Should I Downsize My Home in Markham? A Right-Sizing Guide for Seniors and Their Families

Q: Who can help a senior downsize and sell in Markham?

Kirby Chan and the Kirby Chan and Co. Real Estate Team help Markham seniors and their families through every step of a right-sizing move: working out the numbers, coordinating the cleanout, preparing and selling the family home and timing it with the move to the next place. Reach Kirby at (416) 305-8008.

For many Markham families the house eventually becomes more than is needed: too many stairs, too much upkeep, too much space for one or two people. This guide answers the question directly, then walks seniors and their adult children through where to go, how long it takes, what it costs and how to get through it without the family falling out.

Written by a Markham Real Estate Expert

At Kirby Chan & Co. Real Estate Team, we regularly guide Markham seniors and their adult children through a right-sizing move. We have watched a couple in their seventies put the decision off for years because the family home felt impossible to tackle, then feel enormous relief once someone broke it into a plan they could follow. If that is where you are, this is meant to make the first conversation easier.

The Short Answer Should I Downsize My Markham Home?

If the house is costing you more in effort, money or worry than it gives back, yes. That is the whole test. Not your age, not what the neighbours did, not whether the market is up or down this year.

The practical version: if you are avoiding the basement because of the stairs, paying someone to maintain a yard you no longer use, heating rooms nobody sleeps in, or lying awake about what happens if one of you falls, the home has stopped serving you. Moving while it is still your choice, rather than after a health event forces it, is almost always the easier path.

If none of that describes you and you are simply wondering whether you should, the honest answer is not yet. Downsizing done early for its own sake is a move you may regret. Downsizing done when the house has become a burden is a relief. The rest of this guide is for people in the second group.

Not Sure Where to Begin?

Call Our Dedicated Downsizing Hotline

416-305-8008

No pressure, just a clear conversation

Quick takeaway: Right-sizing means matching the home to the life you want next, not simply having less. Decide the destination first, because whether you are going to a condo, a bungalow, a retirement community or a suite near family determines how much you keep and how much the move costs. Give yourself six to twelve months rather than six weeks. Give adult children specific jobs rather than open opinions. Prioritize single-level living over square footage. And bring in help for the heavy parts, from cleanout services to a real estate team that has sold long-held family homes before.

When It Is Time to Right-Size
Choosing Where to Go
Where the Bungalows and Condos Actually Are in Markham
Main-Floor and Accessible Living
How Long a Senior Move Really Takes
The Money Conversation
Involving Adult Children Without Conflict
The Emotional Side
Practical Steps and Local Help in Markham
Frequently Asked Questions

When It Is Time to Right-Size

The Signals Six Things Markham Seniors Tell Us Before They Move

The stairs have become a daily calculation. Laundry in the basement, bedrooms upstairs, and every trip is planned. Once you are consolidating trips to avoid the stairs, the house is already too big.

Maintenance has become a cost rather than a chore. Snow clearing, lawn, gutters, the furnace, the roof. When the answer to each is a contractor rather than a Saturday, the house is being kept for someone else's benefit.

Rooms have gone quiet. A four-bedroom house with one bedroom in use is heating, cleaning and insuring space that serves nobody. Markham's detached stock from the 1980s and 1990s is particularly large for this.

Worry has crept in. What if one of you falls. What if the other cannot manage alone. What if something goes wrong with the house while you are away. That background anxiety is a signal, and it is usually the first one a spouse notices before the other admits it.

Adult children have started hinting. Usually kindly, usually clumsily. It is worth listening to what is underneath the hint rather than reacting to the delivery.

The equity is doing nothing. A Markham detached home carries a great deal of value tied up in rooms you do not use. There is no single right age for any of this. The right time is when the home costs more than it gives, and moving by choice rather than after a health event almost always goes more smoothly.

Choosing Where to Go

The destination shapes every other decision, including how much you keep, what the move costs and how long it takes. Decide this first.

A Condo or Apartment

A condo trades a large home and yard for single-level, low-maintenance living, usually with an elevator, security and amenities. The trade-off is less space and monthly fees, so you keep only what fits and the fees become part of the budget. This suits seniors who want to lock the door and travel, or who no longer want any exterior responsibility at all. The specifics of a house-to-condo move in Markham, including what the fees actually cover and how to handle the space loss, are a topic of their own, and our guide to condo fees and downsizing is the place to start.

