The Complete Guide to Rightsizing Your Home

Living in a home that meets your needs is important – especially when it comes to sizing. If you’re living in a home that’s too small or too big, you may need to rightsize. But what is rightsizing, how’s it different from downsizing, and when should you do it? This guide explains.

The Complete Guide to Rightsizing Your Home

Rightsizing is a process that involves understanding how you live in and use your home, clearing out things you don’t need, and moving to a new home where you can use all your space. Sometimes that means buying a smaller home, and sometimes it means heading north in the square footage department. Either way, rightsizing is all about evaluating your needs and making your home work for you.

How is Rightsizing Different from Downsizing?

The word downsizing sounds limiting; when someone says they’re downsizing their home, you may picture a cramped space with items overflowing from cabinets and cupboards, packed closets, and boxes crammed into an attic. Though that’s not always what happens when someone downsizes (provided they adjust the amount of “stuff” they have), that’s what many people picture.

But rightsizing sounds more like a balanced adjustment – and you can go up or down in the amount of space you have, depending on what you need. It’s the process of making the most out of every square foot of your home, as well as setting up and using an organizational system that makes your entire home more functional. And the best part? You’ll probably enjoy your home more than you ever have before.

Benefits of Rightsizing

Rightsizing can benefit anyone, because it’s not necessarily about finding a smaller home; you may need to upsize in order to live comfortably. But either way, these are some of the benefits you can enjoy after you rightsize your living arrangements:

You’ll have a more functional home. Whether you condense your living space or expand it, you’ll be able to use the square footage you have.
Rightsizing often leads to less stress, particularly when you move to a newer home that needs less maintenance. Because you’ll make use of all your space, you’ll spend time in each room – and that can give you a sense of peace.
You can tailor your home to your lifestyle – both now and in the future. By finding a home that’s just right for your present and future needs, you can ensure that you don’t have to pack up and do it all again in a few years.

How to Rightsize Your Home

If you’re thinking about rightsizing, which involves buying a new home in Boston or one of the surrounding communities, ask yourself the following questions:

Is my current home too big or too small?
Am I using all the space I have?
If I were to get rid of items I don’t use, would my home be (or feel) empty?
Which rooms in my home do I actually spend time in? Which are used solely for storage, guests or special occasions?
How much time do I spend in each room?
Is my home’s layout inconvenient? Does it make daily activities more difficult?
Am I missing out on anything by living in this home? (The answer to this could relate to money; your proximity to friends, family, work or amenities; or the way you feel when you use your space.)
How much effort, money or time do I spend on home maintenance?
Will I need the same amount of space five years from now?

After you ask yourself these questions, you’ll be able to determine whether you’re making the best use of the space you have. You may discover that you definitely need a smaller (or larger) space, or you might find that with a little bit of reorganization (such as repurposing a room or two), your home will be just right.

Do You Have to Move to Rightsize?

You don’t always have to move to a new home to rightsize. In fact, repurposing some rooms – like that formal living room you never use – can help you make better use of your space. You may choose to turn a little-used guest room into a home office, a child’s former bedroom into a home gym, or a home office into a crafting room. It’s all about making your home more usable!

However, for most people, rightsizing does involve moving. That’s because over time, families change size, needs change, and people stop using rooms for their intended purposes. If you live in a six-bedroom house because you once needed all those rooms, but now all your children have moved out and the bedrooms are empty, it may be time to buy something smaller (and that requires less dusting). Likewise, if you bought your home as a single college graduate, but now you have a spouse, a couple kids and a dog, it’s probably time to get something that can accommodate your whole family.

What if You DO Need to Move to Rightsize?

If you do need to move in order to rightsize your home, you should talk to a real estate agent about your needs. Your agent will help you find homes that match what you’re looking for, schedule private tours so you can get a feel for different spaces, and even help you negotiate when you decide it’s time to buy. The same agent can also help you sell your home for the best possible profit.

Are You Buying or Selling a Home in Boston?

If you’re searching for a luxury home for sale in Boston, or if you’re selling your home, we can help. Call 617-967-5271 or get in touch with us online so we can discuss your needs. In the meantime, please feel free to browse our listings in the following communities:

The Complete Guide to Rightsizing Your Home