck. I also live on the Cape and Falmouth is a beautiful town.

Beautiful home!! I too am wary about stairs in a retirement home. Think how much work it is to move...do you really want to take that on in your 80s? Better to find somewhere you can stay put for awhile.

It is interesting that a lot of responders are looking at this as a retirement home situation. I suspect you are not elderly, Bethpen. Maybe similar in age to me, early 50s? We "downsized" only thinking that we wanted a house w/ a configuration geared more to our current situation and closer to downtown. I am thinking this is our home for the next 20 years or so, assuming we remain in good health, and THEN we'd move to our "retirement" home which might be a one-level condo or something. Downsizing doesn't always mean elderly living.

I’m with you, Sue. My dh and I plan to be here 10-20 years and then find a retirement home. That one probably won’t have stairs. But then again, it might.

I think it's important to plan for a vibrant future. The idea of retirement as a period of incapacity and shrinking is anathema to me. Maintenance issues and such are just money issues. If you can afford to outsource the problem, it's not a problem. Adding an elevator can be done- one was retrofitted into our townhouse by the PO.

PS That is a gorgeous house in a perfect location. I can see why you are daydreaming about a move there.

It’s lovely!! We bought our last two homes for later life and neither was a down size and they both have stairs - one with three floors, one with two and one even has a ladder to a small loft space (that we never use). They are well suited to aging though as everything we “need” is on the main floor. As long as you have a bedroom and bath and laundry on the main you could get by in a pinch. And you can hire someone to do all the outside work if you can afford it.

If we live to be old and decrepit we’ll sell these places and truly downsize to a more geriatric setting. I’m not living my present life for that day however. We are early 60s and made these moves when we were 58.

ETA: I see now looking at it on a larger screen that you do go up a steep flight of stairs to get to the "main" level with kitchen, etc. That is the situation I moved out of - hauling all my groceries across my lower level and up a flight of stairs to my kitchen, luggage from bedroom down the stairs and over to the garage, etc. I wouldn't choose that arrangement again at any age.

Lots of people around me are having similar discussions--what's the next move. Most of us have either shipped our last one off to college or getting ready to. Some marriages are being taxed heavily, too, in the decision-making process.

This house would be perfect for my DH and me. He's passionate about boating, and I love to garden (is that a greenhouse I see?). We'd turn the lower master into a family room and let the kids have that whole floor when they come to visit. The pea gravel would have to go, though. We are agile enough to handle the stairs and maintenance. We're not ready for "retirement" living but we are definitely ready to move on to still-active-adult living.

It does seem like it is time for you and your DH to think of yourselves and if you love this house then go for it. You said it was in your area so you're not relocating which makes a move much easier.

My first impression was that it would make a great summer place but if you can make changes that suit you then it could easily be a full time home. I think it's lovely and the location is great.

As Sue mentioned you probably are younger so you're not necessarily looking for the same type of place that many downsizers are. We moved a year ago from a 3800 sq ft home on a huge lot with a pool and beautiful landscaping to an over 55 community. We had contractors do all the maintenance on our previous home - weekly cleaning service, the pool people were out twice a week, the landscapers handled all the yard work, our roofer cleaned the gutters, plowed and shoveled when it snowed and washed the windows etc.

But after 35 years it was just too large and we wanted something simpler where we didn't have to worry if our contractor had showed up or not to shovel snow while we were at our vacation place.

We only moved 8 miles and I have discovered that I am even more active than before. My little community has a clubhouse with lots of groups and activities and I've made many friends. It's definitely an active group. Even this morning as I left for the gym at 7 am there were people out walking in the 10 degree temperature.

And as d_gw pointed out - pea gravel is not easy to care for. The driveway at our vacation home is compacted pea gravel and I hate it for all the reasons that d_gw gave. We'd pave over it but the driveway is 1/3 of a mile long and shaded - it would be solid ice half the winter. This house is in the mountains of NE PA and we have the driveway plowed. Then every spring the landscaper returns to push the stone back onto the driveway and re-level.

And if you decide that this isn't the place for you then you have made the first giant step. It took DH over a year to realize that this was the right time and place for our choice.

I love the grounds and pool, and the interior certainly has that cape feel, I agree that LR seems small, but that could be the pic angles and the oversized furniture. The stairs would not bother me, in fact, I think it's important to keep walking up stairs as we age, and I have also been a boater (albeit freshwater) all my life, so the deep water dock would be a plus for me as well.

To another point, bethpen, it sounds as if you need to focus your energy in a forward and positive way, so consider what you need and want, and why this house is speaking to you. Good luck.

It could be just the nature of the picture but the treads on the stairs look quite narrow. It's a pretty house in a pretty setting but still looks like a lot of work.

When we downsize I won't mind stairs as long as the house is level entrance with the laundry room and the mastersuite all on the same floor. :)

Thank you Sue! We are in the process of 'rightsizing' as well. At 65/61 YO we are going from a 3/2 to a 5/3 elevated home with our living space on the second floor and we can't wait for the transition. As others have said, for healthy active people in their 50s and 60s, retirement certainly doesn't mean facing the imminent loss of mobility and activity levels. Far from it, in our case we are also moving to have direct ocean access so we'll be doing a heckuva lot more physically than we have been able to do on a daily basis in our landlocked previous house.

And aside from ergonomics, I can attest that this retirement move and new house has been the most incredibly happy and energizing tonic for us as a couple. We've got a fascinating, absorbing new project to work on *together* and it's really turned out to be a huge joyful jolt for our previously rather staid and boring lives.

