Personal Finance
Should You Downsize Or Stay Put? How Your Home Can Help You Age On Your Terms
Whether you stay or move, planning ahead lets you use your home's equity to adapt your space or transition into something easier to manage.
For many homeowners, the question of whether to stay in their current home or move to something smaller comes up long before an official decision is made. The real challenge is knowing which path is the better fit — and making that choice before circumstances make it for you. Planning early helps preserve independence, stabilize finances and protect your ability to choose the lifestyle you want next.
Your home plays a key role in that planning. It’s not just a place filled with history and routines — it’s also one of your most valuable financial assets. The way you tap into it can shape what options remain available to you in the future.
Two Paths, Both with Trade-Offs
Homeowners generally gravitate toward one of two directions: adapting the home they have for long-term comfort, or moving to something easier to manage. The choice often comes down to which set of trade-offs feels most aligned with daily life — routine and familiarity versus simplification and reduced upkeep.
Aging in place is often the right fit for those who want to remain rooted in their home and community. With the right modifications, a familiar space can become safer and easier to navigate without giving up the comfort of staying put. Improvements might include converting a first-floor room into a primary suite, widening doorways, installing a walk-in shower or upgrading lighting for clarity and safety. The hesitations are usually financial — these upgrades are smart to make early, but the cost can prompt homeowners to delay them.
Downsizing appeals to those who want fewer responsibilities and a simpler lifestyle. A smaller home or single-level layout can lower utility expenses and reduce maintenance, while also offering the freedom to relocate closer to family or everyday amenities. The biggest hurdle tends to be timing — selling, then buying, then moving — which often requires funding before the home sale proceeds are available.
Either direction can be the right one. The difference is simply which version of “easier” matters most to you.
Why Traditional Loans Don’t Often Fit Either Goal
Standard financing options — like cash-out refinances, HELOCs or home equity loans — generally increase monthly payments. For homeowners planning for retirement or fixed income, that added pressure can limit options instead of expanding them. Many homeowners delay aging-in-place upgrades or a move because they don’t want to take on a heavier monthly bill.
A More Flexible Way to Use Your Equity
Unison’s Equity Sharing Home Loan offers an alternative approach designed for homeowners planning their next stage of life. Instead of a traditional second mortgage, it provides a 10-year, interest-only structure that keeps monthly payments lower. You can access up to $400,000 (or up to 35% of your home’s value, depending on location) without refinancing your first mortgage or increasing principal payments each month.
At the end of the term, or if you choose to settle earlier, you repay the original amount plus a fixed share of appreciation. There are no prepayment penalties, which gives homeowners more freedom to choose their timing.
How This Helps Whether You Stay or Move
If you want to remain in your home, the loan can fund accessibility or safety upgrades now while keeping monthly payments manageable. And because eligible improvements are credited back through Unison’s Capital Improvement Adjustment, any added value you create stays with you.
If you're preparing to downsize, the same flexibility can help bridge the transition — covering repairs or updates before listing, or giving you breathing room between selling and buying so you’re not forced into a rushed move.
In both cases, the goal is the same: preserving choice. Planning ahead means you can move — or stay — on your own terms, instead of waiting until a health event or financial pressure dictates the timing.
See how Unison’s Equity Sharing Home Loan can help you prepare for the next chapter, whether you want to stay where you are or move when the timing is right.
Sponsored by Unison. This is promotional content and not financial advice. Consult a qualified professional for personalized guidance. Risks include sharing a portion of your home’s future appreciation (typically 20-40%, depending on terms), potential fees, eligibility requirements, and market fluctuations that could affect repayment or net proceeds. Full terms and conditions apply; visit unison.com/terms for details.
