‘We paid £150,000 to upsize in our 80s'

Telegraph

29-05-2025

Retirees Rosemary and Bill Scott Brown have moved house 20 times throughout their lives, and lived in four different continents – but their most recent move is perhaps the most surprising.
Unlike most 80-somethings, who look to downsize to more manageable properties as they get older, just under two years ago Rosemary, 82, and her husband, 83, swapped their two-bedroom apartment in Bangor, Northern Ireland, for a four-bedroom, detached property on the other side of town.
The primary reason for their significant upsize? Having their family to stay – even though it doesn't happen often.
'Our girls don't live in Northern Ireland, so we needed somewhere for them to stay,' Rosemary explains.
The couple have two daughters and four young grandchildren who live in mainland UK and France, and visit Northern Ireland for a couple of weeks at a time. 'They come over once or twice a year. The rooms are just there for them when they visit. We don't use them for anything else when they're not here.'
It's a decision that a growing number of older homeowners are taking, says Claire Whisker, founder of First In The Door, a property adviser platform that matches home buyers with buying agents.
'In recent years, we've seen a clear shift in how many retirees are approaching their next move. Rather than downsizing, a growing number are now upsizing, actively seeking homes with enough space to host visiting grandchildren and extended family,' she says.
' Rising childcare costs have led more grandparents to take on a hands-on role in family life, and their property choices are reflecting that.'
Last year, Whisker did not receive any enquiries from older upsizers – this year, she's already had five. 'This trend is particularly evident in suburban and semi-rural locations, well-connected coastal areas and larger market towns, where space and accessibility go hand-in-hand,' she says.
Older upsizing clients include a retiree from Yorkshire relocating to London to help care for her grandsons, and a woman in her 60s looking for a four-bedroom house in Wimbledon to accommodate her growing number of grandchildren. 'It's a new kind of upsizing – not just about square footage but about creating a home that supports intergenerational living and deeper family connections,' Whisker adds.
For the Scott Browns, the move was a pricey one. Their larger home cost £150,000 more than the sale price of the couple's apartment. Fortunately, they had enough savings to cover the extra amount. Bills in the new house are more expensive too; council tax, gas, water and electricity work out at £2,500 extra annually, but Rosemary says they were careful to budget for this beforehand.
'I'm absolutely glad we made the move. The apartment was in a converted house and the family could only come individually – one family at a time – and we'd squash them in. But here everyone can come together for Christmas and birthdays.' They also appreciate having a good-sized private garden and no neighbours above them.
While they don't know how long they will stay in their current home, Rosemary says she has no desire to downsize or move into a retirement village. 'I look at the ads for them in the paper and the people always look so happy, but you're very much tied to a group of people there, and I don't know if that's for me.'
'Most people we know are looking after their grandchildren'
Family also influenced the 2023 move that Lorraine, 66, and Michael Shorter, 72, made to a David Wilson Home in Sturry, near Canterbury.
The pair had spent the previous 39 years living in a semi in Crayford, which had three bedrooms – one of which was a box room. 'The guy [from David Wilson] showed us around a two-bedroom at first, and I thought 'This is too small; I have two children with partners and two granddaughters',' Lorraine says.
Instead, they opted for a 1,089 sq ft, three-bedroom, end-of-terrace house, upsizing so they could host visiting relatives.
'In our old house, our main bedroom was extremely small – a very stark difference [to here],' she says. '[Our new home is] on three storeys and what appealed to us was that there was a master bedroom on the top floor and the second floor had two double bedrooms… I said to my husband recently how great it is having the second floor – people can come and stay and have their own bathroom.'
Even though their current property is larger, it was £40,000 cheaper than the Shorters' previous home, and bills are broadly the same. However, they do have to pay a £40 monthly service charge to cover the general maintenance of shared green space (although the house comes with its own private garden).
Lorraine previously worked at a law firm, while her husband owned a hair salon in Blackheath. Now they're both retired, the couple regularly help out with the childcare of their two grandchildren and, as both live over an hour away, having the space for them to stay overnight was crucial.
'While their parents are working, we help look after the kids,' she says. 'During the school holidays, Sophia, who's 11, comes to stay and, if it's nice weather, our daughter will come for the weekend. Our granddaughter, Angel, who's three, calls it 'Nanny's holiday home', as it feels like they're on holiday when they come.'
Like the Scott Browns, they also don't use the rooms when their family aren't staying, as it's such a regular occurrence: 'They come and stay more than once a month. In the past few weeks, my daughter has been having work done to her house, so she's been here a lot… Being able to put people up easily was important for us.'
Lorraine says a lot of their friends have similar caring commitments. 'Most people we know are looking after their grandchildren… Our friends have got children and it's a big consideration,' she says.
She feels like this multi-generational approach to bringing up children harks back to her own childhood. 'I come from the East End and my dad was one of seven. Relying on family is coming back round. Our family all lived in the same street or house; I had an aunt upstairs and one next door, and everyone lived near each other,' she says.
Again like the Scott Browns, Lorraine isn't sure how long they'll remain 'upsized' for, saying she'll have to see what the future brings.
'I don't know how long we will stay for – certainly a few years, while the grandchildren are coming.'