Downsize or stay put? Help for Orillia seniors who stay

Stay in your home if it still fits your health, your budget and your willingness to look after it, and if a few changes would keep it that way for years. Move when the stairs, the upkeep or the isolation have started making your decisions for you. Neither answer is right for everyone, and the decision is easier once you have put real numbers beside both.

If you stay, there is more help available than most Orillia homeowners use: two provincial property tax benefits, three tax credits for accessibility work and care, publicly funded home care, and a County of Simcoe repair program. Each is set out below with its current amount and where to apply.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm your own eligibility with the program, your accountant or your lawyer.

What does staying really cost?

Staying feels free once the mortgage is gone. It is not. Add up a full year before you compare it with anything else.

• Property tax. Orillia bills in four instalments, due March 15, May 15, August 15 and October 15. Use your actual bill.
• Utilities. Heat, hydro, water and sewer for the whole house, including the rooms you no longer use.
• Insurance. Ask your broker what changes if you are away for long stretches. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says you must tell your insurer if a home will be unoccupied for more than 30 days.
• Maintenance you now pay for. Snow clearing, lawn care, eavestroughs, window washing. Work you once did yourself becomes a bill.
• Big repairs. Roof, furnace, windows, driveway, and on rural properties the septic system and well. Ask when each was last done and get a rough price for the next one.
• The money tied up in the house. Equity that stays in the house is not available for travel, care or helping family. That is a cost too, even though no bill arrives for it.

What does moving really cost?

Moving has one-time costs, and they are large enough to plan for.

• Selling costs. Real estate commission, which is negotiable, plus HST on it; legal fees; and any mortgage or line of credit payout. The selling costs calculator estimates your net, and the costs of selling guide explains each item.
• Land transfer tax on the next home. If you buy again, Ontario land transfer tax applies to the purchase. Work it out with the land transfer tax calculator.
• Legal fees and other closing costs on the purchase.
• Moving, storage and clearing out. Movers, a bin or junk removal, and storage if the dates do not line up.
• New ongoing costs. Condo fees, land-lease fees or rent replace some of what you paid before. They do not make housing costs disappear.

Staying and moving, side by side

	Staying	Moving to something smaller
Up-front cost	Renovations, if needed	Commission, legal fees, land transfer tax, moving
Ongoing cost	Tax, utilities, insurance, upkeep, repairs	Usually lower tax and utilities; may add condo or lease fees
Equity	Stays in the house	Some is freed for income, care or family
Upkeep	Yours, or hired out	Less, or handled for you
Layout	Can sometimes be adapted	Can be chosen to suit the next 20 years
Disruption	Little	Significant for a few months
Reversible	Yes, you can still move later	Not easily

If the move would free up little money once you subtract what the next home costs, then money is not the reason to move, and the decision comes down to layout, upkeep and location.

What property tax help is there for Orillia seniors?

The help is provincial, and both programs are applied for on the ON-BEN form that comes with your income tax return. You must file a return to get them, even if you have no income to report.

Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant

Up to $500 a year toward your property tax. To qualify, as of December 31 of the previous year you must have been 64 or older, an Ontario resident, and have owned and occupied your principal residence, and you or your spouse must have paid Ontario property tax for the year.

• Single, separated, divorced or widowed: the full $500 at adjusted family net income of $35,000 or less. Above that, the grant is reduced by 3.33% of the income over $35,000, and it is gone at $50,000.
• Married or common-law: the full $500 at $45,000 or less, reduced by 3.33% of income over $45,000, and gone at $60,000. Only one person per couple can receive it.

Report your property tax paid on line 61120 of the ON-BEN form. The grant is paid four to eight weeks after your notice of assessment.

Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit

This credit is part of the Ontario Trillium Benefit and helps with property tax and the sales tax on energy. For the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year, the maximum is $1,488 for people aged 65 or older and $1,307 for those 18 to 64. The amount depends on your income and what you paid. It is based on your 2025 return.

Does the City of Orillia offer its own relief?

As of November 2026, the City of Orillia's property tax page lists no rebate or deferral program for seniors. What it does offer is a free pre-authorized payment plan that spreads your taxes over 10 monthly payments, February to November, which helps with cash flow. Late payments are charged 1.25% interest a month, so if you are struggling with a bill, speak to the City's tax office before the due date and ask whether anything has changed.

What tax credits help pay for changes to the house and for care?

Credit	What it covers	Amount	Who qualifies
Home Accessibility Tax Credit (federal)	Permanent renovations that improve access, mobility or safety, such as a ramp or handrails	Non-refundable credit on up to $20,000 of eligible expenses a year	Age 65 or older at the end of the year, or eligible for the disability tax credit
Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit (federal)	Creating a self-contained secondary unit so a senior can live with a relative	Refundable, 15% of up to $50,000 in costs, to a maximum of $7,500	A senior 65 or older, or an adult eligible for the disability tax credit, living with a qualifying relation
Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit	Eligible medical expenses, including attendant care, walkers, wheelchairs, bathroom aids and hospital beds	Up to 25% of claimable medical expenses up to $6,000, to a maximum of $1,500	Age 70 or older in the year (or a spouse who is), Ontario resident

A few details that matter:

• Home Accessibility Tax Credit. The home must be owned by the senior or an eligible family member and lived in by the senior. Routine repairs and maintenance, appliances, financing costs and work done mainly to raise the home's value do not count. The CRA says an expense that also qualifies as a medical expense can be claimed under both. The $20,000 limit is per dwelling per year.
• Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit. The secondary unit must have its own private entrance, kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area. A qualifying relation includes a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew who is at least 18. Only one qualifying renovation can be claimed for a person in their lifetime. It applies to 2023 and later tax years.
• Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit. It is reduced by 5% of family net income over $35,000 and is fully phased out by $65,000 at most. Claimable expenses are the amount above 3% of net income. It is claimed on Form ON479.

