Advertisement“There is no point downsizing early to a very small property that is cheaper to run but will make the last 20 years of your life miserable because there isn’t enough space.”
“This is something that has become noticeable in the last few weeks and we see that in terms of saleability of a home, they are now an asset.”He adds: “I don’t think we have reached the point where spending extra on renewable energy generation adds to the price of a property but in the medium to long term I think that could change. For now it is definitely a selling point.”
, there are over 350,000 under-occupied properties with an average value of £251,600 and the average unlockable value from “rightsizing” is £80,500. That figure drops to £60,000 in the North East and over £239,000 in London.According to the English Housing Survey, the number of those over 65 who own their own home has risen by 27 per cent over the past 10 years and of these, 94 per cent own their property outright and 41 per cent have lived there for 30 years.
Cathy’s home is within walking distance of a bus stop and there is a shop at the bottom of her road with the centre of town a brisk 20 minute walk away.