Downsizing Near Family in Gresham & Portland

What downsizing near family looks like

One level, a bedroom and a bath you can reach without stairs, a kitchen sized for two, and a front door that opens onto your kids' yard. The house that took a weekend to clean becomes a home that takes an hour. For most families, the sale of the big house covers the new one with money left over, and the new home stays in the family as part of the property. Joel hears this plan from homeowners in their seventies more often every year.

"A lot of them are totally good with downsizing. They're like, this house is too big for me."Joel Kastel, on the homeowners who call GenTerra

Three ways to downsize with us

An ADU on a family member's property. The most common choice. A detached unit in a child's backyard, built as an aging-in-place home from the start. See ADUs.
A small new house on your own lot. If you own land or want to buy a small lot, we build a single-level home sized for two people, with a no-step entry and a walk-in shower.
A cottage in a cluster. Oregon's middle-housing law lets several small homes share one lot and a courtyard. GenTerra built the first approved cottage cluster in Gresham. See cottage clusters.

What a downsized home from GenTerra includes

Every small home we build for a senior gets the same list: a flush entry with no step, 36 inch doorways, a bedroom and full bath on the main level, a curbless shower with a bench and grab bar blocking in the walls, lever handles, and bright, even lighting. These are the details that decide whether a home still works at eighty-five, and they are cheap to include when they are in the plan.

Single-level living space with windows on two sides

Curbless glass shower with open shelving

How it works

Talk it through

A conversation with Joel about where you want to live, who owns the lot, and what your current house is worth. You leave with a clear picture of what is possible.

Check the lot

Joel visits the property, confirms what the city allows, and shows you where a home fits.

Design and permit

An architect draws a plan sized for your life. Joel handles the permit set and the city.

Build and move

One crew, one schedule. Many families sell the big house while the small one is under construction.

Common questions

Can I build on my daughter's or son's property?

Yes. In Oregon, a homeowner can add an ADU on a residential lot and the owner does not need to live in the main house. Your child owns the lot and the new unit; families usually set the arrangement out in writing with their own attorney.

How small is too small?

Joel's rule of thumb is that 400 square feet is plenty for one older person, and 500 to 600 for a couple. The layout matters more than the number.

Can we start with a few changes to the current house instead?

Yes. Our aging-in-place work does exactly that, and it is often the first step. Joel will tell you plainly if the house is worth adapting or if a smaller home makes more sense.

A home that fits, next to the people you love