Lancaster · Downsizing
Downsizing in Lancaster NY, Without Moving Twice
The sale of the home you have and the purchase of the one you want next, planned as one move.
Downsizing from a Lancaster home
If you are ready for less maintenance in Lancaster, you usually want two things at once. The first is a home with less to take care of and single-floor living. The second is a location that keeps you close to the people in town you already know. In Lancaster you can often do both without leaving, and the first step is knowing which kind of smaller home you actually mean.
After 18 years of living in Lancaster, I find the same thing happens again and again: people begin by picturing a smaller version of the house they have, and end by choosing between very different kinds of homes. Sorting that out early saves a lot of touring.
Map out your next move before you need to make it.
Low-maintenance living and smaller homes in Lancaster
- Patio homes and townhomes. Several communities in and around Lancaster are built for lower maintenance, with the exterior and the lawn handled for you. Patio homes stand alone and townhomes share walls, and some communities are owner-occupied while others are rental only.
- Condos. There is an older complex of traditional-style condo buildings, and there are newer options. The age of the complex changes what a unit offers, so I look at each one on its own.
- Smaller homes, in the village and beyond. The village has capes and smaller ranches on older streets, close to the center of town near Broadway and Central. Ranches are also sprinkled through the subdivisions across Lancaster. Many people coming from a larger two-story home find a ranch with less square footage suits them. These homes still come with a traditional single-family tax status and all the exterior maintenance that comes with it.
- Rental communities. There are rental-only communities in Lancaster. Renting is a different decision from buying, and I will tell you which of these you are looking at before you fall for one.
Two questions matter more than the style of home. The first is whether an association handles the exterior maintenance, and what it covers. The second is whether the home is taxed as a condominium. Condo tax status can apply to a patio home, a townhome or a condo. Homes taxed as condominiums often carry a noticeably lower tax bill than a single-family home of similar size, and the bill depends on the community, so I check each one's tax status before you compare.
New construction is an option in Lancaster. Right now most of the newer communities are sold out or close to it, so a brand-new home is a smaller part of the picture at the moment. New communities come up from time to time, in Lancaster and in nearby towns, and I tell you what is available when you are looking.
When the right home is in the next town over
Many Lancaster sellers stay in Lancaster, often to keep their family close, and when they do look elsewhere it is usually a short move. Clarence, Alden and Elma are the towns I look at first. Property taxes in those three towns tend to be lower than in Lancaster, and the bill depends on the address, so I put the real numbers for the address you are considering side by side before you decide. The style of home available and where your family lives matter as well.
Selling the Lancaster home and buying the next one
The sale of the home you have and the purchase of the home you want are one plan, not two. Which one goes first depends on your numbers and on how long the right smaller home takes to find. My downsizing page walks through that order step by step, and my Lancaster page shows how the town is laid out. When you are ready to talk about your own home, contact me, and you and I will start with where you are trying to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I downsize in Lancaster without leaving town?
Often, yes. Lancaster has owner-occupied patio homes, townhomes and condos, smaller homes in the village, and rental communities. The right one depends on how much maintenance you want to hand off and whether you want to own.
What is the difference between a patio home, a townhome and a condo?
A patio home is a single-family home on its own piece of property, usually in a community of other patio homes. A townhome is attached and shares walls with its neighbors. A condo is a unit in a larger building. Whether an association handles the exterior, and whether the home is taxed as a condominium, matter more than the style, so I check both for each community.
Is new construction an option for downsizing in Lancaster?
Yes, though right now the choices are limited, because most of the newer communities in Lancaster are sold out or close to it. New communities come up from time to time, in Lancaster and in nearby towns, so I compare what is available in both when it fits your plan.
Lancaster
What downsizing looks like in Lancaster
Where I have lived for the last 18 years, in the town that divides the Northtowns and the Southtowns.
The full picture of Lancaster, with the kinds of homes, the school districts and getting around, is on my Lancaster page.
- Getting around
- Nearly every road is one lane each way, and school hours and commute times are the busy ones. Transit Road, Genesee and Walden are quickest to the main roads.
The method
How I do it in Lancaster
Downsizing: keep exploring
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