Moving Closer to Family: A Downsizing Guide for Waterloo Region Parents

Nicole Schell, Broker and Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES®) with the Schell Real Estate Team in Waterloo Region, knows how hard it is to live far from family. Her own parents are far from her, and her sons are far from their grandparents. Missing birthdays, holidays, and the small everyday moments is a kind of ache that's hard to put into words.

Adapted from a social post Nicole originally shared in February 2025.

Why This Move Feels Different

Downsizing on its own is a big decision. Downsizing to be closer to family carries something extra. Being on your own when something goes wrong, a health scare, a repair around the house, an emergency, is harder without family nearby to help. That's the part that tends to weigh on people quietly, long before they say anything about it out loud.

What Moving Closer Actually Gives You

It's easy to focus on everything a move involves and lose sight of what it's for. Sunday dinners. Being at the games. Showing up for the small moments instead of hearing about them after the fact. Alongside a simpler, less stressful day-to-day life. For most of the families I've worked with, that's what actually made the decision worth it.

It's Worth Talking Through, Even Early

Moving closer to family in Waterloo Region doesn't have to mean uprooting everything at once or deciding today. It usually starts as a conversation: what a move would actually look like, what's realistic on your timeline, and what matters most to you in the next chapter. Having that conversation early tends to make the eventual decision, whenever it comes, feel a lot less overwhelming.

Questions Worth Asking Yourself

A few questions tend to bring the decision into focus:

• What would being closer actually change about your week?
• Which moments have you already missed that you don't want to keep missing?
• What's kept you from making this move so far?
• What would feel like "close enough" for you and your family?

If your heart has been telling you it's time to be closer to your family, I'm glad to talk it through, no pressure, no obligation. You can read more about my approach on the Downsizing in Waterloo Region hub page, or reach out directly whenever you're ready to start planning.