Downsizing stories from local seniors | Real Estate Newsletter
And homes, not parking, in Conshy.
Reporting my latest story made me want to take spring cleaning to a whole new level this year.
I talked to five Philly-area retirees about what it was like for them to ditch their stuff and downsize. And they had a lot to say.
For the people I talked to, downsizing meant everything from a 780-square-foot condo to a 1,400-square-foot townhouse.
They shared their stories and tips for anyone thinking about downsizing.
Keep scrolling for that story and more in this week’s edition:
Controversy in Conshohocken: See what’s planned on a piece of SEPTA-owned land where the agency had wanted to build a parking garage.
Back on the market: Find out how much the winning bidder for a historic mansion is now marketing the North Philly property for.
Part of the plan: Learn why the Philadelphia Housing Authority just bought hundreds of homes in Germantown.
Renovated foursquare house: Peek inside this Haddonfield home that needed a lot of work.
📮Do you have a downsizing story to tell? For a chance to be featured in my newsletter, email me.
— Michaelle Bond
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
Downsizing usually isn’t easy. It can even feel like an impossible task, especially if you’ve spent decades living in the same home and collecting stuff. And then there’s the emotional attachment to the home you’ve made countless memories in.
But after children leave home, careers wrap up, and bodies stop working like they used to, some homeowners decide that moving into a smaller place is right for them.
I talked to five folks who live in the Philly area and tackled the art of downsizing in the last few years.
Yolanda has downsized twice, and she’s been trying to get her stubborn octogenarian mother to follow in her footsteps.
Janet’s family liked to party at her large home, but she was tired of maintaining it. She now rents an apartment.
Marie had to give up her Lladró collection, but she was motivated by the memory of clearing out her late mother’s house, which included a collection of 200 shoes in their original boxes.
Karen got what she called a Tush Push from her real estate agent to clear out her home fast.
Donna says her husband is “not such a good downsizer,” and the couple may have to go smaller.
One recurring theme I heard? Your children will not want your stuff.
Keep reading for these retirees’ downsizing tips and what they wish they’d thought about when they went smaller.
The initial plan for a strip of land near the Conshohocken SEPTA station called for a parking garage with 528 spaces. It was a controversial proposal. SEPTA later backed off the idea after facing criticism over its spending priorities.
Now, a well-known Philly developer is planning a 300-unit apartment building at the site. The project also includes more than 100 parking spaces for SEPTA riders.
It would be the largest housing project to come from SEPTA partnering with a private developer, according to a SEPTA official.
Agency leaders said they hope this will be the first of many such partnerships to build homes on underutilized SEPTA-owned land, including at stations in Ambler, Swarthmore, and Bristol Borough, and Philadelphia’s Germantown Station.
The agency is looking to replace parking lots with mixed-use projects that have residential pieces.
But the apartment proposal in Conshohocken will need to overcome hurdles set by local government officials.
The latest news to pay attention to
A former Father Divine mansion in North Philly, auctioned off last summer, is for sale again for more than double the price.
The Philadelphia Housing Authority has bought 381 homes in Germantown for $75.9 million as part of a larger strategy.
A residential landlord and a national homebuilder are among the locals who made Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires for the first time.
Developers are marketing a parking lot down the Shore as the future home of a multimillion-dollar resort and condo complex.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner says that if Philly’s mayor is going to achieve her housing goal, City Council has to ease building rules.
A late mayor’s legacy: 40 acres are now saved from development in this small Delco town.
The owner of a masonry restoration firm is the latest executive charged in a bribery case centered around renovations at 30th Street Station.
A residential Fishtown street didn’t qualify for speed bumps. So neighbors went rogue.
House of the week: For $620,000 in Phoenixville, a three-bedroom stone rancher with a sunroom and pool.
When Kendall and Scott Schmidt first saw the Haddonfield home they eventually bought, they fell in love with the foursquare layout of the house, built in the early 1900s.
A few other aspects also drew them in:
It was a larger home with space to set up home offices.
It had 12-foot ceilings at the entrance.
It needed a lot of work.
That last one might seem surprising, but the couple saw opportunities to make the home their own.
The Schmidts gutted most of the first floor because of water damage in the cramped and dimly lit kitchen. Their new space is filled with more light. And the kitchen now has lots of storage and counter space and a statement-making backsplash.
Peek inside the Schmidts’ home and see which original features they made sure to keep.
📷 Photo quiz
Do you know the location this photo shows?
📮 If you think you do, email me back. You and your memories of visiting this spot might be featured in the newsletter.
I’m three for three in stumping you with the photo quiz. Last week’s photo showed a man sitting on a bench under a cherry blossom tree outside of the Rodin Museum on the Parkway.
This photo quiz should be easier. Enjoy the rest of your week.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.