When Is the Right Time to Move to a One-Level Home in Erie?

When is the right time to move to a one-level home in Erie? The right time is when the stairs, the upkeep and the extra rooms are costing you more than the house gives back, and when you can choose the timing yourself instead of letting a repair or a surprise choose it for you. There's no age or number that decides it. You know your own days better than anyone.

Most of the people I talk with don't wake up one morning and decide. It builds. The yard on a Saturday starts to feel like a job. The upstairs bedrooms sit empty. The laundry is in the basement and the bedroom is on the second floor. Then one day you catch yourself planning your week around the house, instead of the house fitting your week.

I'm Carol, and Homes by Carol is my real estate practice here in Erie. Carol Vanlandingham is a REALTOR® with eXp Realty in Erie, Colorado, helping people through life transitions, downsizing, first homes and relocation across Erie, Boulder County and Northern Colorado. I've lived in this area for over 31 years, and I've been licensed for 10.

These are the ones my clients mention most. Read through the list and see which ones sound like your house.

• You avoid some rooms or floors because going there takes effort.
• Repairs keep piling up, and each one feels bigger than the last.
• The yard and the snow take more of your time than you want to give them.
• You're heating and cooling rooms nobody uses.
• You'd like to spend your time with family, friends or grandkids, and the house keeps pulling you back.
• You want to travel or leave for a few weeks without worrying about the house.

If a couple of these sound familiar, that doesn't mean you have to move. It means the question is worth an hour of your attention. Knowing your options costs nothing, and you stay in charge the whole way.

Because the house holds so much. It's full of years that mattered. That attachment is real, and it deserves respect.

For many people there's also the money question. If you have a mortgage rate you love, giving it up feels like a loss. My post on downsizing with a low mortgage rate lays out the math plainly, so you can check every line yourself.

And there's one more worry I hear often: leaving the people and places you count on. You can ask for a smaller home that keeps your friends, doctors and community close. Many of my clients want exactly that.

Go through these in order, and stop whenever you need to. Nothing here commits you to anything.

Step 1: Describe a good ordinary day in your next home

Forget the house for a minute. Picture a regular Tuesday a year from now. Where do you wake up? Who do you see? What are you no longer taking care of? Write it down. Many people tell me they want less yard, fewer repairs and fewer stairs, so they have more time for family and friends. Some want one level with a basement for guests and storage.

Step 2: Walk your own home and note what costs you effort

Spend one week noticing. Which stairs do you take, and how often? Which tasks do you put off? Which rooms stay closed? Make a short list. This is your own evidence, and it matters more than any rule of thumb.

Step 3: Get a real number for your home

A guess can talk you into a move or out of one. A free home value report comes by email with a short video that walks you through it. There's no obligation. It turns "I wonder" into a number.

Step 4: See what you'd walk away with

From the value, I can estimate your proceeds at a few different prices, after commissions and typical closing costs. My post on how much you'll walk away with when you downsize explains how it works. Then a lender can show you what the next home would cost every month. Your lender gives you the rate and payment. I can't.

Step 5: Tour a one-level home before you decide

Walk through one or two. Notice how it feels to live on a single floor. Check how the kitchen, the bedroom and the guest space work together. You may find you love it. You may find you want something different. Either answer helps, and there's no pressure to act.

Step 6: Plan the order of the two moves

Will you sell first, buy first, or line them up closely? Each has tradeoffs, and the right order depends on your numbers and your comfort. We plan both moves together, with a timeline you set.

Step 7: Bring in your accountant

Questions about taxes on a sale belong with your accountant or attorney. I'll make sure you have the numbers to give them.

These are the ones I see most.

• Waiting until something forces the move. A repair bill or a surprise can set a deadline you didn't choose. Looking early keeps the choice in your hands.
• Deciding the house question alone. If you're a couple, talk about what each of you wants. One of you may be ready before the other.
• Looking only at the rate. The payment, the upkeep and the equity you keep matter just as much.
• Treating a smaller home as a step down. For many people it's a step toward the life they want. We're not trying to find less. We're trying to find better for you now.
• Skipping the tour. You can't know how a single level feels until you stand in one.
• Trying to sort every belonging first. Start with the move plan. You can sort room by room as the timeline takes shape.

One couple I helped had lived in their three-level Boulder home for 37 years. They wanted single-level living for their next chapter. They also wanted to stay close to their doctors and the community they'd built.

We started with how they wanted to live, not with a price. We found them a home in Erie, about 15 minutes from Boulder, that gave them the single level they wanted and kept their world within reach. We weren't trying to find less. We were trying to find better for them now. After closing, we had dinner together to celebrate.

Erie has grown a great deal over the last 20 years, with many new neighborhoods. Several Boulder Creek Builders neighborhoods have single-level ranch homes built as lock-and-leave living. My post on lock-and-leave homes in Erie goes deeper. Erie also has a rec center in the middle of town with a large pool and classes, plus a farmers market on Thursday evenings in summer. You can read more on my Erie page.

Erie sits about 15 minutes from Longmont and from Boulder, so you can often keep the routines you already have.

Then it's "not yet," and that's a good answer. I'm your advisor, not the decision-maker. If your numbers or your timing say wait, I'll tell you. We can look again in a year, or whenever something changes. Having your numbers ready means you're never starting from scratch.

How do I know it's time to move to a one-level home?

Pay attention to what costs you effort. Stairs, upkeep, empty rooms and a long list of repairs are the usual signs. If those are shaping your week more than you'd like, it's worth looking at your options.

Is a one-level home always smaller?

Not always. Some one-level homes are quite roomy, and some have a basement for guests and storage. The best fit depends on how you want to live day to day.

Can I stay near my doctors and friends if I move?

Often yes. Erie is about 15 minutes from Boulder and Longmont, and many people stay in the same circle of friends and doctors after they move. We can search with that in mind.

Should I sell first or buy first?

It depends on your numbers and your comfort level. We look at both moves together and choose the order that works for your situation.

Will I lose my low mortgage rate?

A new home usually means a new loan at today's rates. If you put a large part of your equity toward the next home, the new loan may be much smaller. A lender can show you the side-by-side.

If you've been wondering about this for a while, let's talk it through. Send me a note or call me at (303) 522-3130. I'll listen first, and you'll make the decision.