A Bungalow or Smaller Home

A bungalow keeps the independence and privacy of a house while removing the stairs and reducing the upkeep. It suits seniors who want their own front door, a small garden and no shared walls or condo fees. The trade-off is that maintenance, though less, is still yours, and genuine bungalows are scarcer in Markham than most people expect, which is covered in the next section.

A Retirement Community

Retirement and adult-lifestyle communities offer maintenance-free living with social connection, organized activities and, in many cases, optional care and support services. This suits people who want company and services rather than the isolation a large empty house can bring. Costs, care levels and contract terms vary enormously, so tour several in and around Markham and York Region and understand exactly what is included, what is extra and what happens if care needs change, before signing anything.

A Suite Near or With Family

Some families choose a home with an in-law suite or a legal basement apartment so a parent lives close to children and grandchildren while keeping independence. Multigenerational living is common across Markham and it works well when everyone discusses expectations, privacy and money openly and in advance rather than discovering the friction after the move. Our multigenerational living guide covers what to agree before you commit.

Where the Bungalows and Condos Actually Are in Markham

The Local Reality Markham Was Built Two Storeys Tall

Most of Markham's housing went up from the 1980s onward, and it went up as two-storey detached family homes. That is exactly the stock you are trying to leave, and it means a true single-level home is harder to find here than in older parts of the GTA. Knowing where to look saves months.

The realistic options are older bungalows in the Thornhill side of Markham, bungalow-lofts and adult-lifestyle townhomes in the newer communities, and condos concentrated in a handful of corridors. Each is a different search.

Original Bungalows: The Thornhill Side

The oldest pockets of Markham, north of Steeles between Bayview and Leslie, were built in the 1960s and 1970s and still carry a share of genuine bungalows and side-splits on wide lots. Bayview Glen, German Mills and Bayview Fairway are where these turn up. They are not cheap, because the lots are large and builders want them, and many need updating. But for a senior who wants a real house with no stairs and a manageable garden, this is the most reliable place in Markham to find one. Older streets in Markham Village and the heritage core of Unionville hold a few as well.

Bungalow-Lofts and Adult-Lifestyle Townhomes

Newer Markham communities including Cornell, Cathedraltown and parts of Greensborough and Wismer were planned with some bungalow-loft product: main-floor bedroom and bath with an optional upper level for guests or storage. These are purpose-built for exactly this move and they are worth understanding before assuming a condo is the only single-level option. The trade-off is a smaller lot, sometimes a condo-style road fee, and competition from other downsizers who have worked out the same thing.

Condos: Three Corridors

Markham's condo supply concentrates in Downtown Markham near Unionville GO, along the Highway 7 corridor, and in the Thornhill towers near Yonge and Highway 7. Downtown Markham suits seniors who want walkable errands and the Stouffville GO line to visit family downtown. The Thornhill towers put you close to the Yonge corridor and the Richmond Hill and Vaughan side of the family. Each corridor has a different feel and a different fee structure, and touring one building in each is a better afternoon than touring three in one.

Main-Floor and Accessible Living

Choose a Home That Works for the Next Twenty Years

When you right-size, think about the home working not just today but a decade or two from now. That means single-level or elevator-served living, a main-floor bedroom and full bathroom, wider doorways, a walk-in shower rather than a tub, good lighting throughout, and minimal steps at the entrances. Proximity to transit, shopping, family and healthcare matters more than square footage.

A home that supports aging in place means you may never have to move again, and that is worth more than an extra room you will rarely use. If a property you like fails on one of these, ask what it would cost to fix before you rule it out. A walk-in shower conversion is a modest job. Adding an elevator to a two-storey is not.

How Long a Senior Move Really Takes

Plan for This Six to Twelve Months, Not Six Weeks

The single most common mistake is treating a senior downsizing move like any other move. It is not. Forty years of belongings, a family home to prepare and sell, a destination to find, and a person whose pace has to be respected. Compressed, it becomes a crisis. Spread out, it becomes manageable.

Months one to three: decide and declutter. Settle the destination. Start sorting, one room at a time, beginning with the rooms you use least. Let family claim meaningful items with a firm deadline. This phase always takes longer than anyone expects and it should.

Months three to six: prepare and search. Address what the house needs before listing, which on an older Markham home usually means a few deferred items rather than a renovation. Begin looking seriously at the destination, whether that is touring communities or viewing bungalows and condos.

