One in two senior homeowners is under financial pressure, and 60% are prepared to use their home to finance their retirement.

Conducted by OpinionWay for Merci Prosper, the first edition of the Senior, Wealth and Inheritance Barometer reveals a much more complex reality: 47% of senior homeowners report being under financial pressure. Owning their home is no longer always enough to live comfortably; a majority of them say they are ready to use their real estate assets to finance their retirement, even if it means reducing the share passed on to their heirs, revealing an urgent need for tailored solutions.

Main lessons:

• 47% of seniors surveyed consider their situation complicated, have to prioritize every expense, dip into their savings or ask for help.
• 60% would be willing to use their real estate assets to finance their retirement
• but 93% are unfamiliar with partial sales
• 46% say they are ready to use the value of their home, even if it means reducing the share passed on to their heirs.
• 72% would make this decision in consultation with their children
• 36% could sell part of their property to finance their continued residence at home
• 32% to finance entry into a senior residence or nursing home

Senior citizen identity card under pressure

• Women first and foremost: 53% of senior female homeowners report being under financial pressure at the end of the month.
• “Younger seniors” more exposed: those aged 60-64 appear more financially vulnerable (53%) than those over 80 (32%).
• Low incomes severely affected: more than 8 out of 10 seniors earning less than €24.000 per year report being under financial pressure.
• Single people more vulnerable: single, widowed or divorced seniors appear more exposed to financial difficulties (56%).
• Significant territorial disparities: some regions, such as the Grand Est (59%), show levels of financial pressure higher than the national average.
• Greater pressure in rural areas: 53% of senior homeowners living in rural areas report being under financial pressure (37% in Paris).

According to Thibault Corvaisier, co-founder of Merci Prosper: “Our Seniors, Wealth and Inheritance Barometer has two missions. First, to move beyond the caricature of this generation, to show the diversity of circumstances, trajectories and realities encompassed by these 14 million French people who are too often pigeonholed. And second, to track the evolution over time of their financial well-being, their relationship to real estate and the transfer of their wealth. The objective: to dispel preconceived notions about French senior homeowners.”

Myth #1: "Homeowners are financially secure"

1 in 2 senior homeowners are under financial pressure

Seniors are often perceived as a privileged generation, and homeowners as financially secure. However, the reality is far more complex. When asked about their financial situation at the end of the month, nearly one in two senior homeowners reports feeling under pressure (47%). 42% consider their situation complicated and have to prioritize every expense, while 5% dip into their savings or rely on outside help. Faced with a decrease in purchasing power or an unexpected expense, the vast majority would reduce their leisure activities and spending or dip into their savings (94%), and nearly half would take out a consumer loan (49%). Real estate then emerges as a key tool: a third would consider using their home to get out of this situation (32%), whether by selling to buy a smaller property, moving to a rental (26%), or using a specific mechanism such as a life annuity (6%).

For Thibault Corvaisier: "These figures reveal a little-known reality: owning one's home no longer protects against financial insecurity. Thousands of senior homeowners live with significant real estate assets but lack the liquidity to cope with unforeseen events or maintain their standard of living."

Myth #2: "Seniors refuse to touch their assets"

The paradox: ready to use their assets... but without knowing the solutions

In principle, nearly half of senior homeowners say they are willing to use the equity in their property to finance their retirement (46%), even if it means reducing the share passed on to their heirs. This figure rises to 60% if they had at least one concrete reason to sell part of their property. Their main motivations would be to finance future loss of independence at home, such as home care services or home modifications, for 36% of them. Next comes financing a move to a care facility, such as a senior residence or nursing home, for 32%. A quarter of the seniors surveyed also cited financing significant healthcare expenses (26%), such as treatments, equipment, or out-of-pocket costs. Financially supporting their children while they are still alive motivates 20% of them, while 16% would like to supplement their income or make ends meet. Facing separation, widowhood, or a change in family circumstances would affect 14% of respondents, and 12% would build up emergency savings through the partial sale of their property. Finally, 10% would use it to finance energy-efficient renovations, 7% a discretionary project such as a trip or a car, and 5% to repay a loan or reduce debt.

But this intention runs up against a major paradox: 93% of senior homeowners are unaware of partial sales, the very solution that allows them to access their assets without leaving their homes or foregoing inheritance. Conversely, traditional methods still dominate: 95% of seniors are familiar with life annuities, and more than half with reverse mortgages, solutions that are often complex and even risky in their financial operation.

Myth #3: "Passing something on means not touching what is good."

Financing your retirement… without sacrificing inheritance

In the next decade, France will experience a veritable "great transfer": nearly a quarter of household wealth will change hands. The baby boom generation, which holds a large share of real estate assets, will gradually trigger an unprecedented wave of inheritances.

In a country where 70% of people over 60 own their primary residence (INSEE), the question of monetizing assets is becoming crucial. While 81% of seniors remain committed to passing their property on to their heirs, this commitment is evolving: 46% say they are willing to use the value of their home, even if it means reducing the share they pass on. Specifically, 38% would consider selling part of their primary residence. Among them, 72% would make this decision in consultation with their children, demonstrating that these choices are now part of a family dynamic. More precisely, 44% would only do so with their children's agreement, and 28% would simply inform them of their plans.

For Thibault Corvaisier: “The real issue today isn’t seniors’ desire to use their assets, but the lack of clarity surrounding the available solutions. In this uncertainty, some may turn to schemes ill-suited to their situation. Housing is no longer simply an asset to be passed on, but is becoming a tool for financing aging. Partial sales enjoy a favorable opinion level close to that of life annuities, even though they are 15 times less well-known. This proves that once informed, seniors understand the value of this tailored solution, which allows them to sell only what they need, without losing everything. The stakes aren’t just financial. They’re also social: enabling seniors to live with dignity.”

Tips

A partial sale involves selling a share of your home to obtain a sum of money, while continuing to live there entirely on your own (you do not share your home). This partial sale is carried out before a notary. This arrangement is neither a loan nor a life annuity (there is no uncertainty regarding the seller's lifespan).

Methodology : The "Seniors, Assets and Inheritance" barometer, conducted by OpinionWay for Merci Prosper, was carried out online between April 13 and 20, 2026, among a representative sample of 1003 people aged 60 and over who owned their homes. The representativeness of the sample was ensured using the quota method based on the following criteria: gender, age, region of residence, size of urban area, and socio-professional category.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.