The kids are launched. The 4-bedroom house with the bunk-bed room nobody's slept in for years suddenly feels like more than you need — more maintenance, more upkeep, more property tax than makes sense anymore.

If that's you, you're not alone. Recent data shows empty-nest homeowners nationally own nearly twice as many large homes as they statistically need — holding 28% of the country's large housing stock, while young families with kids own just 16%. The mismatch is real, and more empty nesters are finally acting on it.

But here's the question that trips people up: should you downsize before you move to St. Johns County, or move first and sort everything out once you're settled? Here's the honest breakdown.

The most important insight in that data: regret, when it happens, is almost always emotional — missing a community — not financial. Nobody in this data set regretted the money. That's a meaningful signal for how to think about your own timing decision.

Approach A: Downsize First, Then Move

This means decluttering, right-sizing, or even selling your current home and moving into something smaller before you relocate to St. Johns County — either staying local briefly in a smaller place, or going straight through to Florida with a fully pared-down household.

The case for this approach:

The trade-off: Decluttering decades of accumulated belongings while still living among them is genuinely hard — decision fatigue is real, and rushing it can mean giving away things you'll wish you'd kept.

Approach B: Move First, Downsize After

This means buying your St. Johns County home while your current household is still relatively intact, moving everything (or most of it), and sorting through belongings once you're settled in Florida.

The case for this approach:

The trade-off: Higher moving costs upfront, since you're paying to transport items you may ultimately discard, and a temporary period of a too-full house in your new home.

The Financial Piece You Need to Understand Either Way

Regardless of timing, one tax rule matters enormously for empty nesters selling a long-held family home: the Section 121 capital gains exclusion allows you to exclude up to $250,000 in profit (single) or $500,000 (married filing jointly) from capital gains tax when selling your primary residence.

This exclusion hasn't been adjusted since 1997, even as home values have climbed dramatically in many markets. If you've owned your home for decades in a high-appreciation area — much of the Northeast qualifies — your gain could exceed that exclusion, meaning a portion of your sale proceeds could be taxable. This is worth reviewing with a CPA before you list, regardless of which downsizing approach you choose, since it can affect how much net equity you actually have to work with in St. Johns County.

A realistic equity example: Selling a $700,000 home and purchasing a $450,000 right-sized St. Johns County home frees up roughly $200,000–$250,000 in liquid capital after selling costs — money that can fund retirement accounts, travel, grandchildren's education, or simply a larger cushion. It also typically reduces your monthly housing costs by $1,500–$2,500 per month, or $18,000–$30,000 per year in combined mortgage, tax, and insurance savings.

How St. Johns County New Construction Makes This Easier

One practical advantage for empty nesters relocating here specifically: newer St. Johns County communities like Nocatee, SilverLeaf, and Beacon Lake offer a wide range of right-sized floor plans — 2-bedroom-plus-den layouts, single-story designs, and 55+ communities purpose-built for exactly this life stage — meaning you're not forced to choose between "too big" and "too small." The right size genuinely exists here, at every price point.

One adjustment worth planning for either way: Florida homes don't have basements, due to the high water table. If you're used to basement storage, plan your downsizing — whenever you do it — around garage space, attic access, and closet capacity rather than assuming a basement-equivalent will exist in your new home.

The Honest Recommendation

There's no universally right answer, but the data points toward a hybrid approach for most people:

  1. Do a light first pass before you move — donate or sell obvious excess (furniture that won't fit, duplicates, things you haven't used in years) to reduce moving costs and mental clutter.
  2. Don't force final decisions on sentimental items before the move — the regret data shows people miss their community, not specific possessions, so there's little cost to bringing sentimental items and deciding later.
  3. Let your new home's layout guide the second pass — once you're settled in St. Johns County, you'll know exactly what fits and what doesn't, and that clarity makes the second round of downsizing far less emotionally taxing than trying to guess in advance.

Ready to Find Your Right-Sized Home?

I work with empty nesters relocating to St. Johns County every week — helping you find a floor plan that fits your next chapter, and connecting you with local resources for both the financial and physical sides of downsizing.

Call or text Gail DeMarco: 904-640-8000
St. Johns County Relocation Specialist
Serving Nocatee, SilverLeaf, Beacon Lake, Del Webb Saint Johns, and all of St. Johns County, FL

Survey data and financial figures reflect 2026 estimates from Rocket Mortgage, Redfin, and public tax guidance. Individual results vary. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax or financial advice — consult a qualified CPA regarding your specific situation.