Do I have to decide anything after a first conversation?

No. At the start there is a short, non-binding clarifying conversation in which both sides calmly check whether they suit each other. You commit to nothing, sign nothing and decide entirely at your own pace. Only when you wish does it go a step further.

Isn’t it too early while I am still managing well?

That is precisely the right moment. While you are in good health and decide clearly, you shape the transition yourself, rather than having to experience it later under pressure and perhaps in a crisis. Early here means on your own terms, not rushed — you keep the overview and the choice.

What if the family is not yet in agreement?

That is often the case and no obstacle, but rather a reason to begin early. This is what the moderated family workshop is for, in which everyone is heard first, before anything is decided. Ordering begins with listening, not with a ready-made solution.

Can we plan the transition without moving straight away?

Yes. To order things early does not mean to act early. You can prepare the handover, secure your living through a right of residence or a usufruct, and choose the actual move later and at leisure. The plan is in place; the timing stays yours.

Knowledge · Right-sizing your home

When is the right moment to right-size your home?

The right moment is while you can decide in good health and with a clear mind and everyone is still at the table — before a crisis chooses it for you.

As at: June 2026

The answer first. The right moment is rarely found on the calendar; it shows in your own situation. Those who decide calmly, in good health and with a clear mind, shape the transition themselves. Those who wait until a fall, a need for care or a bereavement forces the decision decide under pressure — and usually with fewer options than they would wish.

Early means: on your own terms

Those who decide early decide for themselves. As long as you keep the overview, you determine who takes on the house, at what point and under what conditions. You choose the fitting next home with care, instead of having to take the first thing available. Many owners only order their living arrangements late — often only when a move, a sale and health concerns all arrive at once. It is precisely this coincidence that makes the late moment so hard. The early one takes the pressure out of it.

No reason to hurry

“There is no reason to hurry” is no sales slogan here, but the precondition for a good decision. It is understandable to hesitate before letting the house go — a lifetime is built into its walls. That reluctance is the real bottleneck, not a lack of options. To order the transition early does not mean to carry it out early. It means giving yourself time while you still have it.

Five things lie on the table at once

When right-sizing your home, five questions belong together: the emotional (letting a life’s work go calmly), the practical (ordering the household contents), the family side (involving your relatives), the financial (considering value and tax) and the spatial (finding a fitting next home). Those who begin early can settle these five one after another and in peace, rather than bundling them into a single, forced decision.

How to recognise the moment

A few calm signs suggest the time is coming, without anything being urgent: the house demands more than it gives back. Rooms stay empty for good, upkeep becomes more of an effort. The children are grown and live elsewhere. And you would rather decide for yourself than be decided for. If you recognise this, the moment has come for a first, non-binding conversation — not for a sale.

Deciding together while you are still two

In a couple, one partner often outlives the other by many years. Those who order things together while both are still at the table spare the surviving partner a later decision made alone and under strain. The shared picture is then already there: who wants what, what should stay, what can be carried and which next home might come into question. This is not about anticipating anything or hastening a sale, but about gaining clarity together while that is still calmly possible. It makes every later decision easier — whatever it turns out to be. Even the decision to leave everything as it is for now is then a conscious choice carried together, and not a postponement.

Right-sizing in good time (vorausschauende Verkleinerung). The deliberate decision to downsize or pass on a home that has become too large before a crisis forces it — looking ahead rather than acting in an emergency.

Transfer during one’s lifetime (Übertragung zu Lebzeiten). Ownership passes during your lifetime, often to the children, while you can keep your living secured through a right of residence or a usufruct. The arrangement belongs with a notary and a tax adviser.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to decide anything after a first conversation?: No. At the start there is a short, non-binding clarifying conversation in which both sides calmly check whether they suit each other. You commit to nothing, sign nothing and decide entirely at your own pace. Only when you wish does it go a step further.
Isn’t it too early while I am still managing well?: That is precisely the right moment. While you are in good health and decide clearly, you shape the transition yourself, rather than having to experience it later under pressure and perhaps in a crisis. Early here means on your own terms, not rushed — you keep the overview and the choice.
What if the family is not yet in agreement?: That is often the case and no obstacle, but rather a reason to begin early. This is what the moderated family workshop is for, in which everyone is heard first, before anything is decided. Ordering begins with listening, not with a ready-made solution.
Can we plan the transition without moving straight away?: Yes. To order things early does not mean to act early. You can prepare the handover, secure your living through a right of residence or a usufruct, and choose the actual move later and at leisure. The plan is in place; the timing stays yours.