Americans considering downsizing in their 60s and 70s typically reduce their living space by just 100 square feet, a statistic that challenges conventional assumptions about housing transitions for empty nesters and retirees. According to Ryan Bruen of The Bruen Team at Coldwell Banker Realty in Morristown, New Jersey, this minimal reduction in square footage reveals that what begins as a downsizing conversation almost always evolves into a more nuanced lifestyle redesign.
The real motivation for moving rarely stems from wanting less space, Bruen explains. Instead, clients express exhaustion with maintenance, desire to travel without worrying about property upkeep, and fatigue with heating unused rooms. While square footage remains similar, everything else changes dramatically. A five-bedroom colonial might become a three-bedroom ranch with a first-floor primary suite, maintaining approximate size while enabling a completely different lifestyle.
Location increasingly trumps size in these transitions. Families with school-age children typically prioritize quiet neighborhoods, large yards, and top-rated school districts, while empty nesters value walkability to downtown areas, access to restaurants and cultural venues, and shorter commutes to grandchildren. Bruen cites a couple who traded their 3,800-square-foot home in Chester for a 3,600-square-foot townhouse near downtown Morristown, exchanging an acre of lawn maintenance and a 15-minute drive to dinner for a lock-and-leave lifestyle with walkable amenities.
Grandchildren have become a more significant factor than golf courses in location decisions. Bruen notes that colleagues in Florida and the Carolinas report New Jersey retirees moving south for lower taxes and better weather, but many return within two years as the pull of family consistently outweighs other attractions. This trend underscores how housing decisions for older adults increasingly revolve around proximity to grandchildren rather than traditional retirement amenities.
Timing matters more than space reduction in successful transitions, according to Bruen. The biggest mistake he observes is waiting too long to make the move, as preparing a home for sale, sorting through belongings, and coordinating a move requires significant energy that diminishes with age. When people wait until maintaining their current home becomes genuinely difficult, executing the move becomes equally challenging, potentially trapping them in homes that no longer serve their needs.
Bruen advises prospective movers to begin decluttering early, even if moving remains a year or two away, as deciding what to keep and what to release proves more time-consuming than the physical move itself. Starting with attics, storage closets, and file drawers allows gradual progress, while furniture represents the easier decisions. The most satisfied clients make moves proactively rather than reactively, choosing their timing, location, and next chapter on their own terms. For more information about housing transitions, visit https://bruenrealestate.com.
