The Benefits of Downsizing: A Positive Perspective at Kingsbury Mews

The children have left home, the house is too big, the nesting years are over. What happens next? Do you set off together and roam the world, buy into a retirement development, or help the young get a foot on the ladder?

The older generation own most of the property equity in this country, giving them the ability to consider a huge variety of options. It is no less than the decision of a lifetime. The game has changed slightly, though, as John Smith, Sales Director at Thomas Homes explains. “These days people are making the move at a younger age, not just to get something smaller but also to release cash to live on,” he says.

In fact, downsizing to smaller homes gives many couples a safe haven and the opportunity to live their lives the way they want to.

Michael and Lilian Jones, both in their sixties, have just sold their five-bedroom house on the outskirts of Swindon and moved into a boutique retirement house at Kingsbury Mews, built on the site of an old private school in the sought-after Wiltshire town of Marlborough. They are thrilled with their new life. They had lived in their old house for 35 years and become tired of needing to catch a bus or drive to get anywhere. Now they have all kinds of shops, tea-rooms and restaurants within strolling distance.

“If you aren’t careful, the decision to move can get later and later and you can get painted into a corner,” says Michael. “Having been in a position of looking after elderly parents, I wanted to make sure my children didn’t have to do it.”

Kingsbury Mews, built by Thomas Homes, consists of 12 homes for the over-55s, so it is wheelchair friendly. Maintenance and gardening are done by the management company. Five are still for sale, at £435,000 for a three bedroom terraced house, through Carter Jonas (01672 514916).

“It is so energy-efficient,” says Michael. “We can light a tea-light and keep warm for a week,” he jokes. The new house has open-plan living, French windows, two bedrooms and a study.

“This place is a treasure. We are a bit young to make the move but it was too good an opportunity to miss and we thought such a chance would not come again. The town is lovely, there is a jazz festival, concerts and theatricals all year, charming bell-ringing from St Mary’s Church, and we can practically bowl a cricket ball through the door of Waitrose.”