The elderly shouldn’t be pressured to downsize

SIR – Kate Graeme-Cook (Letters, February 14) questions the difficulty of downsizing for older people. For those of us who have explored this avenue, the problems are very real.

For us to downsize would mean paying a substantial amount of money in stamp duty, professional fees and removal costs. There are also the costs of redecoration. Any funds left over could be invested, but these would likely devalue over time in real terms, given the current low interest rates on safe cash deposits. In essence, we would be disposing of an appreciating asset in order to acquire another asset which will appreciate less.

There are other factors at play, too. We have marvellous neighbours, whose friendship would take years to replace if we moved; we know our doctors well, and I have a list of good local tradesmen. We have worked hard to buy and adapt our home, and to become part of the community.

I was only able to buy my first home by relocating from Kent to Lancashire. Younger generations should consider moving to more affordable areas before proposing the elderly give up their hard-earned homes. Peter Brunger Nottingham SIR – Can I encourage people to alert their parish councils to their local housing needs?

Ours did a survey of our village to determine the need for bungalows for downsizing, as well as the need for affordable housing for young people.

It then set about identifying suitable sites, gaining village approval, getting the sites into the local plan, finding a responsible house-builder and helping to move the process towards final planning consent. We hope to meet our needs within the next two years. John Ellis Abington, Northamptonshire