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Freeing up accommodation - a downsizer market

On this page, we provide a range of useful papers that highlight the drivers for downsizing, in particular, to free up larger family sized accommodation and to design and develop purpose-built housing for older people.

They include:

Making the right move in later life

This blog by Elspeth Shaw, former Occupational Therapist and retirement housing resident, explores the journey of finding a retirement home after 40 years of moving between housing. Read on to find out more about their thoughtful approach to downsizing, the importance of future-proofing and the unique benefits of living among like-minded individuals.

Equity release: Deciding whether equity release is right for you

Whether looking to access income for home improvements, to make a major purchase or to help out with finances, this Age UK guide outlines equity release and suggests useful organisations that can be contacted for further advice to help consider all the options available.

Irish Healthy Age Friendly Homes ‘rightsizing’ video

The Irish Healthy Age Friendly Homes Programme have produced a selection of resources including this case study YouTube video on rightsizing.

A Road Map to a Coherent Housing Policy

This report from the LSE puts forward a set of suggestions for a consistent, strategic approach to housing policy, and argues that the key to solving the UK's current housing crisis is to optimise the use of existing housing stock, including by helping older people to downsize.

Downsizing and rehousing schemes – how well do they work for older social housing tenants?

This NIHR SSCR funded research project led by the Universities of Cambridge and Sheffield focused on two rehousing programmes run by Hackney Council - Downsizing and Regeneration.

Moving on: could later living be the answer to the housing crisis?

Research by Shakespeare Martineau shows that the majority of people believe that rightsizing to a home that better suits their needs is either unaffordable, reserved for the point of health crisis, or simply a ‘problem for when I’m older’.

To Downsize or Not: A Decision or An Entrenched Position? Inclinations and Wellbeing Consequences

Following Housing Minister Chris Pincher's Times article on downsizing, Gail Lincoln, former researcher and lecturer in Health Science at the University of Westminster, reflects on her own research on wellbeing differences in older 'Movers' and 'Non Movers'.

Right place, right home, right size? Increasing housing mobility for social housing tenants in North Wales.

Research published by Tyfu Tai Cymru on the reasons preventing people from moving into home that are the “right size” despite their current homes being too big or too small utilising insights from professionals, tenants and the existing literature to propose areas of future focus for the group to work collaboratively on progressing.

Rightsizing – Later Living and HAPPI Schemes

Resizing is an effective step forward in addressing the UK housing crisis. Mosscare St Vincent’s Housing Group share Later Living and HAPPI schemes.

Attitudinal survey of Mature Homeowners

This Irish Government Economic & Evaluation Service (IGEES) report presents findings from a co-funded survey between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Unpicking the downsizing discourse: understanding the housing moves made by older people in England

This paper by the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, published in the journal Housing Studies, seeks to understand the housing moves made by older people in England.

Too Little, Too Late? Housing for An Ageing Population

This report commissioned by ARCO advocates a holistic policy agenda including a national plan and a key role for local authorities and health and care services. It proposes greater collaboration – between local authorities and within them and recommends closer attention to policies that incentivise downsizing and ways to make moving easier for older people.

Shining a Spotlight on the Hidden Housing Market

A new report from the Housing LIN and Shakespeare Martineau that examines how we can reinvigorate the later living market.

Rightsizing: It’s the quality, not the size, that matters

Making the decision to leave a larger property is not a simple one, but the benefits that can be reaped by moving to the right sized property, as part of a retirement village, cannot be underestimated.

The Appropriate and Rightsizing Study

The first study of its kind in Wales, it investigated the appropriate design and delivery of housing provision for older people which would enable them to live happily, healthily, safely and independently in later life.

Accommodating my Choices in Later Life: Bite the Bullet or Russian Roulette?

How do we make the right choices about housing in later life?

Housing Options, Downsizing, Move On Services

This briefing paper by Foundations highlights the fact that the more choice and control older people can exercise, the better the outcomes in terms of health and wellbeing.

The Last Time Buyer: housing and finance for an ageing society

Incentives to downsize would ease the housing crisis

Rightsizing Report: Reframing the housing offer for older people

Commissioned by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and funded by the Centre for Ageing Better, this report looks at the types of houses older people live in across the UK, the sort of house moves they make, and the reasons why.

Downsizer Typologies

These documents from the University of Sheffield provide a useful selection of housing design typologies building upon the HAPPI design principles and represents a new approach to age-friendly general-needs housing.

Beyond location, location, location: priorities of new-home buyers

Savills have produced this report following the results of a collaborative survey that highlights what today's buyers prioritise when looking for a new-build home.

A Guide to Downsizing for Seniors and Their Loved Ones

This four-step tool from across the pond provides a useful step-by-step guide for older people and their loved ones looking to downsize.

Moving insights from the over-55s: What homes do they buy

A report from NHBC Foundation that provides an analysis on the home-buying trends of the over-55s.

Take-up on downsize: how to improve housing mobility in social housing

This research by Family Mosaic takes a holistic look at housing mobility in London’s housing association sector, using Family Mosaic as a case study

Thinking of Downsizing?

