With life slowing down to a crawl recently, suddenly we’ve found ourselves spending a lot more time at home. Yet lockdown can be liberating. For many, this ‘new normal’ has opened our eyes to the things we like (and don’t like) about our current living situations.

If your home isn’t meeting your needs, it can hold you back from living the lifestyle you want, both today and in the future. So even if you’re not ready to move to a new home just yet, you’ll likely never be in a better position to make a calm, honest evaluation. Who knows - browsing dreamy new homes with modern fittings and all of the trimmings might even become a new hobby for you!

Here are some common signs:

You’re overwhelmed by the upkeep

That beautiful home with the lawn and gardens made sense at the time. But if these days you’re finding mowing, weeding, sweeping and maintaining them is bringing you more pain than pleasure, you may want to rethink how you spend your time, energy and money (particularly if you’re not as young as you used to be).

You're always fixing something

Old homes show their age eventually. Whether it’s the oven fuse continually blowing, the hot water system giving up or broken tiles you’re always tripping over, when those nagging problems stack up one after the other, it may be better for your bank account (and sanity) to make a fresh start in a brand new home backed by a builders warranty.

You’re spending too much on bills

Generally speaking, the bigger the home, the more it costs to own. Heating, cooling, electricity, insurance, taxes, mortgage repayments, maintenance – if things aren’t quite adding up, it might be time to consider a more cost-efficient living arrangement.

You don’t use most of the rooms

This is a common experience for empty nesters, who one day realise all those kids bedrooms are now just guest rooms collecting dust. But it's also something we can all reflect on. Theatre rooms, third bathrooms, three-car garages – do we actually need all that space?

You travel a lot

Travel plans may be on hold for now, but if you usually spend a lot of the year on business trips, flying overseas or hitting the highways in your caravan, then a new ‘lock and leave’ home might better suit your needs. The lower maintenance design offers greater freedom, while freeing up extra cash to spend on your sojourns.

You want a simplified life

Sometimes we wake up and realise the things we own, own us. Downsizing your home can be a great way to free you mentally by stripping away unnecessary complications so you can focus on what matters most.

If any (or all) of these resonate with you, it might be time to consider ‘rightsizing’ to a new home or apartment. What you choose comes down to personal preference and your current and future lifestyle needs.

Rightsizing to a new reasonably sized house

Offers the space and flexibility of a traditional house (like parking and outdoor entertaining) on a more manageable scale

Gives you a sense of living in a ‘compact’ suburban neighbourhood

Contemporary & manageable courtyards allow you to enjoy the fresh air without the maintenance of large gardens & lawn

Possibility to build a new home on titled lots

You share fences (not walls)

New homes mean less maintenance

Freedom to find a design that suit your needs and tastes

Rightsizing to a new apartment

Elevators allow you to live comfortably as your mobility changes

Low maintenance spaces free up more time to explore surrounding cafes, bars and restaurants

Amazing common facilities like rooftop terraces, steam rooms and gyms

Stronger sense of security secluded from the street front

Private storerooms allow you to live a minimalist lifestyle without forgoing passions like golfing, kayaking and bike riding

Sophisticated spaces and eco-friendly design help reduce energy bills

Freedom to select colour schemes that you will enjoy looking at everyday

Love to cook? You’ll love the all-new appliances.

Ready to rightsize? Whether you are looking for something complete and ready to move into or off the plan to allow you more time to get everything in order, apartment and home developers Pindan has some excellent low-maintenance living options right across Perth, from Subiaco apartments for sale, to Crawley, Kardinya and Canning Vale.