Start with the routine, not the square footage.
List the rooms you use every day, the belongings you want to keep, and the work you would like to stop doing. A smaller home with the wrong layout can still be a difficult fit.
Walk the whole route.
Check the path from parking to the entry, then the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and laundry. Verify steps, thresholds, door widths and elevator access in person. A listing’s first-floor label is not an accessibility assessment.
Compare the full monthly cost.
Put mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, HOA dues, utilities and maintenance side by side. Review HOA responsibilities and documents before relying on lower upkeep. Your lender and insurers can help replace estimates with quotes.
Give belongings and timing a plan.
Choose what to keep before measuring the next home. Allow time for organizing, moving and any overlap between homes. Discuss sale contingencies and possession dates early, then verify the written terms with your advisers.