Empty-nesters are downsizing and want to be near their grandsons

Sam and Beth D’Angelo decided it was time to move on from the 3,000-square-foot detached home in Richmond Hill’s prestigious Mill Pond neighbourhood, where they’d lived for 28 years. They’d raised their two daughters, and Beth’s mother had lived in the basement in-law suite. They needed a change.
“The kids had moved out and were doing their own thing, and my mother-in-law had passed away,” says Sam (Salvatore) D’Angelo. “It didn’t make sense for us to be there anymore.” 
The search: A priority for the retired couple was being close to their grandsons in Aurora. They wanted the benefits of single-home living without the hassles of shovelling snow and lawn-mowing.
But a highrise condo was out of the question, at least for Sam.
“I’m not one for vertical living,” he says.
They were looking for a low-maintenance, detached bungalow, and had a budget of between $1.2 million and $1.5 million.
They wanted to move some place where they could age in place, without having to move again. The D’Angelos had experience caring for elderly parents. Beth had worked as a physiotherapist and as a senior policy advisory in long-term care for the Ministry of Health. 
They reached out to realtor Andrew Gibson, of Right at Home Realty/Just Bungalows, and told him of their desire for single-floor living in a detached home of 1,500 sq. ft. to 2,000 sq. ft., close to their grandsons.
What they bought: They purchased a 1,700-sq.-ft. brick, two-bedroom-plus-den bungalow at the Ballantrae Golf & Country Club in Stouffville, which ticked all their boxes. Luxury bungalows were built around the golf course 22 years ago and the lush greenery and gated entry to the neighbourhood made it “seem luxurious,” says Sam. As it’s a condo community, lawn maintenance and snow shovelling are looked after. And the home is just 15 minutes from their grandson.
The D’Angelos spent several months researching and visiting the Ballantrae development and fell in love with it. They contacted realtor Andrew Gibson and looked at various houses that came up for sale and narrowed their choice to two models before putting their old house up for sale. They wanted a view of the golf course, not of another backyard.
The bungalow, with finished basement, was an estate sale. A lot of its features “called to us,” says Beth. These included the high ceilings with crown moulding, similar to that in their Richmond Hill home, and the electric fireplace. She liked the functional kitchen with drawers, not doors, in the lower cabinetry, as this minimizes the need for bending over. The master ensuite bathroom had a tub and separate walk-in shower, which was a plus. Sam liked that the home had been updated with “big ticket items,” such as a new roof, air-conditioner, appliances and windows.
Although the grounds are part of the common elements, homeowners are allowed to plant gardens around their homes in Phase 1, where the D’Angelos live. Beth loves gardening, but can turn responsibility for her garden over to the lawn maintenance company, should she wish to.
What their agent says: Realtor Andrew Gibson says, while many of his clients start their home search in a broad area, then narrow it down, the D’Angelos had already decided they wanted to live in the Ballantrae golf development. Like many empty-nesters Gibson deals with, their top priority was proximity to their grandchildren.
“The D’Angelos were very specific early on,” he says. “There are about 1,000 bungalows in that development and the condo element appealed to them.”
While bungalows are in demand with buyers who are downsizing, not many have been built in recent years in Ontario, and the ones that have been tend to be long and narrow, Gibson says. As finding bungalows can be difficult, backsplit or sidesplit homes can be an option for these people, as there are fewer steps between floors than there are in two-storey homes.
“Bungalofts have also become popular,” he says. “They have main-floor master bedrooms, and some square footage in the loft, usually with one or two bedrooms, that could be a suite for a live-in caregiver.”
The verdict: A year after moving to Ballantrae, the D’Angelos couldn’t be happier with their purchase. They added potlights and a ceiling fan to the house, and will replace the main floor carpeting with vinyl-plank flooring.
“Moving here is the best thing we’ve ever done for ourselves,” says Beth.
“I feel we got the best of both worlds (detached home with low-maintenance living)” adds her husband.
The D’Angelos live in a golf-course community and golf is one of their pastimes; Sam’s an avid golfer and Beth is learning. They also enjoy walking to the local recreation centre — their grandsons love the pool — and participating in the extensive activities and social events offered within the community. They’re looking forward to exploring the nearby York Regional Forest trails.