The average downsizer reduces their living space by just 100 square feet – a statistic that surprises most people considering a move, according to Ryan Bruen of The Bruen Team at Coldwell Banker Realty in Morristown, New Jersey.
“When I share that statistic with clients, the reaction is always the same: confusion, followed by skepticism,” Bruen says. “If they’re barely changing their square footage, what’s the point?”
The answer reveals something fascinating about how Americans approach major housing transitions in their 60s and 70s. What begins as a “downsizing” conversation almost always evolves into something more nuanced: a lifestyle redesign.
In Morris County, where Bruen works with empty nesters and retirees throughout Morristown, Madison, and the surrounding communities, the decision to move rarely stems from wanting less square footage.
“Clients tell me they’re exhausted by maintenance,” Bruen explains. “They want to travel without worrying about who’s shoveling the driveway. They’re tired of heating rooms nobody uses.”
The square footage stays similar, but everything else changes. A five-bedroom colonial in Mendham becomes a three-bedroom ranch in Morristown with a first-floor primary suite. Same approximate size, completely different lifestyle.
The other major shift involves proximity to activity. Families with school-age children prioritize quiet neighborhoods, large yards, and top-rated school districts. Empty nesters increasingly value walkability to downtown, access to restaurants and cultural venues, and shorter commutes to wherever their grandchildren live.
Bruen recently worked with a couple who sold their 3,800-square-foot home in Chester for a 3,600-square-foot townhouse near downtown Morristown. “On paper, barely a downsize,” he notes. “In reality, they traded an acre of lawn maintenance and a 15-minute drive to dinner for a lock-and-leave lifestyle with everything walkable.”
Location decisions increasingly revolve around grandchildren, not golf courses, according to Bruen’s observations.
“I have colleagues in Florida and the Carolinas who report a steady stream of New Jersey retirees moving south for lower taxes and better weather,” he says. “Within two years, many return. The pull of family, particularly grandchildren, consistently outweighs the appeal of year-round golf.”
The biggest mistake Bruen sees: waiting too long to make the move. “The ideal time to downsize is before you need to, not after mobility issues or health concerns force your hand.”
Preparing a home for sale, sorting through decades of belongings, and coordinating a move requires significant energy. “If you wait until maintaining your current home becomes genuinely difficult, executing the move becomes equally challenging,” Bruen warns. “I’ve seen too many people become trapped in homes that no longer serve them simply because the transition feels overwhelming.”
Bruen’s advice to clients thinking about this transition: begin decluttering now, even if you’re not moving for another year or two. “The most time-consuming part isn’t the actual move; it’s deciding what to keep and what to let go,” he explains. “Start with attics, storage closets, and file drawers. The furniture is easy. The boxes of photos and decades of paperwork take time.”
The most satisfied clients Bruen works with made their moves proactively, not reactively. They chose their timing, their location, and their next chapter on their own terms. The square footage? That turned out to be the least important number in the entire equation.
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Ryan Bruen heads The Bruen Team at Coldwell Banker Realty in Morristown, New Jersey, where he specializes in serving buyers and sellers throughout Morris County. A multi-generational real estate family, The Bruen Team operates under the principle “No Commission Is Worth My Reputation.” For more information, visit bruenrealestate.com.
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