When most people hear the word downsizing, they picture two choices: stay in the family home, or move into a nursing home. Those are not the only two choices. Here in our area, there are far more good options than most families realize.

About 20% of the population in Peachtree City and Fayetteville is senior. Builders and communities have noticed, and the choices for this stage of life have grown a lot in the last few years.

We helped a widow who had hip surgery and could no longer live alone. She needed assisted living, and the hardest part was not the move itself. It was letting go of her treasures and the memories attached to them. Her eldest daughter handled the sale, the house clean-out, and the downsizing, and we went at her mom’s pace. Once she moved into assisted living, she was enjoying a new community of friends.

Her story is why we want families to know their options before a surgery or a fall makes the decision for them.

Start With How You Want to Live

Before you look at a single home, think about what the next ten years should look like. Your answers to a few simple questions will point you toward the right option.

Are the stairs getting harder, or will they be in a few years?
Is the yard a joy or a chore?
Do you want to be closer to your children or grandchildren?
Would you like a social calendar built into where you live?
Are your health needs likely to change?

There is no wrong answer. A couple who still plays pickleball three times a week needs something very different from someone who wants support close by.

The Options Right Here at Home

Here are the main paths families in our area take:

A single-level ranch home on the regular market
A 55+ active adult community
A senior living community with independent living, assisted living, or memory care
Multi-generational living with family
Aging in place in your current home, with a plan

A Single-Level Ranch Home

Sometimes the right move is simply a smaller home with everything on one floor. No stairs, less yard, and a floor plan that works now and later. Peachtree City, Fayetteville, and Newnan all have plenty of one-story homes, and the good ones go quickly because buyers of every age want them.

If you go this route, look past the paint colors and think about the future: a walk-in shower, wide doorways, and a garage with no steps into the house all matter more than they seem to today.

A few neighborhoods where one-story homes are easy to find:

Everton Villages in Peachtree City. A section of Everton with newer ranch homes. Everton has two pools, a clubhouse, tennis and pickleball courts, and direct access to the golf cart paths. It is not age-restricted.
SummerGrove in Newnan. A large master-planned community with plenty of ranch homes. Residents have three pool complexes, a 100-acre lake, a golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, and direct access to Newnan’s LINC trail system. It is close to Piedmont Newnan Hospital.
Lora’s Place in Newnan. A small neighborhood of one-story homes on smaller lots, off Lora Smith Road near the Thomas Crossroads shopping area. It is not age-restricted, but many of the neighbors are 55 and older.
Stonebridge in Newnan. A neighborhood with a pool and tennis courts and a good number of ranch and primary-on-the-main homes, close to downtown Newnan and shopping.

55+ Active Adult Communities

These are neighborhoods for adults 55 and older, built around an active, social lifestyle. You own your home, and the community usually handles more of the outside maintenance. Here are the ones worth knowing about:

Cresswind Peachtree City. A 55+ community with a full-time Lifestyle Director, tennis and pickleball courts, and direct access to Peachtree City’s 100+ miles of golf cart paths. You can get to shopping, dining, and the lakes without getting in the car.
Lafayette Garden Homes in Fayetteville. A 55+ community of single-level, semi-attached homes. The HOA handles lawn care and exterior maintenance, and there is a community pool. It is close to the Fayetteville square and Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
Villas at Gingercake in Fayetteville. A 55+ community of ranch-style condos with walking paths and sidewalks, a few minutes from downtown Fayetteville, Trilith, and Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
Autumn Glen in Fayetteville. A 55+ community of brick-front ranch homes with sidewalks, mature trees, and streetlights, about five minutes from shopping and downtown Fayetteville.
Cresswind at Spring Haven in Newnan. A gated 55+ community by Kolter Homes with single-story homes and lawn care included. It has a lake with a dock for kayaking and fishing, a full-time Lifestyle Director, and the Club Cresswind clubhouse. It is close to downtown Newnan and Piedmont Newnan Hospital.
Twelve Parks 55+ in Sharpsburg. A newer 55+ community by Lennar with pickleball courts and open green space, close to White Oak Golf Club and a short drive to Peachtree City.
Sun City Peachtree in Griffin. Despite the name, this one is in Griffin, not Peachtree City. It is a Del Webb 55+ community with an 18-hole golf course, the 45,000-square-foot Club Peachtree clubhouse with indoor and outdoor pools and a theater, pickleball, tennis and bocce courts, walking trails, and dozens of clubs. It sits a little farther out, and it is often more affordable than 55+ communities in Peachtree City and Newnan.