As for the house in question, it's gorgeous and looks like a fantastic location. I say give it serious thought and if it feels right for you now, go for it.

I saw all the comments before I looked at the photos. Gosh, that's very nice, and it would certainly appeal to me, too.

What does the ladder to go? A loft space?

Pea gravel or even crushed stone - not less work. Ask me how I know. However, unless there are restrictions, that could be changed.

Oh I like it! Has your DH seen it yet? It is a beautiful home and the surroundings are perfect for boating. As others have mentioned, you are NOT looking for a retirement home! Even if you are, there are chair lifts that can be added.

I too find the gist of some of the replies kind of funny. I don't think of downsizing as equivalent to senior citizen housing! To me, downsizing means only that... moving from one home to a smaller home, usually with the departure of children. It does not mean that there are mobility issues or that one is old enough to plan one's life around that possibility. It does not mean that the new home must be "small". It does not even mean it must be low maintenance.

It does mean you choose a location and features based on your wants and needs and not schools, kids, or, in some cases, even a commute.

We have pea gravel driveway here in CT. I love not only the look but the sound of it; is that funny?

What is it you want in your new home, do you think? Views? water access? pool?

Not necessarily a bad idea to buy with future accommodations in mind. Does not stop you from enjoying your house today if you keep an eye on what you may want down the line. Unless you don't mind moving. I loathe moving, have done a lot, and I'd rather avoid the disruption as much as possible.

I suppose it depends on one's time frame. Statistically, I am expected to live another 40 years. That would be an awfully long horizon for housing assumptions.

OMGoodness, thanks to you all for your responses! I'll clarify a bit about where we are.

DH is 60, I'm turning 53 this month. We bought our land from DH's parents in 1988 soon after our marriage. It's a 2 acre plot in a really nice area of our town. I was a 23 year old waitress and he was a bartender. He chopped down every tree to clear the lot. We managed to get the land cleared, foundation poured and capped without borrowing any money. We finished the house, put sod down, added a pool and worked so hard to keep it all up. At the same time DH's parents passed. We cleaned out their place, rented it weekly in the summer, doing all the maintenance (and laundry!) while working and raising the kids. Somewhere in there we also had another rental property that we maintained. Eventually we sold them both.

I love our home. It needs a new kitchen, new floors, quite a few other cosmetic things. We could stay here if it weren't for the yard. We have two driveways that go to two different roads, probably a total of 1/8 of a mile or so. We are also on a private road, so if it snows, DH snowblows both drives and usually the road as well. The pool isn't really much work. We have always done all of the work ourselves. We do pay someone to mow the acre of grass. We are still in the service industry, DH tends bar in summer and he sells waffles at ski mountains in the winter. I've recently taken a job at a fuel company as their service manager, but am happy to be slinging oysters at a local oyster bar in the Summer. We are always working.

My younger sister died in 2017 from mesothelioma. I learned that life is short. We have paid our last college tuition payment. It's time to explore some options. That house was the first one to speak to me and I've been looking for a long time trying to think of where we'd go. Privacy would be big for us because we are so used to being on a big lot on a private road. We have a condo in NH and we do play well with neighbors up there, but it is seasonal and our neighbors are rarely there. DH will always spend more time in NH than I do, especially if I keep this fuel company job. If we were to get a foot or so of snow here I'd be stuck until we can get someone to plow me out. Even with 4WD.

These condos are close to where I live now. They're under construction now and I'm DYING to go down and walk around. https://www.movoto.com/north-falmouth-ma/41-old-main-rd-apt-3-north-falmouth-ma-02556-301_21803601/ They definitely seem more "old age" sensible than that house does.

I guess my big revelation with my post was that I LOOKED at a home and I liked it and imagined myself living there. We want to be active. We want to have fun. We want to work in some capacity, especially at the Waffle Cabins in the winter. Oh, and we'd like to travel.

I'm so grateful to you all for your input. I'm more grateful for all of your posts. Your vacations and design dilemmas have inspired me for years. I don't participate much, but I read all the time and I cheer for you all.

You guys are young. I can see looking for house with a yard that requires less maintenance. not because you can't do it but because it'll free up some time for you to do other things.

I think it's a beautiful home & I can see why you'd be drawn to it. It sounds like you've given the idea of moving quite a bit of thought - I definitely would take a second look and if you and your DH love it, go for it.

It sounds like you guys have been hard workers your whole lives --- and will continue to be. Good for you! I do think you should be thinking more selfishly (so sorry about your sister). I'd make a wish list and stick to it ... you are in no hurry. Have fun with this next phase of your life. All else equal, if the place you like is also good for aging, fine ... but if you want to live on a sailboat, do that ! I know life can throw curveballs, but it is pretty shocking to think how many more years we may be lucky to have when we are healthy women in our 50s. May you enjoy at least four more decades!

"I know life can throw curveballs, but it is pretty shocking to think how many more years we may be lucky to have when we are healthy women in our 50s."

What Mtn says! One of the most energizing and exciting aspects of our move has been the empowering knowledge that in spite of living in the same house for 30 years, we COULD change up our lives completely in the blink of an eye, into something that is even a better fit than what I thought would be my forever home. It has given me confidence that if at some point the rightsized house isn't working for us, we will find a living arrangement that does.

In a world in which people can and do comfortably live healthy physically active lives into their 70s-80s or beyond, how silly to pack it up and say no to adventure when you're not even 60 yet. As Browning says, the best is yet to be....and if it doesn't happen that way, you'll figure out how to make it so.