The one thing you should not compromise on when downsizing

It is such an exciting time when you make the decision to downsize from what was perhaps the large family home to the new water or beachfront apartment. The decision to downsize also means that your weekends are no longer spent in the gardens or doing that seemingly never ending list of home maintenance. Instead it’s your time to be on the golf course or casually sipping lattes after an easy walk along the beach. 

It’s easy to get swept away thinking about the new and effortless lifestyle that awaits.  Even though you may start out looking with an extensive list of ‘must haves’, the excitement of moving can draw you into making too many compromises. In my opinion, the one thing that you should not compromise on is size. 

Now I’m not referring to how many bedrooms your apartment has, it’s the overall square meterage, and in particular how the living and entertaining spaces of your apartment work together.

Understanding proportions and dimensions is one of the trickiest elements when choosing an apartment to buy and especially buying off the plan, however with some quick and simple research your decision will become easier. Start by thinking of the following;

What is the internal and external m2 of the apartment? 

If there is just the two of you but you will also have the kids and grandkids arrive on holiday, make sure your apartment is as close to 200m2 as your budget will afford. Otherwise there simply won’t be enough room for everyone to feel comfortable in the living space

Consider the master bedroom 

This will be the room in which you spend the most amount of time. Look at the length and width of the room and measure this against your bed and bedside tables, does it all fit? Don’t trust the marketing plans alone, so make sure you measure everything.

Does the apartment come with adequate storage options?

Does the walk-in robe account for all your clothes and not just the amount you would pack on a summer holiday? Is there room for your golf clubs and toys? Remember you are buying a lifestyle and you want to make sure that your tools for enjoyment are easily accessible.

Lastly, did you notice I didn’t mention view? This is the one compromise I see residents make all the time and the one that causes them to sell again in 12 months, knowing their apartment is not large enough. Compromising size for views to fit within your budget is in my opinion a recipe for disaster; as in the long run your view is nice to have, but it’s your space that you will truly value long into the future.

Dan Sowden | Director & Auctioneer