This resource and info-graphic from Audley Retirement Villages provides a useful 4 point plan for anyone thinking of downsizing.

A future of the welfare state thinkpiece

Published as part of ILC-UK's "future of the state" project, this thinkpiece sets out that building and sustaining enough housebuilding to meet our chronic undersupply requires action on all levels,...

Forget "downsizing", think "rightsizing" to meet older people's housing needs and aspirations

In this Housing LIN Viewpoint no 76, Tony Watts writes that older people could make an important contribution to the housing crisis ... if only they were listened to when it comes to developing new housing....

Generation Stuck: Exploring the Reality of Downsizing in Later Life

This ILC report explores: Older peoples' attitudes towards moving The pros and cons of downsizing Provides evidence to help inform the public debate about the role of housing stock held by older...

Housing Mobility and Downsizing at Older Ages in Britain and the United States

This paper examines geographic mobility and housing downsizing at older ages in Britain and America. Americans downsize housing much more than the British largely because Americans are much more mobile....

Older Owners: Research on the lives, aspirations and housing outcomes of older homeowners in the UK

This accompanying report by Strategic Society Centre, supported by Hanover Housing, describes the results of quantitative research into older homeowners in the UK. Using data drawn from the 2011 Census...

Open Plan - Building a strategic policy toward older owners

This paper from the Strategic Society Centre, supported by Hanover Housing, explores implications of their research (see next item) and what it means for the different policy agendas around older homeowners:...

Last time buyers

A new research study by Legal & General and the Centre for Economics and Business Research, has quantified the size and shape of the UK's "Last Time Buyer" market for the first time. It identified...

Older under-occupying owners, will they ever move? Is the decision to relocate a moving target, more difficult than the move itself? How Can FreeSpace schemes help?

This Housing LIN Case Study No 102 examines whether FreeSpace schemes have the scope to facilitate and support older home owners in moving if they so wish, in ways that would enable them to retain their...

The affordability of retirement housing

This report from the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People looks at ways of helping those in relatively low value properties to "downsize". Although large numbers of people in their "extended middle...

Sizing up the situation: the advantages of downsizing

This report from Hanover Housing Association explores the costs and benefits of downsizing, using research based on publicly available data, to compare the running costs of a typical 3-bedroom home with a typical Hanover retirement property.

Downsizing in general needs housing

Housing LIN Viewpoint No 17 on enabling older people and those with long term conditions to downsize to more appropriate general accommodation - considering the barriers to moving, the challenges to...

Viewpoint on Downsizing for older people into Specialist Accommodation

This Housing LIN Viewpoint no 19 makes the case for encouraging more providers to create attractive specialist schemes, and for encouraging more people to move into them, to "stay younger longer". It...

Incentives for downsizing - oiling the wheels of the housing market system

Housing LIN Viewpoint No 54 written by Bob Line - At a time when government is creating 'entry level' incentives to encourage people into homeownership under the 'Help to Buy scheme, should we also be...

'Halton Court' Quality design attracts downsizers

This Housing LIN Case Study no 77 takes a detailed look at Halton Court, an award winning 170 unit purpose-built housing scheme for people over 55 developed by Viridian Housing at Kidbrooke Village....

Getting off the ground: Bungalow living - an attractive alternative for downsizers?

This Housing LIN Viewpoint No 62 looks at the viability of a revival of the bungalow as a desirable, affordable option which could attract older people to downsize from a family house. There is little...

Park Home Living - a good housing option for later life?

This Housing LIN Viewpoint no 67 explores the appeal that park homes have for many people as they get older. Satisfied older buyers say a Park Home is a good way to downsize and they get more for their...

The Top of the Ladder

Demos' report highlights the chronic under-supply of appropriate housing for older people. The report calls for this looming housing crisis in our ageing population to receive more serious recognition...

Older people's housing: choice, quality of life and under-occupation

Published by the JRF, these findings from a study by the New Policy Institute which looked where the 7.3 million older households live in England, patterns of under-occupation, and the housing choices...

Promoting independence: an evaluation of Camborne Public Rooms, Cornwall

This Housing LIN Case Study No 88 looks at Camborne Public Rooms, Coastline Housing's scheme of town centre affordable rented flats for over 50's or those in receipt of higher level Disability Living...

The Missing Option? Expanding private/market rented housing for older people

Two new Housing LIN briefing papers by Jenny Pannell and Imogen Blood go into extensive detail into why there isn't more high quality housing for older people to rent privately in mainstream or specialist...

Support to relocate project: Stoke-on-Trent's Under Occupier pilot project

This Housing LIN Case study No 69 looks at the 'Support to Relocate' pilot project, delivered by Revival Home Improvement Agency, part of Staffordshire Housing Association, in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent...

A better fit? Creating housing choices for an ageing population

This new report from Shelter takes a detailed look at the current state of the housing for older people's market and considers whether there is a wide choice of housing for an ageing population and any...