Landscape
Downsizing - the pros and cons
Gill was interested about our downsizing experience, and asked if I’d write about it. It was certainly a mammoth undertaking for us, but I’m glad we did it when we did. It took a huge amount of planning and effort, and we don’t have the energy to do it now. Having said all of which, we’re delighted with the result, and just love living in our new, very much smaller home.
So this is the background. We came to Landulph in 2001, having fallen in love with the peace, quiet and beauty of the unspoilt countryside around Kingsmill Lake and the Tamar Valley. Our vision was to establish a wildlife haven on what was just over 4 acres at Kingsmill Farm. With Glyn Deacon’s help, we dug up the tennis court and created a pond. Steve Holman and David built beautiful tiered dry stone walling to retain the banks. To create a wildflower meadow, Glyn stripped topsoil from the paddock to impoverish soil quality, and sowed an indigenous wildflower seed mix with lots of yellow rattle. Large wild areas were left undisturbed, and trees and shrubs planted to provide nectar, pollen and berries, plus nesting opportunities.
To bring wildlife closer, we planted climbers on the house, made trellising and pergolas to provide cover, and hung numerous nest boxes. Also swallow, martin and swift boxes under the eaves. Around the house we made beds and planted for year round colour and interest, creating windowscapes for every aspect to give beautiful views when the weather kept us indoors. Gardening kept us busy, and it was a creative and aesthetic labour of love. Snowdrops, Eranthus, Daphne and Sarcococca were always the first to greet us each spring, followed by a sequence of daffodils, camellias, rhodies, Hamamelis, and cherries. Then summer brought Wisteria, irises, Alliums, Hemerocallis, roses, Trachelospermum, Agapanthus…..a long list of colour.
But some 20 years later we began to run out of steam. It was a hard decision, but there was no denying that the beloved garden was too extensive to maintain as it deserved, and the house was too big for us, and underutilised. When he turned 80, David wanted to hang up his tractor keys.
We considered some alternatives, including a modern flat in Plymouth with lovely views, near amenities, gym, and closer to Derriford. But losing the garden, the river views, the peace, beauty and quiet, plus leaving the wonderful local community, was just too awful to contemplate. So back of an envelope calculations decided us instead to upgrade the very tired, very small summer holiday cottage and move in there. It was very basic, having originally been constructed as a tractor shed.
Dark, tired sitting room
All this was during Covid, but the silver lining meant that Jason Reep was unexpectedly available and able to work on the empty property, replacing just about everything. New windows, French doors, floors, staircase, built in cupboards and wardrobes, shower rooms, kitchen, central heating, extensive insulation, plus PV panels and batteries. With his help, ideas and expertise, we have ended up with a very compact, low maintenance, light, bright, cosy, open plan home.
Light and bright sitting room with oak floor
Kitchen before renovation
Kitchen after renovation
It was a huge job getting rid of over 50% of our possessions to fit into the much reduced space, but we just kept the essentials. Covid made it harder, and whenever any delivery came in a van, we offered them free fridge, beds, furniture, pictures etc and gradually whittled down sufficiently to fit what was left into our new home.
Although there are beautiful uninterrupted views over the creek, the new little garden was a problem as it was on a pretty steep slope and tricky to tend safely. So Glyn and Steve terraced it beautifully, producing a small horizontal lawn suitable for a robot mower, plus stone walled terracing, a gravel garden area, then a wilder slope down to the creek. We recreated many of our favourite features - standard roses for eye level colour (and kinder to the knees), a wisteria clad pergola, Trachelospermum on the walls, a pond with water lilies and pickerel. Raised beds for ease of access and allow us to add better quality soil as the mix of shillet and clay is not ideal. We’re delighted with the result. it gives year round interest and colour, and is pretty easy to maintain.
Garden before terracing
Garden after terracing and planting
So for anyone contemplating downsizing, I’d certainly encourage them to start thinking about the pros, cons, and options sooner rather than later, as there’s a lot to organise. It’s daunting at the time, and stressful, but worth the effort. We’re on the right side of it now, and it’s been a great success and a huge relief. We now occasionally see our lovely much younger neighbours working hard and enjoying their new life in this beautiful haven. Long may it last.
© Valerie Taplin, March 2026, All rights reserved
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