The process of selling a home may be stressful for anyone, but the elderly may find it particularly trying. It can be mentally and physically draining to downsize and organize the home where you’ve made memories for a lifetime.
Crucial choices must be made. If you’re relocating to a smaller dwelling, such as a condo, to an assisted living facility, or elsewhere, you’ll likely need to make some decisions about how to best organize and store your belongings. After that is done, you will need to get your house ready for the market.
In this blog post, we’ll go over some of the best practices for downsizing, including how to stage your house for a quick sale.
The Downsizing Process
Have a Plan: You’ll need to plan out how much time you can devote to going through your stuff. Set a goal to clean one part of the house every day or every couple of days.
Set a time limit so you don’t feel too overwhelmed, and start with a smaller, less cluttered space, like a spare bedroom, to make it easier to handle. Then, move up to harder spaces.
Categorize Your Items: Sort what you’re going to keep, donate, throw away, and sell into the appropriate piles. Using this technique can help you stay focused and efficient.
Ask for Help: You may find downsizing too big to handle alone. Employing a professional move manager could be a huge help. Senior move managers are experts at helping older people move to communities for seniors, so they know how hard it can be on them physically and emotionally.
They are a great resource for downsizing advice and can help you prioritize what to bring with you to your new place. Moreover, they can coordinate your move with movers, from packing to unpacking, to ensure that everything is in its place when you get to your new home.
The Selling Process
Hire a Real Estate Agent: Finding a good real estate agent is the most crucial step before selling your home. That being said, don’t just hire the first agent you find. Choose a market-savvy real estate agent and interview her to see whether she’s right for you. You should be able to trust the real estate agent to sell your property for top dollar. Talk to more than one real estate agent before choosing one.
Declutter and Clean: This is an important part of getting a house ready to sell because it’s the best way to make it look clean, roomy, and ready for new owners. Think about your home from the point of view of a guest. Does it feel open and friendly? Clear off things that have piled up on countertops, shelves, closets, and corners. If you need to, look into more storage options to keep your home clean.
Repairs: Make a plan for maintenance so that nothing slips through the cracks during the selling process. In this way, you won’t have to worry about sprucing up your house until it’s under contract. Maintenance responsibilities fall under this category and consist of things like mowing the grass, fixing minor things, and performing routine checks and cleanings once a year.
Curb Appeal: First impressions are important because buyers are quick to judge a home by its curb appeal. To get around this, consider planting vibrant flowers or giving your front door a fresh coat of paint. You can also ask your agent for advice on boosting curb appeal!