How to decide it is time to upsize your home

It's rare that someone lives in a forever-home from the start of the property journey right up until the retirement home.

Upsizing to a bigger home is a tough decision to make. When exactly the right time is to pack up and move?

We asked experts what are the sign that you need to go further up the property ladder and the milestone of a larger home.

Clues might be trying to squeeze the pram, the cot, all the nursery and toys into a one-bedroom apartment - and failing. Or when the toys and dirty laundry are spilling into the kitchen, it’s a definite sign you need to up upsize your home.

Ray White agent Steen Nielsen says a professional couple is likely to upsize when they are expecting their first baby, or their existing children are outgrowing the place.

“All of a sudden you have kids and you want to be out there in the garden, have a section for children to play with a ball, play badminton or cricket and not be on their tablets.”

Then later, when children reach teenage years, their social life will revolve around the swimming pool and they would want more privacy and have bedrooms far from parent’s, Nielsen says.

Experts suggest that when upsizing, think about ten years in advance, as – unless you’re a property addict - you don’t want to be look for a new place again once you child grows and needs more freedom in a couple of years.

Another sign to upsize is if your parents need to be taken care of and move back with you. Ideally, it means not just more bedrooms needed, but also perhaps other private facilities such as a bathroom, living space or even patio or garden area away from the main family crowds. Multiple generations of people using the bathroom can quickly feel cramped.

Another prompt is less about number of people and more about a major change of lifestyle. Perhaps a new passion that’s getting serious, or a plan to run a business from home means your current home doesn’t have enough room – or the right configuration of rooms - for those furniture-making workshops you are hosting or the child care you wish to open.

If you aspire to be in a different location due to a big shift in interest but your current place is pulling you away from that - it’s time to upsize.

“You develop new passions. You’d want to be closer to water if you love fishing and if you love golf you will move closer to the favourite golf club,” Nielsen says.

He says the owners are outgrowing their house if they change existing rooms’ functions by turning an office into a bedroom and a garage into an extra living room.

A sign that can’t be ignored is being in a position to afford a bigger home and bigger mortgage.

Even if you’re desperate to upsize, you can’t do so if your bank statement says otherwise.

However, Ray White agent Nick Lyus says knowing when to upsize is an emotional business. But when you have negative feeling towards your current home, that is a big sign of needing a change.

“When you shut that front door behind you, get away from the outside world, breathe out you should feel relaxed and happy to be home and not desperate to get out of it,” he says.

“The number one sign is when you never invite people over because you are shy to show your place but you would love to be able to entertain.”

Before upsizing, see if you can change something you don’t like about your current home.

Change up the bedrooms, give the house a fresh coat of paint, re-decorate the lounge and maybe even upgrade the bathroom

“If none of it works and you still feel the same, that’s when you know it’s 100 percent time to move on,” Lyus says.

On average people spend seven years in the same house but life can change dramatically in two years for some.

Lyus is convinced the urge to upsize is often a gut feeling.

“Sometimes it’s just the end of a chapter and you are craving the new set up with a lawn and more natural light. You get rid of your partner, get a new hairstyle, get a new home.”

When you are still not certain about the big move, Lyus recommends tagging along to open homes and analyse what kind of home arrangement might be ideal for your family.

Thank of how your lifestyle will change and how it will benefit your family, when comparing your current home to the ones you see available.

“Ask yourself: ‘will your kids fight less?’ Or ‘will everyone have their own space where they can retreat to?’” he says.