Stress: The Missing Link in Housing Policy for Older People

Housing policy often frames later life moves around push and pull.

• Push factors: homes that are too big, unsafe, or costly to manage.

• Pull factors: the attractions of retirement housing, new communities, or releasing equity.

Policy then responds with more supply, better marketing, or financial incentives.

But new research shows this misses the real issue.

The hidden barrier: stress

Churchill Insurance reports that 40% of people say the sheer stress of moving is the biggest deterrent. Not money. Not location. Not a lack of alternatives. Stress.

What does that look like in practice?

• Packing up a lifetime of possessions.

• Juggling solicitors, chains, and delays.

• Leaving neighbours and communities built up over decades.

• The emotional weight of leaving a family home.

For many, it feels overwhelming — so they stay put, even when the house no longer fits their needs.

Why stress matters for policy

If government wants to:

• Free up family homes for younger households,

• Reduce health and care costs by getting people into safer housing,

• Fill retirement housing schemes that remain under-occupied,

then stress must be part of the policy conversation.

Without tackling it, every measure to “unlock housing wealth,” “rightsize,” or “support ageing in place” will be horribly compromised.

Behavioural reality, not policy theory

We can’t treat this as a rational choice problem. Behavioural research shows people put far more weight on short-term pain (the upheaval of moving) than on long-term gain (a better, safer home).

That explains why well-intentioned campaigns, incentives, and even urgent health needs often fail to shift behaviour. Policy that ignores the psychology of moving risks throwing money at a problem without changing outcomes.

What works in practice

The good news: stress is not insurmountable. The right kind of support can make moving feel possible.

Home Improvement Agencies already provide that bridge:

• Helping with paperwork, benefits checks, and forms.

• Finding and managing trusted contractors for small works to help a sale.

• Preparing the new home with adaptations before someone moves in.

• Giving families reassurance and keeping the process on track.

This hands-on support addresses stress directly. It turns the theory of “downsizing” into a choice people can actually act on.

The policy risk of doing nothing

Ignore stress and the costs ripple out:

• Downsizing strategies underdeliver.

• Retirement housing sits empty.

• NHS and social care costs climb as people stay in unsuitable homes.

Recognise and resource stress support, and we unlock housing choices for older people — and make national policy actually deliver.

Time to close the gap

Policy makers have spent years focusing on push and pull. It’s time to acknowledge the third factor: stress.

Because until we do, housing policy for older people will remain stuck on paper, while the people it’s designed for remain stuck in homes they can’t leave.

👉 Full research here: Fear of stress is deterring potential home-movers – research