Some costs never arrive as bills.

They arrive much later, disguised as stalled careers, missed opportunities, or a quiet sense that something is not moving the way it once did.

One of the most underestimated costs of working from home is opportunity loss.

You do not feel it in the moment.
You only recognise it in hindsight.

That delay is what makes it so powerful and so easy to ignore.

One of the reasons working from home feels financially harmless is because no single cost ever screams for attention.

There is no invoice that lands in your inbox with a neat total.
No monthly statement that forces you to stop and think.
No line item that clearly says this is the price you are paying for flexibility.

There is no bill that reads:
“Work From Home Expenses: $214 this week”.

Instead, it happens quietly.

By the end of the year, most people are tired.

Not just physically tired, but mentally worn down by routines that no longer feel purposeful. The commute. The meetings. The noise. The sense that time keeps getting swallowed up by things that don’t really matter.

So when working from home became mainstream, it felt like relief.

For parents, it felt like survival. No mad rush between school drop-off and traffic. No guilt about being late.
For younger professionals, it felt like freedom. Less structure. Less scrutiny. More control.
For managers, it felt like progress. Flexible teams, fewer complaints, happier staff.

And almost everyone agreed on one thing.

“At least it saves money.”

That assumption is so widely accepted now that very few people ever stop to question it.

I think that’s a mistake.

After working with clients through downsizing, retirement planning, and major life transitions for many years, I have noticed something important.

Most people spend far more time deciding where they want to live next than how they will actually fund the life they want once they get there.

Choosing the right home matters. But funding your next chapter is what determines whether that move feels freeing or financially stressful.

From a financial planner’s point of view, downsizing is not an end point. It is a financial reset. Done well, it can support lifestyle, security, and peace of mind for years to come. Done poorly, it can quietly create pressure that is hard to unwind later.

Whenever I speak with clients about downsizing, the same question comes up sooner or later:

“Should we stay in the city or move somewhere regional?”

It sounds like a simple choice, but it is often one of the biggest decisions people make in later life. It affects lifestyle, finances, social connection, health access, and long-term wellbeing.

Based on years of helping families through this transition, and drawing from your original notes in the downsizing document, here is what I tell clients when they are trying to decide where their next chapter should be.

The right place is not about postcode. It is about the life you want to live from here.

One of the most common questions I hear in client meetings is also the one that people find hardest to answer:

“How do you actually know when it is time to downsize?”

It is rarely a single moment. It is usually a slow collection of hints that gradually become harder to ignore. And because downsizing touches identity, memory, comfort, and family, most people delay it for years longer than they intended.

After working with countless families, and based on the insights you shared in your original notes, here is what I tell clients who are trying to work out whether it is time to start the next chapter.

The signs are usually already in the house. You just have to know where to look.

I have lost count of how many times I have heard this sentence during a downsizing conversation:

“We just need one more bedroom… just in case.”

Just in case the kids visit.
Just in case the grandkids stay over.
Just in case friends come by.
Just in case someone needs to stay after a late dinner.

But here is the truth I gently share with clients and now with you:

The “just one more bedroom” mindset is one of the biggest financial traps in downsizing.
And it can cost far more than most people realise.

If you have ever watched a couple try to downsize together, you’ll know something very quickly:

One of them is absolutely ready to move… and the other is absolutely not.

It’s almost universal.
It doesn’t matter whether the couple is in their 60s or 80s, whether they live in a five-bedroom home or a unit, or whether they’ve been talking about downsizing for years.

If you’ve followed this series so far, you’ll know that downsizing isn’t just about selling one home and buying another. It’s about redesigning the next chapter of your life.

And the truth is, the people who end up happiest after downsizing are the ones who were clear from the start about what really matters to them — their non-negotiables.

Because when emotions, agents, family opinions, and logistics all come into play, it’s surprisingly easy to lose sight of what’s essential.

That’s where your “non-negotiables” list comes in.

It’s not a wish list. It’s not a dream board. It’s your personal rulebook for what you will and will not compromise on as you make this transition.

Let’s talk about how to build it.

After working with hundreds of clients over the years, I can tell you that almost everyone makes at least one mistake when downsizing.

It is not because people do not plan or care; it is because downsizing is not just a property move. It is emotional, logistical, and deeply personal. You are not just selling a home; you are changing the rhythm of your life.

But here is the good news: most of the common mistakes are entirely avoidable once you know what to look out for.

So before you take the leap, here are the traps I see most often, and how to avoid them.

After years of helping clients through the move, I’ve noticed something surprising — most people underestimate the emotional side of downsizing but overestimate how much they’ll walk away with once the move is done.

They expect a big windfall and a smaller mortgage (or none at all). What they often get is a mix of one-off costs, hidden fees, and lifestyle adjustments they hadn’t planned for.

So let’s talk about the real cost of downsizing, the one that doesn’t always fit neatly on a spreadsheet.

If you’ve ever stood in a family home surrounded by memories and said, “I just don’t think I can leave this place,” you’re not alone.

For many of us, the hardest part of downsizing isn’t the packing, the selling, or even the buying. It’s the emotional tug of letting go.

And it’s not just nostalgia. It’s something deeper: identity, legacy, belonging.

Introducing the Downsizing Series

Downsizing is one of those topics that everyone talks about eventually, usually over dinner, after mowing the lawn, or during a weekend spent fixing something that broke again.

For many, the decision starts as a quiet thought:

“Maybe it’s time we moved somewhere smaller.”

But that thought often lingers for years before turning into action. The truth is, by the time most people seriously consider downsizing, they’ve already missed the easiest window to do it.

That’s why I’ve put together this new Downsizing Series, a practical, real-world guide to help you understand the emotional, financial, and logistical side of moving on from the family home. Over the next few articles, we’ll explore what really makes downsizing difficult, what it costs (and what it saves), how to know when it’s time, and how to do it without losing your sanity in the process.