When to Downsize

Your house is quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator or the voices from the TV. The rooms are filled with pictures and memories, but the children have grown and gone. You spend hours each week cleaning rooms you never use. Are you an “empty-nester” who needs a house for the future? Is it time to downsize or to move into another home more suitable for your retirement years? Here are some tell tale signs:

Getting it Sold

Once you have decided to sell and move, take a critical look at your current home. Even the best-maintained homes begin to show age.

Before you list your home for sale, be sure it’s in “move-in” condition. Make needed repairs and replacements so the house will show at its best.

Remember, homes that sell fastest and for top dollar show like a model home and are merchandised like a model, too. How does your home compare with other homes for sale, including new homes? Do you want to undergo major renovations, or would you prefer to make price concessions to help your home compete?

Here are some specific questions to ask yourself:

Price is one answer. If you’ve owned your hoe for years, chances are good you’ve got some serious equity. Perhaps you can afford to be flexible on price in order to get it sold. After all, to get the best possible sale today, a house must be in tip-top condition in every way: price, condition, terms and exposure. That’s where we come in. Give us a call.

How You Know it’s Time to Move

Reason #10: When you first bought the house, you were out in the country, but now that same house is part of the city scene.

Reason #9: You can’t get anything repaired because “they stopped making those parts years ago.”

Reason #8: The swing set out in the backyard has grown roots.

Reason #7: The plumber’s phone number is on your speed dial.

Reason #6: You’re on a first-name basis with the handyman.

Reason #5: The children’s rooms have all been turned into guest bedrooms.

Reason #4: The newspaper lining the guest room dresser is dated July 4th, 1976.

Reason #3: You have to move the furniture to see the carpet’s original color.

Reason #2: You can’t do anything to the exterior of your home without getting approval from the “Board of Historic Places”.

Reason #1: You haven’t visited half the house in the last six months