最近的两项调查让行业观察人士感到意外，结果显示，许多家庭房主不再节俭，而是把房子扩大到平均2480平方英尺（约合2480平方米）的新房子（比去年增加了13%），有时甚至超过3500平方英尺。

Meanwhile, millions of baby boomer homeowners are rushing to downsize—with some 40 percent of Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 saying they’re planning to make a move within the next five years.

It’s a tale of two very different segments of the population making dramatic shifts in their living accommodations to find the housing solutions that best suit their needs: one upsizing while the other downsizes.

With so many baby boomers now nearing retirement age (8,000 Americans turn 65 every day), it should come as no surprise that the number of prospective “downsizers” exceed the number of “upsizers” by three to one. 随着子女的离去，这些上了年纪的房主希望减少他们需要照顾的房屋数量，并渴望用出售房屋的利润来增加他们的退休储蓄。

至于为什么许多家庭在经历了多年的缩小规模或原地不动之后，选择如此大幅度地扩大规模，专家们指出，原因是目前的利率极低，房价也有折扣，并推断，许多家庭现在对经济有足够的信心，可以搬出他们多年前就不再住的房子。

If you’re considering upsizing or downsizing, here are some facts to consider:

这样的举动会如何影响你的生活

裁员最常见的好处：

• 较低的按揭付款
• 低税单
• 降低水电费
• 更少的维护（和更低的维护费用）
• 更多的时间/金钱用于旅游、爱好等。
• 有更多的钱用于退休、还债等（卖掉你现在的房子的利润）

扩大规模最常见的好处

• 更多生活空间
• 更多的存储空间
• 更多的庭院/花园空间
• 有更多的空间招待朋友和家人

负面影响:

• Upsizing will likely increase your living expenses, so it’s important to factor into any financial forecasts
• 缩小规模需要你做出一些艰难的选择，哪些物品需要储存或出售

其他需要考虑的影响：

• 失去好邻居
• 生活方式的改变（步行、邻里购物等）
• 对你上下班的影响
• 公共交通选择

先买还是先卖？

Homeowners considering this transition almost always have the same initial question: “Should I buy the new home now, or wait and sell my current place first?” 答案取决于你的个人情况。 然而，专家通常建议先出售。

销售 your current home before buying a new one could mean you have to move to temporary quarters for some period of time—or rush to buy a new home. 这可能会给你带来压力和烦恼。 然而，如果你选择先买房，你可能会陷入两笔抵押贷款，再加上双倍的房产税和保险支付，这可能很快就会导致持久的财务问题。

If you need to sell in order to qualify for a loan, there’s no choice: You’ll have to sell first.

另一个选择:

你可以以卖掉你现在的房子作为购买新房子的条件。 然而，这种方法可能会让你在与卖家讨价还价时处于弱势地位（如果你能找到一个愿意认真考虑应急报价的卖家）。 此外，你可能会被迫接受一个低报价为您目前的房子，以及时出售它，以满足应急协议的时间。

The truth is, most home sales tend to take longer than the owners imagine, so it’s almost always best to finalize the sale, and do whatever is necessary to reap the biggest profit, before embarking on the purchase of your new home.

什么时候进行转换

Ideally, when you’re selling your home, you want to wait until the demand from potential buyers is high (to maximize your selling price). But in this case, because you’re also buying, you’ll also want to take advantage of any discounted interest rates and reduced home prices (both of which will fade away as the demand for homes grows).

你怎么知道什么时候是卖出和买入的最佳时机呢？ 问问行业专家：你的房地产经纪人。 作为一个每天都在关注房地产市场脉搏的人，他们可以帮助你评估当前的市场，并试图预测在不久的将来会发生什么变化。

Even if you’ve been through it before, the act of upsizing or downsizing can be complex. 对于提示，以及任何问题的答案，请随时联系温德米尔的经纪人。