Downsizing

Downsizing is hard. It’s hard to leave a home where you may have raised your family. It’s hard to cull through all your stuff. It’s hard to think about the reasons why your current home no longer suits your life.

Even if you aren’t ready to downsize quite yet, it’s a good idea to start the conversation. You never want to wait until you have to move to begin planning. We often start the downsizing conversation months and even years before our clients are actually ready to list their home. Planning ahead reduces stress and gives you the most options. There are several steps in the process and we help our clients navigate all of them.

We start by asking where do you want  to move to? Are you planning to buy a new, age appropriate home or will you rent? If you are buying, will you need the proceeds from the sale of your current home to pay for the new home or can the purchase be non-contingent? If you are planning to purchase a new home, we evaluate which will be harder - finding that house or selling the current one? If you plan to rent, we ask if you have a place in mind and are you on a waiting list as that will determine the timing of listing your property.

Once we have a game plan for where you are going, then we focus on what happens before listing your home.  At this point, we might recommend decluttering/pre-packing and depending on the condition of the home, it might be a good idea to have a pre-listing inspection to get in front of any possible objections. Sometimes our clients enlist the help of professional organizers and movers and if you want, we will refer you to reputable service providers. We will not ask you to do more than you can realistically do.

The downsizing process can feel overwhelming but we work with you every step of the way providing you guidance on what you need to worry about at each stage. Bottom line, we get that downsizing comes with a lot of emotion. We know it’s not always an easy or happy process but we are committed to making it as easy and pleasant as possible for you.

Ready to start the downsizing conversation? Let’s chat!

Photo credit: iStock.com/LightFieldStudios