I'm single and an empty nester, so I decided to downsize. I made some compromises on my new apartment to save money.

• I've been divorced and sharing custody for five years, but my youngest just started college.
• Becoming an empty nester prompted me to reevaluate my living situation, and I decided to downsize.
• I had a few dealbreakers when choosing my new apartment.

When I got amicably divorced five years ago, I moved to a three-bedroom apartment across the street from my old neighborhood to make the 50/50 custody arrangement easier on our two school-aged kids. I loved mostly everything about my new abode, from the layout to the location.

However, as time passed, I noticed a few downsides, including thin walls, noisy upstairs neighbors, and rent that incrementally increased by a staggering $1,000 over the five years I lived there. This year, with my 21-year-old living with their dad and considering a move of their own, and my 18-year-old starting college three and a half hours away, I decided it was a good time to downsize.

I had a few dealbreakers when choosing a new apartment

I considered moving to a smaller apartment in my same complex, which would have made things easy. But I felt I needed a more symbolic break from my old neighborhood and my old life, especially now that physical proximity to my kids is no longer as much of a consideration as they forge their own lives.

I briefly thought about buying a condo or townhouse, but it's a very expensive metro area and current rates aren't great; moreover, I'm thinking of relocating to Europe in a few years to live with my long-distance boyfriend, so the timing just didn't make sense.

My search for a new apartment included a few deal-breakers: it had to be on the top floor to eliminate the chance of heavy footsteps or loud children above me, with a spare bedroom for visits from my kids and to double as a home office, and a balcony for some outdoor space. And it had to get decent reviews from current and former residents. In anticipation of a move, I followed the Marie Kondo method to purge belongings I had brought over from my former house and accumulated since, discarding or donating more than 25 trash bags.

I ended up moving to a top-floor apartment in a garden-style complex. It's a walk-up, so I need to climb three flights of stairs every time, but I figure it's good exercise, especially since I work remotely. And since I also travel and the kids no longer live with me, I'm not buying as many groceries as I used to, so there's less for me to haul up and down on a regular basis.

I now save around $1,100 each month, but made a few compromises to do so

My goal was to save $1,000 a month; to achieve that and secure the coveted top-floor location, I opted for one of their non-renovated apartments, which actually saves me around $1,100 a month in rent. It's admittedly a bit dated, with (albeit new) wall-to-wall carpeting throughout, aside from the vinyl plank floors in the kitchen and bathrooms, as well as yellowish oak cabinets and black countertops. I prefer to avoid the harsh overhead lighting in favor of softer lamps.

The biggest drawback is the kitchen, which has way less storage space and older appliances than the flashy stainless steel ones I had in my old apartment. I bought and assembled a baker's rack next to the fridge to store my cookware and Le Creuset, as I love to cook, and I definitely underestimated the importance of a state-of-the-art kitchen.

But there are upsides. My new apartment is definitely quieter, with no loud footsteps or audible music from inconsiderate neighbors. The living room features cathedral ceilings and a gas fireplace, and instead of a busy road, my balcony overlooks trees and a serene water feature (it's a retention pond, but still). I unpacked everything in three days and decorated soon after, to make it feel like "home" as quickly as possible.

The biggest adjustment is the location. Though it's 20 minutes away in an area I'm familiar with, it might as well be an hour. After spending a quarter of a century in basically one area, I'm feeling a bit like a new transplant. There's still a pho restaurant nearby (one of my favorite foods), but it doesn't hit the same as the beloved one in my old 'hood. But I do love having a Trader Joe's right down the street.

The move has been a wake-up call that I still have too much stuff, so I'll be purging even more, including mostly everything in the spare bedroom closet. I'm looking forward to spring when I can hang out on my balcony and walk to the buzzy lifestyle center nearby. I keep reminding myself that this adjustment is inconsequential compared to how unfamiliar and foreign a move to Europe will feel, and that this is not my forever home. But it is home — at least for now.