Growing numbers of pensioners are downsizing their homes after retirement.
Research suggests as many as 5.7 million people in Britain are thinking about moving to a smaller property. McCarthy & Stone’s annual Retirement Confidence Index claims around 38 per cent of over-65s are tempted to downsize now, while another 10 per cent would seriously consider swapping their home for something more compact if they were exempt from stamp duty.
One of the reasons downsizing is becoming so popular is that an increasing amount of retired people are looking for alternative ways to fund their lifestyle as they get older. Many retirees do not have an adequate private pension or large amounts of savings to supplement the money they receive from the state.
Others want to free up funds so they can help their own children or grandchildren get a foothold on the property ladder.
The average home owner now pays £12,693 in stamp duty over their lifetime as they move up the housing ladder.
Find space for your treasured possessions
But while downsizing often makes perfect sense financially, it can leave people wondering what to do with a lifetime’s worth of personal belongings. A smaller home inevitably means less space but getting rid of items which have so many memories can be challenging.
If you have too many things for your new property, self storage could be the answer. Putting items into storage gives you more time to work out which treasures you really want to keep and which you can probably live without.
Self storage also allows you to hang onto belongings which you plan to pass onto your children when they have the space and are settled in their own homes.
Andrew Porter Ltd’s Self Store allows you to keep your stuff safe and secure for as long as you need to. With free parking and CCTV on-site, our purpose-built storage facility in Lancashire is the perfect place to store all those things which won’t fit in your new home.
Once you have chosen your unit, you can come and go as often as you want, giving you plenty of opportunity to sort through your belongings at your leisure. We even have an on-site café where you can enjoy free tea and coffee when you visit.
And if you live in the North West, we can pick up your items for you and transport them straight to your self storage space. You also don’t need to worry if you’re not sure how long you will need to store your items as you only need to give one week’s notice before giving up your unit.
