Hannelore, I downsized for a different reason. I don't wish I was still in my old house because it was a two family, but I often wish we were in a house vs a condo. The things I dislike the most about condo living are the rules, not enough closets, no attic or basement, most of my stuff is in boxes too and I can never find anything, and assessments.

I do like: (We have a little under 1,000 sq feet, plus the huge deck we have which is considered common area but no one else can use.)

1. It's snowing today and we don't have to shovel a driveway to go out, the stairs, the sidewalk.

2. The mailbox is right outside my door next to the lobby area (we're the first unit) If I have something to mail, I can go out there in my slippers and drop it in the box, and I can go get the mail the same way.

3. No dragging out barrels for trash day or forgetting that it is trash day and having to keep it for another week.

4. No stairs
5. Easier to clean
6. Not a lot of windows to wash and have to buy curtains for and curtains to wash.

7. Knowing I could handle this place alone if I had to. Or at least we think I can.

Downsizing is not easy. Whether it's to a smaller home or a condo. We have friends who are looking to sell their big house and buy a townhouse. The townhouse is as much square footage as their house. It's on two floors (or maybe three), has way more space than they need, etc. To me that is not easier.

If I was in a big house that I loved and we had been in it for years and years, I don't know how I would feel about giving it up. I didn't consciously choose to downsize and buy a condo. It just happened that way. If we had to move from here, I don't know what we would do. It would be hard to go back to a house now and other condos don't have this deck, plus we are on the water. We couldn't afford another one on the water. We've had this one for a long time now.

It's a difficult decision, but you are in real estate, Hannelore so you can look around and compare. do your homework as far as condo living. Here, you need to make sure you know all about the condo docs, the condo association that runs it, the reserve fund it has, look at how they spend the money, the condo fees. I'm asuming a lot of it is the same there, but don't know.

We do still have parties here. Best when we can use the deck. Just having our kids and grandkids is a crowd, but we've done family things having my family over or all of our kids and their families and had well over twenty people here. That's enough of a crowd for me.