Months six to nine: sell and secure. List the family home, secure the next one, and coordinate the two closings so there is a sensible gap between them rather than a same-day scramble.

Months nine to twelve: move and settle. The physical move, the final cleanout, and the weeks it takes for a new place to feel like home. Build in time for this rather than treating moving day as the finish line.

The Money Conversation

Run the Actual Numbers Before You Decide

A Markham detached home sold and a smaller home purchased usually frees up meaningful equity, but the gap is smaller than people assume once you account for land transfer tax on the purchase, legal fees on both ends, moving and cleanout costs, any work the new place needs, and in the case of a condo, the ongoing fees. Have someone lay out the real figure for your specific situation before you fall in love with a destination, so the decision is made on the number rather than on the feeling.

Sell First or Buy First

For most seniors, selling first and then buying with a known figure in hand is the lower-stress route, because it removes the risk of carrying two homes. The cost is a possible gap between closings, which can mean a short rental or a stay with family. Buying first works when the destination is scarce, as genuine bungalows in Markham are, and when bridge financing is comfortably available. Neither is wrong. What is wrong is deciding under pressure, so make the choice early with the numbers in front of you.

Is Downsizing Even the Right Tool

If the reason you are considering a move is money rather than stairs or maintenance, downsizing is one option among several and it is worth comparing before you commit. Our reverse mortgage versus downsizing comparison lays out the trade-offs plainly. Selling a long-held home and moving has financial and sometimes tax implications, everyone's situation differs, and this guide is general information rather than financial or tax advice. Speak to your accountant or advisor before you commit to a plan.

Involving Adult Children Without Conflict

Clear Roles Prevent Most Family Friction

Downsizing strains families when everyone has an opinion and nobody has a job. The senior stays in control of decisions about their own home and belongings. Adult children help best when they take on specific, agreed tasks: one handles logistics and movers, another sorts a particular area, another researches destinations. Give family a chance to claim meaningful items early, with a clear deadline, before anything is donated or sold. When roles are defined and the senior's wishes lead, the process tends to bring a family closer rather than pull it apart.

Let the Senior Set the Pace

Well-meaning children sometimes push a parent to move faster or purge more than they are ready for, and that pressure usually backfires. The move goes better when the senior sets the pace, keeps the belongings that matter to them and feels ownership of the decisions. If you are the adult child reading this on a parent's behalf, the most useful thing you can do is help them find the plan, then let them run it.

The Emotional Side

This Is a Life Transition, Not Just a Move

Leaving a home where you raised a family and built a life is hard, and the belongings carry decades of memory. Give the process time and grace. You do not have to keep everything to keep the memories: a photograph of a treasured item preserves the story without the space, and passing furniture to a family member or a family who will use it lets it live on. When you are ready for the practical sorting, our decluttering and downsizing guide covers the keep, donate, sell and dispose decisions room by room.

Want Help Working Out What Your Markham Home Would Free Up?

Call Our Dedicated Downsizing Hotline

416-305-8008

No pressure, just a clear conversation

Practical Steps and Local Help in Markham

Bring In Help for the Heavy Parts

A senior downsizing move does not have to rest on one person. Senior move managers and professional organizers specialize in exactly this transition. Cleanout and junk removal services handle the physically demanding clearing. And a real estate team that has sold long-held family homes can coordinate the cleanout, staging and listing so the move is smooth from both ends rather than a series of disconnected jobs.

Where to Donate in Markham, and What They Take

Habitat for Humanity ReStore Markham at 7701 Woodbine Avenue accepts furniture, doors, windows, vanities, lighting and building materials in good condition. They are selective, and small quantities of some items, tile in particular, may be declined, so call ahead with a list before loading the car.

The Salvation Army Thrift Store at 9293 Markham Road in Markham Village accepts household items, clothing, books, small electronics and small furniture at the drop-off behind the store. Large furniture and televisions are not accepted at drop-off, so for a sofa or a dining set, arrange a pickup through the Salvation Army donation line rather than driving it over.

Diabetes Canada offers free pickup of clothing and small household goods across York Region. Working medical equipment and mobility aids are welcomed by community health organizations and some pharmacies. Acceptance rules change and pickup lead times run one to three weeks in busy seasons, so book early rather than the week before closing.

