These Chicago boomers are saying goodbye to big homes
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Mark and Kathy Swartzendruber "couldn't be happier" with their Sauganash Park house that boasts a yard, a tree-lined street — and just over a third of the square footage of their old place.
Why it matters: With empty nesters hogging family-sized homes, we're talking to some Chicagoans who have downsized or are thinking about it.
The Swartzendrubers, who left behind a four-bedroom Albany Park home last year, put 50% down and still had funds left over from the sale to add a two-car garage and remodel the smaller pad's bathrooms, among other improvements.
What they're saying: "Think about where you really spend your time at home. For us, it's my home office and the kitchen," Mark Swartzendruber says.
- The 61-year-old tells Axios the couple considered moving to the suburbs but "the combination of higher taxes and higher interest rates wouldn't be a downsize in cost."
Reality check: Many older people are on fixed incomes, and those who own homes are often staying put because they're mortgage-free or have a low interest rate.
- Baby boomers with empty nests own nearly a quarter of the Chicago metro's homes that offer at least three bedrooms, according to a recent Redfin report.
Housing costs aren't the only challenge. Purging or packing decades of belongings can be overwhelming.
- It's why Linda Leahy hired someone to help sift through her and her late husband's stuff before buying a one-bedroom Near North Side condo. "Eleven years and a second late husband, I need her," Leahy tells Axios.
- "Getting older and having fewer brawny young male friends who will trade a few beers for some heavy lifting limits possibilities, unless a deep pocketbook is at hand," says Christine Struminski, who lives in the Loop.
The latest: More seniors are ditching homeownership entirely, with some moving into swanky apartments loaded with pools and other perks.
- Others are seeking homes that feature aging-friendly designs such as single-level floor plans, shower seats and handheld showerheads.
The bottom line: "I'm tired of the maintenance and upkeep that is necessary with this large of a home," says Deborah Murphy, who's parting ways with her three-bedroom Rockford home because she wants to travel.