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Choosing where you want to live in later life is an important decision. There are many reasons why you may want, or need, to move home.
You might be thinking about moving because your circumstances have changed. You may want or need to move because:
If you’re struggling to afford your rent or mortgage, visit our debt webpages or call our Helpline for a benefits check.
For some people, moving home isn’t a choice – you may be struggling a sudden change in care needs, or may be getting evicted. Our Help with moving page has more information on where to get advice and support.
If you are thinking about moving, there are many housing options for you to consider. These include:
Think carefully – not just about what you need now, but also what you might need in the future. These are some important things to consider:
It’s a good idea to get advice, but the final decision should be yours.
If you can, try to see a property in person to get a feel for the home and the area before you decide to live there. If you're applying for a council or housing association property and need help viewing homes to check whether they're accessible to you, ask your council, a local disability charity or an occupational therapist for help. If you are renting privately or looking for a new home to buy, you may be able to get help with transport to view the property, for example, from a local disability charity.
If you want to move because your home isn't suited to your care needs, think about ways you might be able to adapt it. There are things you can change in your home that could help you, such as a stair lift or handrails. For more information, visit Home adaptations.
If you want to move from a council or housing association property, ask your housing provider about your options.
Under this scheme, you may be offered a cash payment to help you buy a property if you agree to give up your council or housing association home. You will usually be downsizing, because the aim of the scheme is to free up housing for larger households on the council waiting list. Find your local council – on Gov.uk if you live in England or Wales, or mygov.scot if you live in Scotland – and ask for details of schemes operating in your area.
Also known as 'mutual exchanges', these can help social housing tenants to exchange homes. This may mean moving to another area or a different type of home. You register to advertise your home and look at other properties.
To exchange homes, you must:
Depending on the nature of your tenancy, there may be other requirements.
Visit Shelter to see if you qualify (in Scotland, visit Shelter Scotland and in Wales, visit Shelter Cymru).
You can also register your details on exchange websites, such as HomeSwapper. The Shelter websites have details of other tenancy exchange websites. Keep in mind that some websites might charge a fee.
If you want to move into sheltered housing, ask your landlord for more information about local schemes and if they can make a referral or nominate you.
Moving home is a big upheaval and might seem daunting – but you can get help.
There are different ways to get help to cover the costs, for example:
For more information, see our Help with moving webpage.
To help manage the move, you can use a removal company. As well as helping you move your belongings, removal companies may offer other services, such as packing, storing unused furniture, disposing of unwanted goods and cleaning your home. Our Moving home checklist has more information.
Our Moving home checklist can help you work out what you need to do before, during and after your move.
See our Help with moving webpage for information about the support you can get to manage the move and cover the costs.
You can find contact details for your local council at Gov.uk or mygov.scot.
By calling Independent Age's free and impartial Helpline, you can get information and advice from one of our friendly advisers, or order our free guides.