We upsized in our 70s from a bungalow to a four-bed house

Christine Simpson, 73, and her husband, Dennis, 75, had no desire to downsize in later life and decided to leave their bungalow behind in favour of buying a four bed house earlier this year. “We need space to host our children and grandchildren. For larger families, downsizing isn’t always a desirable option”, Christine told The i Paper. The couple, who live in Wingham, moved from a large house into a two-bedroom bungalow in Bexley in 2001, which they purchased for £154,000, paying off their mortgage in 2016. Shorts They spent more than £100,000 extending the property outwards and adding an extra bedroom. “I was always cleaning in the big house, so I wanted a little bungalow. But we spent a fortune getting it extended”, Christine said. “The biggest problem with the bungalow was the 150ft garden. I love gardening but it became too much for us to manage. If I could have sold half the garden, I don’t think we would have moved.” Christine also became tired with how busy the area surrounding her bungalow had become. She said: “We had a bus stop right outside which was a nuisance and the traffic had increased significantly since 2001.” Christine, a former conveyancer, retired with Dennis, a lorry driver, in 2019 with the couple both saving into final salary pension schemes throughout their careers. Together with a small private pension and the state pension, Christine has £80,000 a year coming in, while Dennis has £45,000. It wasn’t until September of last year that Dennis raised the idea of moving house. Christine agreed moving would be beneficial, but only to a village. The couple started looking at new-build homes as they wanted a low-maintenance property rather than a project. They were careful to avoid huge new-build sites attracting multiple developers simultaneously. “I’d never heard of Wingham before but Dandara, a developer, told us about a house available. We bought the house for £550,000 after selling our bungalow for £560,000,” Christine said. The couple ended up in a chain of eight buyers and saw their purchase delayed following the death of one of the prospective buyers of their bungalow and a solar panel issue on another property. But in March 2026, Christine and Dennis finally moved into their larger new-build house, which has four bedrooms and a study. Christine said: “We have more space indoors, particularly upstairs, and Dennis loves having a study. The house is clean and there’s no work to do in it. It helps us have a relaxed life and we already know all the neighbours. “Crucially, the garden is only about 50ft. It is really manageable and I can mow the lawn in 15 minutes instead of an hour at the bungalow. “As the development’s still being built, dust is a problem, but this should stop once the site is complete by Christmas.” All of Christine’s children and grandchildren come and stay at their new house, enjoying its proximity to Canterbury and the coast. Christine and Dennis have also got stuck into community life, signing up to gardening clubs and bowls. It is sometimes suggested that older people should downsize to free up larger homes for growing families as there is a shortage of such homes. But Christine does not think older people should be encouraged or forced to downsize. She said: “It’s more important when you are our age to have your family connected to you. If you’re in a retirement or care home, you can be visited for an hour or so, but not much more than that. That’s not a good quality of life.” Christine said she would only move home again if she needs her children’s help around the clock. She is not the only one who has decided that a bigger home is preferable in later life with experts saying “not one size fits all in retirement”. Mark Harris, chief executive of SPF Private Clients, said: “It might suit some older homeowners to move to a smaller property to reduce running costs and the effort involved with a bigger property, particularly one with a large garden if they are suffering from ill health. “But for those energetic pensioners with sizeable families who come to stay regularly, spare bedrooms may be required to cater for visitors. “Rightsizing is a much better approach than downsizing. While a one-bed flat might suit one retiree, another with a big family which visits regularly might need two or three bedrooms. “Moving from an older property to a modern new-build usually means lower energy costs and easier maintenance, which may appeal to older homeowners, even if it is bigger than their existing home.”