BLAKE BAKKILA November 18, 2025
Empty nesters, relaxing retirees, proud grandparents… downsizers may identify as one or all of these. For many, selling their home or moving out of a larger rental can give them less space, but more freedom and peace of mind. The big question, though, is where should you go? There are a few routes to take here, depending on your lifestyle and budget. Below, California real estate experts Lindsey Harn and Gerson Seise share their thoughts on your next move.
1. Should You Stay or Go?
“Are you downsizing and staying in the same community, or are you downsizing and moving to a new area?” Harn explains, adding that it’s popular for downsizers to relocate to where their children and grandchildren live. “If you’re downsizing to a new area, renting is a really great way to make sure the community is a good fit for you, particularly if you haven’t spent a lot of time there. Renting makes a lot of sense to see what’s going to work for you, which areas you like, and what’s going to fit your lifestyle.”
For those staying in the same area, Harn says most of her clients who are current homeowners downsize by purchasing a smaller home. In that case, it’s best to narrow down the specific neighborhoods where you want to live and know where you’ll feel the most comfortable.
2. Do You Want Flexibility or Stability?
Seise says it all comes down to how you want to approach this move. Renting can provide less responsibility and more mobility, while owning is all about laying down roots and building long-term wealth. There isn’t a right or wrong answer here, but Harn warns that renting can upend your plans to stay long-term.
“There’s no guarantee you’re going to stay in the same place forever, which could add some stress,” she says. “Rent can also go up over time, or your landlord could decide to sell or pass away. Then, you’d need to move again.”
Considering these uncertainties with renting, Harn says to project how long you plan to live in this home. In other words, is it a 15-year home, or a one- to two-year downsize? The answer could determine whether you choose to rent or buy next.
“If you’re planning on staying in one place for a long time, buying is a fixed cost where you know what your costs of owning the property are going to be,” Harn says. “That said, we hear a lot of stories where people downsize and move to a new market or town to be closer to grandkids, get completely settled, and then all of a sudden, their family that they followed get a job transfer or move to the opposite end of the state. They thought it was a forever move, and then life took them in a different direction.”
3. What’s Your Desired Lifestyle?
Are you a homebody, or more comfortable as a nomad traveling the world? If you’re downsizing to spend more time and money on travel, renting might be your best bet. “Renting’s great because it allows the downsizers a lot more flexibility on where they ultimately end up,” Harn says.
4. Are You Interested in Building or Starting an Investment Portfolio?
“For those who already own investment properties or want to build a portfolio, there’s a third path,” Seise says. “Downsize your primary residence and rent where you live, while your investment properties continue to generate income and build equity in the background. In that case, renting isn’t ‘throwing money away.’ It’s choosing a low-maintenance lifestyle while your assets continue to grow.”
5. Are You Emotionally Prepared for a Downsize?
“Downsizing is an emotional process,” Harn says. “You’re kind of purging your old life, maybe getting rid of the family piano because it might not fit in your new home. That’s why having some stability and knowing where you’re going to go can be super important.”
Wherever you choose to live next, remember that while this is emotional, this decision isn’t supposed to make your life more difficult, more expensive, or more stressful. As Seise puts it, “Downsizing should feel like relief. The right choice is the one that supports your life now—not the one that made sense years ago.”
Article originally published by Sunset Magazine.