Selling the Family Home Well

A long-held Markham home is often in original or near-original condition, and that is fine. Buyers for these homes include families who want the lot and the location and renovators who want the bones. What matters is not renovating before you sell, which rarely returns its cost, but addressing the handful of visible deferred items, presenting the home as cared for, and pricing it against what comparable homes on your street actually sold for rather than what you remember the neighbour asking. We handle all of that, and we time it with the move to the next place so you are not carrying two homes or scrambling on one closing day.

Recognition

Kirby Chan Awards and Achievements

🏆 #1 Individual Producer in Ontario for eXp Realty 2023

🏆 Top 3 Best Rated Real Estate Agent in Richmond Hill

🏆 Toronto Star Platinum Award for Best Real Estate Agent

🏆 Top Real Estate Agent Award in Markham

🏆 2X ICON Agent Award with eXp Realty

🏆 2025 Community Votes Platinum Award, Thornhill

🏆 2024 Community Votes Platinum Award, Thornhill

🏆 2025 Gold Award for Real Estate Brokers in Markham

🏆 2024 Community Votes Bronze Award, Richmond Hill

🏆 2023 Community Votes Platinum Award, Thornhill

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I downsize my home in Markham?

If the house is costing you more in effort, money or worry than it gives back, yes. If the stairs are a daily calculation, the yard needs a contractor and rooms sit empty, the home has stopped serving you. Moving by choice rather than after a health event almost always goes more smoothly. If none of that applies yet, the honest answer is not yet.

How long does a senior downsizing move take?

Plan for six to twelve months, not six weeks. Decide and declutter in the first three months, prepare the home and search for the destination in the next three, sell and secure the next home in months six to nine, then move and settle. Compressed, it becomes a crisis. Spread out, it is manageable.

Where can I find a bungalow in Markham?

Genuine bungalows are scarce because Markham was built mostly as two-storey homes from the 1980s onward. The older Thornhill side north of Steeles, including Bayview Glen, German Mills and Bayview Fairway, holds original 1960s and 1970s bungalows on wide lots. Newer communities such as Cornell and Cathedraltown have purpose-built bungalow-lofts with a main-floor bedroom and bath.

Condo, bungalow or retirement community: which is best for a Markham senior?

It depends on how much independence, space and support you want. Condos offer low-maintenance single-level living with fees, bungalows keep house-style privacy without stairs, and retirement communities add services and social connection at a range of costs. Tour one of each before deciding rather than assuming.

Should I sell my Markham home first or buy the next one first?

For most seniors, selling first and buying with a known figure is the lower-stress route, at the cost of a possible gap between closings. Buying first makes sense when the destination is scarce, as Markham bungalows are, and bridge financing is comfortable. Decide early with the numbers in front of you rather than under pressure.

Where can I donate furniture and household items in Markham?

Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 7701 Woodbine Avenue takes furniture and building materials in good condition, though they are selective, so call ahead. The Salvation Army Thrift Store at 9293 Markham Road takes household goods, clothing and small items at drop-off but not large furniture or televisions, which need a booked pickup. Diabetes Canada offers free pickup of clothing and small goods across York Region.

Who can help a senior downsize and sell in Markham?

Kirby Chan and the Kirby Chan & Co. Real Estate Team help Markham seniors and their families through every step of a right-sizing move: working out the numbers, coordinating the cleanout, preparing and selling the family home and timing it with the move to the next place. Reach me at (416) 305-8008.

Contact Kirby Chan

Considering a Right-Sizing Move in Markham?

A senior downsizing move works best when it is planned with patience and the right support. We help Markham families through the whole transition: working out what the home would free up, coordinating the cleanout, preparing and selling the family home and timing it with the move to the next place. You do not have to carry it alone.

Book a Consultation

Kirby Chan | Kirby Chan & Co. Real Estate Team
kirby@kirbychanandco.com
https://kirbychanandco.com

Dedicated Downsizing Hotline

416-305-8008

Note: Housing options, community costs, care levels, donation acceptance policies and the financial and tax implications of a downsizing move vary by individual situation and change over time. Neighbourhood descriptions are general and availability of bungalows and single-level homes varies. This guide is for general information only and does not constitute financial, tax, medical or legal advice. Confirm donation policies and pickup availability directly with each organization. Consult the appropriate licensed professionals and tour any community carefully before making a decision.