The beautiful thing about these communities is that the friendships come built in. That matters, because isolation is one of the hardest parts of aging in a big house on a quiet street.

Senior Living With Levels of Care

Some communities in Peachtree City, Fayetteville, and Newnan offer independent living, assisted living, and memory care, sometimes all on one campus. You start in an independent apartment with meals, housekeeping, and activities taken care of. If your needs change, more support is available without another move across town.

A few retirement communities to know about:

Somerby Peachtree City. Independent living, assisted living, and memory care on one campus, with on-site golf cart parking so residents can still use the cart paths.
Arbor Terrace Peachtree City. Independent living and assisted living in Peachtree City.
The Claiborne at Newnan Lakes. Independent living, assisted living, and memory care in a wooded setting with nature trails and lakes, close to Ashley Park.
Village Park Fayetteville. Independent living, assisted living, and memory care on 23 acres off West Lanier Avenue in Fayetteville.
Wesley Woods of Newnan. A Life Plan Community with independent living apartments and cottages, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing all on one campus. If needs change, the next level of care is right there.

For many families, this is the option that brings the most peace of mind, because the next step is already planned.

Multi-Generational Living

More families are choosing to live together again: a parent moving in with an adult child, or the whole family buying a home with an in-law suite or a finished basement apartment. Everyone gets their own space, and help is close by.

This option takes some planning on the money and ownership side, since how the home is titled affects everyone down the road. That is a conversation for your attorney and CPA. If you don’t have one, reach out to us and we can connect you.

Aging in Place, With a Plan

Staying in the home you love can work. It works best when it is a decision you make on purpose, not the default because nobody brought it up.

Aging in place usually means a few changes to the house and some support lined up before you need it:

A bedroom and full bath on the main level
Grab bars, a walk-in shower, and better lighting
Fewer steps at the entrances
Help with the yard, housekeeping, or meals

You don’t have to line up that support alone. Fayette Senior Services offers Meals on Wheels, transportation, and in-home help for Fayette County seniors. In Coweta County, the county’s senior services offer Meals on Wheels and transportation for qualified residents.

The real question is whether the house can grow with you. If the bedrooms are upstairs and the bathrooms are hard to change, making it work may cost more than moving to something that already fits. We are happy to walk through that math with you.

What to Do With a Lifetime of Things

For a lot of families, the house is not the hard part. A lifetime of treasures is. Decades of furniture, photos, dishes, tools, and keepsakes, and every piece has a story. This is often where downsizing gets stuck.

That was the hardest part for the widow we mentioned at the start, so we were patient and let her set the pace.

A senior move manager helps with exactly this. They are professionals who help older adults and their families sort through belongings, decide what to keep, sell, donate, or pass down, and get settled in the new home. Most can help with some or all of these:

Sorting and downsizing belongings
Planning which furniture will fit the new floor plan
Arranging estate sales, consignment, donations, and haul-away
Packing and coordinating the movers
Unpacking and setting up the new home

They also take a lot of pressure off the family, especially adult children who live out of town.

One tip: get the floor plan of the new place before you start sorting. Knowing what will actually fit makes every keep-or-let-go decision easier.

If you need a senior move manager, reach out to us so we can connect you.

Life Here After You Downsize

Wherever you land, you won’t be the only one making this move. One in five residents of Peachtree City and Fayetteville is a senior, and our area has built a lot around that.

Fayette Senior Services runs two Life Enrichment Centers for adults 50 and older: one at 4 Center Drive in Fayetteville, and The Gathering Place at 203 McIntosh Trail in Peachtree City. Both host classes, programs, and social events during the week, so it is easy to stay busy and make new friends close to home.

In Newnan, Coweta County runs the Tommy Thompson Senior Activity Center at 29 Hospital Road. It offers arts and crafts, fitness classes, educational programs, health screenings, and day trips, plus lunch served Monday through Friday. Qualified Coweta County residents can also get free transportation to and from the center, which matters if driving is starting to feel like a bigger deal.

