Downsizing in Windsor, Ontario

Downsizing in Windsor: the basics

Windsor sits across the Detroit River from Detroit, and the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel is one of its crossings. The City is a separate municipality from Essex County, which surrounds it, so Windsor sets its own property tax and runs its own transit. If you are comparing Windsor with a smaller town nearby, see the Windsor and Essex region page, or the guides to Amherstburg and Kingsville.

Messages through Ontario Downsizing go to real estate agents on the operating team at eXp Realty.

Condos, townhouses and bungalows in Windsor for downsizers

A city this size has several smaller-home types: condominium apartments, townhouses and bungalows on a single floor. We do not name buildings or quote prices, because we have not verified either and both change quickly. What matters more is the ownership structure. A condominium means monthly fees and rules set by the condo corporation, and a freehold townhouse may avoid fees but leave you with more upkeep.

Read the home type guide and the condo buying guide before an offer, and decide whether to buy first or sell first. A lawyer should review the status certificate for any condominium.

Getting around Windsor: Transit Windsor and driving

Transit Windsor publishes schedules, maps and detour notices, and the City describes a Tunnel Bus service to Detroit. Senior fares and passes have changed in the past, so check the current fare table on the agency's site. We do not quote route numbers inside Windsor because we have not confirmed them against the current network. Test the trip from any address you like at the hours you would travel.

If you drive, Ontario licence renewal rules change at 80, and getting around Ontario after 65 explains them.

For daily life on foot, the City maintains a Riverfront Trail along the Detroit River. Check how far an address is from the trail, groceries and a pharmacy, because that is a better test than a neighbourhood label.

Hospitals near Windsor

Windsor Regional Hospital operates the Metropolitan Campus at 1995 Lens Avenue, which opened in 1928, and the Ouellette Campus at 1030 Ouellette Avenue, founded in 1888. Both provide acute care and emergency services. Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, on Prince Road, provides post-acute care including complex care, palliative care and rehabilitation. Windsor Regional also describes a system-wide plan that includes a new regional acute care hospital, so ask how it could change the campus you rely on. Our aging in place guide covers how to weigh care against a move.

Flood mapping and basement water in Windsor

Flood risk in Windsor comes from both the river and heavy rain on the sewers. The Essex Region Conservation Authority keeps an interactive map showing the limit of the regulated area and the 1:100 year flood line. It is for visual reference only and is not a legal boundary. The authority also posts flood forecasting messages, and Essex County and the authority have published draft shoreline natural hazard mapping for the Detroit River.

Basement flooding after heavy rain is a separate risk from river flooding, and the map does not show it. Windsor has run a Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy for items such as backflow valves and sump pumps. Ask the City whether the program is open and what it covers now. Ask the seller for water history, check the seller disclosure rules and get insurance quotes first, using our flood and storm insurance guide.

Property tax and land transfer tax in Windsor

Windsor publishes a tax deferral program for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities. It defers the year-over-year increase in property tax until the property is sold or passes to someone other than the eligible owner or spouse. The application we read set its deadline at the last day of February of the year after the tax year. Eligibility limits change, so confirm them with the City's tax office through 311 or [email protected].

Province-wide credits are separate and are claimed on your return: see costs and taxes. Your buyer pays land transfer tax on your sale, and Windsor charges no municipal land transfer tax. You pay it when you buy, as the land transfer tax guide explains. If you are selling a home you have lived in as your main residence, read capital gains and selling your principal residence, and use the net proceeds calculator.

Questions to ask before you buy in Windsor

• Which municipality sets the tax on this address, and what was last year's tax bill?
• Is the property inside the conservation authority's regulated area or near the 1:100 year flood line?
• Has the basement had water, and are backflow valve and sump pump in place?
• For a condominium, what do the status certificate, reserve fund and fees say?
• Which Windsor Regional campus would I use, and how do I reach it by car or bus?
• Does a Transit Windsor route serve this street at the hours I would travel?
• If I may qualify for the tax deferral, what are the current income limits and deadline?

When you are ready, contact us.