Keep every receipt, and ask your accountant which credits to claim and in what combination before the work starts.

Is there help with repairs and accessibility work in Simcoe County?

Yes. The County of Simcoe delivers Ontario Renovates for Orillia and the rest of the county. It provides up to $15,000 per unit to low-to-moderate income homeowners for urgent home repairs, renovations and accessibility modifications, and the County notes it is especially useful for seniors who want to age in place.

Intake is open year round. Funding is limited, applications are reviewed in the order they arrive, and you may be placed on a waitlist. The income and home value limits and the repayment terms are in the County's current application package, so get that first: call 705-725-7215 ext. 1119, email iah@simcoe.ca, or see simcoe.ca/ontariorenovates. Do not start the work before you are approved without asking the County whether that affects eligibility.

What care can I get at home?

Ontario pays for home care if you qualify, and there is no age requirement. Call Ontario Health atHome at 1-833-515-1234. A care coordinator assesses your needs, usually with a home visit, and builds a care plan with you.

Publicly funded services include:

• Nursing and therapy: nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, social work and nutrition support.
• Personal support: help with bathing, dressing, eating and toileting.
• Homemaking: housecleaning, laundry and shopping, generally only if you also receive personal support or need constant supervision.

Local organizations also run community support services such as meal delivery, transportation, adult day programs and home maintenance. The Province notes that some of these charge a fee. You can also pay private companies for more care on top of what you are assessed for.

How much funded care you receive depends on the assessment. Ask the care coordinator directly how many hours you can expect, because that number often settles whether staying at home is realistic. If it is not, read retirement homes and long-term care in Orillia.

Should I borrow against the house to stay?

Many long-time owners have a lot of equity and a modest income. Borrowing against the house is one way to turn some of that equity into cash without selling. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) describes the main options this way:

	Reverse mortgage	Home equity line of credit (HELOC)
Who can get one	Homeowners usually aged 55 or older	Homeowners who qualify with a lender
How much	Usually up to 55% of the home's current value	Up to 65% of the home's value
Payments	None required until the loan is due	You repay what you borrow and can borrow again
Interest	Usually higher than a mortgage or HELOC; it accumulates	Variable; it moves with market rates
When it is due	When you sell, move out, default, or the last borrower dies	Under the terms of your agreement
Main risk	Equity shrinks as interest builds; less left for your estate	You must make payments; your home secures the loan

FCAC lists the advantages of a reverse mortgage as no regular payments, keeping ownership of your home, and no tax on the money you borrow. The money does not reduce Old Age Security or Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits. There are costs: appraisal, set-up, legal and closing fees, and possibly a prepayment penalty if you pay it off early.

One point matters a great deal here. A reverse mortgage comes due when you move out. If you later move to a retirement home or long-term care, the loan and its accumulated interest are repaid from the sale, which leaves less to pay for care.

FCAC lists selling and buying a smaller home, renting, or moving to assisted living as alternatives to a reverse mortgage. Get independent legal and financial advice before signing either product.

Could a secondary suite help me stay?

It can, in two ways: rental income, or a place for family or a caregiver to live close by.

The City of Orillia allows up to four dwelling units on a lot. Its guide sets out three steps:

The City's guide also says the second and third additional units are exempt from parkland dedication and City development charges.

There is funding as well. The County of Simcoe's Secondary Suites Program takes applications year round, first come, first served. The County's housing programs page lists up to $50,000 per unit; the City's guide quotes $30,000, so confirm the current amount with the County. The program is aimed at affordable rentals and comes with maximum rents and tenant income limits, so read the conditions before you count on it. If the suite is for a parent or adult child, ask your accountant about the federal Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit above.

Becoming a landlord is a real commitment. A rented suite is covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, it changes your insurance, and it can affect the tax treatment of your home when you sell. Talk to your lawyer, insurer and accountant first.

What are the signs it is time to move?

Any one of these can be fixed. Several together usually mean the house has stopped working for you.

• You avoid the basement, the second floor or the laundry because of the stairs.
• There has been a fall, or a near miss, at home.
• Repairs, snow or yard work are being put off, or you are relying on favours to get them done.
• One of you has stopped driving, and the house depends on a car.
• You see fewer people than you did a few years ago.
• One partner is carrying the house alone, or would be if something happened to the other.
• The yearly cost of staying has you drawing down savings faster than you planned.

Timing matters too. People who move while they are well get to pick the place and sort their own belongings. Leaving it until a health event forces the move can mean a rushed sale handled by family under a power of attorney.

A simple way to decide

If you do decide to move and are thinking about the Orillia area more broadly, retiring in Orillia covers healthcare, transit and winters.

How Jordan can help

Jordan Rossman is a REALTOR® with Real Broker Ontario Ltd., Brokerage, and has worked in Orillia real estate since November 2014. He can give you a pricing opinion and a net proceeds estimate for your home with no obligation to sell, so you can compare staying and moving with real figures. If the answer is to stay, that is a fine outcome. Call 705-345-0797 or use the contact page.