You Do Not Have to Decide Today

A lot of families stay stuck because choosing feels so big. We call it decision paralysis. The beautiful thing about a plan is you do not have to execute it immediately. Having a plan gives you agency, and choice.

The families who struggle most are the ones who wait until a fall or a health scare forces the decision. Then it gets made quickly, often by someone else. Exploring your options now, while you are healthy and in charge, keeps the decision yours.

How We Help

We are Tonya and Tom Byrd. Tonya holds the SRES® designation, the Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation, and is a Certified Keller Williams Real Estate Planner™. We walk you through every option, not just the one that sells a house. When you are ready, we help you sell your current home and find the right next one, and we connect you with the people you will need along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a 55+ community and independent living?

In a 55+ active adult community, you own your home and live independently in a neighborhood of people your age. Independent living is usually an apartment or cottage inside a senior living community, with meals, housekeeping, and activities included, and often with assisted living available on the same campus if needs change.

Are there 55+ communities in Peachtree City?

Yes. Cresswind Peachtree City is a 55+ active adult community with direct access to the city’s golf cart path system.

Are there 55+ communities near Newnan and Sharpsburg?

Yes. Cresswind at Spring Haven is a gated 55+ community in Newnan, and Twelve Parks 55+ is a 55+ community in Sharpsburg.

Is Sun City Peachtree in Peachtree City?

No. Sun City Peachtree is a Del Webb 55+ community in Griffin, in Spalding County. The name is a common mix-up. It is often a more affordable choice than 55+ communities in Peachtree City and Newnan.

Are there 55+ communities in Fayetteville, GA?

Yes. Autumn Glen, Lafayette Garden Homes, and Villas at Gingercake are all 55+ communities in Fayetteville with single-level living.

Is there a senior center in Peachtree City, Fayetteville, or Newnan?

Yes. Fayette Senior Services runs The Gathering Place at 203 McIntosh Trail in Peachtree City and a Life Enrichment Center at 4 Center Drive in Fayetteville, both for adults 50 and older. In Newnan, Coweta County runs the Tommy Thompson Senior Activity Center at 29 Hospital Road.

Are there retirement communities in Peachtree City, Fayetteville, and Newnan?

Yes. In Peachtree City, Somerby Peachtree City offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care on one campus, and Arbor Terrace Peachtree City offers independent and assisted living. In Fayetteville, Village Park Fayetteville offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care. In Newnan, The Claiborne at Newnan Lakes offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care, and Wesley Woods of Newnan is a Life Plan Community that adds skilled nursing on the same campus.

Do I need to sell my house before moving into a retirement community?

Not always. It depends on the community and your finances. Some families sell first to free up the money for the move. Others move first and sell once the house is empty, which can make it easier to get the home ready and show it. We can help you plan the timing of the sale around the move, and connect you with a financial advisor to talk through the money side.

What is a senior move manager?

A senior move manager helps older adults and their families downsize and move: sorting belongings, planning what fits in the new home, arranging estate sales or donations, coordinating movers, and setting up the new space. Many are members of the National Association of Senior & Specialty Move Managers (NASMM), the trade association for the field.

What is an SRES®?

SRES® stands for Seniors Real Estate Specialist. It is a designation for real estate professionals trained to help homeowners 50 and older with the housing, financial, and emotional parts of a move later in life.

When should I start planning to downsize?

Before you need to. The best time to explore your options is while you are healthy and can make the choice on your own timeline.

What does aging in place mean?

Aging in place means staying in your current home as you get older, usually with some changes to the house (like a main-level bedroom, grab bars, or a walk-in shower) and support services lined up before you need them.

Do I have to sell my home before I buy the next one?

Not always. There are several ways to handle the timing, and the right one depends on your finances. We can walk through the options with you and connect you with a lender or financial advisor.

Let’s Make Your Plan

If you or your parents are starting to think about what comes next, let’s talk. Schedule a Family Wealth & Housing Strategy Session with us, and we will walk through the options that fit your life.

Call or text Tonya at 770-823-5786, or email tonya@thebyrdgroup.com.

Your Downsizing Options in Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Newnan and Sharpsburg: A Local Guide for Seniors and Their Families

Start With How You Want to Live