The monotonous feeling of having to clean big spaces can be overwhelming.

By Joseph Wong

josephwong@thestar.com.my

There will come a time in life when homeowners get to choose between two options, depending on the path life has allotted for them – either downsize or upgrade.

When your children finally grow up and go off to college or move out on their own, all that square footage in your home can be mostly unutilised. Not to mention, the monotonous feeling of having to clean all that space can be overwhelming. Downsizing is the perfect solution for this group of homeowners.

However, in Malaysia, family has a different meaning to those of Western culture. Here, we practise multigenerational living where three or more generations live under the one roof. Family members come and go at various stages, so the home needs to be sizable enough to hold everyone but small enough to warrant easy maintenance. 

Baby boomers tend to go for luxury appliances.

Downsizers

This is not to say that downsizers are downgrading themselves. On the contrary, they are looking for ways to ease unnecessary burdens like house chores and enjoy life. Downsizers tend to be baby boomers so among the amenities they look for are:

• Functional space with well-design storage facilities
• Luxury appliances
• Good common facilities like wadding and swimming pools when grandchildren visits
• Wider corridors and doors, lower electric outlets and switches and fewer stairs
• Scenic environment
• Excellent security
• Ease of mobility
• Health and shopping venues are within a stone’s throw

Growing families would normally opt for a bigger place.

Upgraders

For most upgraders, the reason for the change is hinged on a growing family or that their property has become too small to contain the current size of their family members. Note that some are seeking to elevate their social standings by upgrading into luxury and high-end properties.

For the general upgraders, they are looking for these amenities:

• A bigger home to house the family members comfortably
• Functionality takes precedence over luxury
• Good common facilities that will be able to cater for all ages
• Good security
• Proximity to schools and institutions of higher learning
• Easy access to grocery shopping
• Low density
• Freehold title is preferred