Does the thought of downsizing to a smaller space make your head spin? The end result may be appealing. Downsizing often means less maintenance, a less expensive lifestyle, and a whole lot more freedom to pack up and go whenever you want.
But before you can enjoy the carefree lifestyle you envision, you must go through the process. This means cleaning, decluttering, updating, staging, and listing your home for sale.
The list of things to do seems endless. And the whole point of downsizing is to simplify your life, not complicate it. Is there any way to make things less overwhelming? A plan will help. Assembling a team to support you is even better. Where do you start?
Step One: Decide What Role You Want to Play
Your first step to a joyful downsizing experience is to create a flexible plan to keep you on track. At this stage, you’ll also decide how involved you want to be.
- Some people prefer to oversee each step but want help with the heavier lifting.
- Others want to handle everything themselves with minimal guidance.
- And some clients would love it if they could go away on vacation and come back when everything is finished!
Where do you fall on this spectrum? Everyone is different, and there is no right or wrong answer.
Do you want to know more about your options? Here are a few more articles from our downsizing series:
- Advice for Seniors Selling Their Family Home
- A Practical Guide To Downsizing
- Secrets Of Aging In Place
Why Choose a Done-For-You Service?
Full-service downsizing comes with numerous benefits. Leaving everything to the professionals isn’t just less stressful. You will also likely sell your house faster and at a higher amount than when you do it on your own. Trained experts go through this process every day and know precisely what to do and when to bring about the best possible results.
Passing off all or most of the hard work leaves you with more free time to plan your next steps. Instead of worrying about the endless details, you can enjoy the process of house-hunting. The good news is that, with the right support, there is nothing you have to handle yourself unless you want to.
The worst part of downsizing for most people is decluttering. It’s a tedious and agonizing process that can take weeks to do on your own. But your real estate agent can arrange for a professional to declutter your home from top to bottom in a matter of a few days.
You simply go through and choose what you want to keep. Then leave everything else in a pile or on the shelves for your cleaner to take care of. And this is just the beginning when you engage a full-service real estate team.
If your house needs a paint job or minor updates to stand out in the market, your agent handles it for you. We find the best tradespeople to do the job with the minimum cash outlay. During home showings, you don’t even have to be there. In fact, it’s often better if you aren’t because it allows potential buyers to feel more comfortable asking questions about your property.
Success is in Who You Know
Your list of personal and professional contacts is everything when it comes to a completely done-for-you downsizing experience. You’ll want to surround yourself with people you can trust to maximize the value of your sale and help you obtain a new home under the best possible terms.
For example, here are a few professionals you will want access to:
- Real estate lawyers
- Mortgage brokers
- Painters
- Staging companies
- Professional cleaners
- Movers
- Tradespeople
At first glance, this list may seem overwhelming. What if you don’t have an existing network? Not to worry – very few people have access to all of these experts. However, you can simplify everything by finding a trustworthy, local real estate agent. Once you’ve found your Realtor®, they can connect you with any reputable professional you may need.
What About a Power of Attorney?
If you have a close family member or a trusted friend in your network, you might consider asking them to become your POA (Power of Attorney). A POA for Property allows someone to take care of financial matters on your behalf, including arranging for the sale of your home and purchasing another.
Contrary to what you may believe, assigning a POA does not mean you have diminished capacity or cannot handle your own affairs. Sometimes, you just don’t want to. And if you’re going to hand everything off, you can trust your POA to take care of your best interests and get things done.
When downsizing, having the right people by your side makes a world of difference. Here are some ideas to start building your success team:
- What Is The Difference Between A Power Of Attorney And An Executor?
- Why Work With An Sres® Agent As A Senior?
- Why Working With A Local Etobicoke Realtor® Is More Critical Than Ever
The Benefits of Working With an SRES® Agent
Any real estate agent can help you sell your home to downsize to a smaller place. But an SRES® agent is uniquely qualified to assist seniors through their specific challenges when buying or selling property. This specialized training often means they are better suited to find the best solution for your needs.
Whoever you decide to partner with, always be sure that they will provide you with the services and follow-through you are looking for. The right real estate agent can turn even a challenging selling situation into a seamless transaction.
What Our Clients Are Saying
“After interviewing various agents, we chose Thompson Sells to sell our family home of 50+ years. We could not have made a better choice. They went above and beyond every step of the process, from assisting us to clear out excess belongings to preparing for and providing excellent staging, beautiful photos and brochures, strong online presence, hosting open houses to the sale and preparations for closing.
While the house was on the market, they kept us informed of all activity and helped us adjust to changes in the neighbourhood market accordingly. It was truly a full-service experience.” – Cheryl Law
“After a frustrating year of trying to sell my Toronto condo, I found Thompson Sells via a friend. I interviewed three agents and couldn’t be more impressed with the approach and services I received from Thompson Sells. They were super prepared for my interview and offered realistic advice. Their use virtual staging process was excellent. My condo never looked so good, and my first reaction to their draft listing was WOW!! Within a week of signing with the team, my condo sold for a realistic price during a depressing 2022 market.” – Judy Hodgson
“We just sold our Toronto Mount Dennis home with the Thompson Sells team. We contacted them several months before actually listing, and they kept in touch with us until we were ready to list, which we appreciated. The service of the Thompson Sells team is top-notch and exceptional value; beautiful home staging, professional photography and drone photos, layout drawings, pre-home inspection, window cleaning and packing supplies are just a few items included! We found them sincere and always honest. We chose to sell in arguably one of the most volatile times, and they offered sage advice to help us achieve our ultimate goal.” – Joey and Colin
When buying or selling, Thompson Sells is ready to help you every step of the way. We are here for you whether you need advice on the current market or want a completely done-for-you package. Reach out today at contact@thompsonsells.com or call 416-450-5900 for more information.
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