The property ladder is a great metaphor. Everyone understands it, and the image it evokes – of someone clambering cautiously from rung to rung – captures well what the home ownership journey feels like.
There’s just one snag – it implies the only valid direction is up. This is why people often use “move up” and “move” interchangeably, and why those of us who like to spend rainy Sunday afternoons scrolling through property portals may be subconsciously thinking “bigger is better”.
But as with an actual ladder, there’s a time when you need to come down, rather than go up.
Shorts
Why some people are downsizing earlier
