Downsizing Guide. Easy Transitions. Downsizing and Selling Your Home From Daunting to DONE! For a personal consultation on how to

Transcription

1 Easy Transitions Downsizing Guide Downsizing and Selling Your Home From Daunting to DONE! For a personal consultation on how to Downsize & Sell Your Home the Easy Way Please contact Sell Mom s House at

2 DOWNSIZING STRATEGY & PLANNING GUIDE 1) MAKE A PLAN Think in terms of categories starting with what to keep, give, or toss. Resist storage, but it s OK to have a Not Sure category that you will go through at the end when it is easier, once your necessities and important possessions are handled. Refer to downsizing funnel that follows. CATEGORY Every Day Essentials TIPS Important and functional items necessary for comfort Memories & Keepsakes These are a few of your favorite things Give-away items Decide what you re not keeping Allocate by destination Your new location, family, friends, storage, charity, consignment, yard sale and trash How it gets there Timing Resources (muscle) friends and family, movers Make a list by week of items to move Tip: Take photos before you begin downsizing as a keepsake / record 2) IMAGE YOUSELF & YOUR STUFF IN NEW LOCATION vs. PRESENT LOCATION Draw a floor plan, be realistic. Remember it s called Downsizing for a reason. Manage with less. Keep one or two best items and get rid of the rest. Compare: PRESENT LOCATION NEW LOCATION # Rooms Square Feet Garage / Shed Attic Offsite Storage

3 3) START WITH THE BASICS & RELAX, YOU RE ON YOUR WAY! THINK FUNCTIONAL LIVING - PACK THE ESSENTIALS THEN YOU RE READY. KEEP YOUR BEST ITEMS IN A CATEGORY JUNK, SELL OR GIVE THE REST AWAY CATEGORIES & TIPS Kitchen - you probably have duplicates Either pack the keepers, or only use the keepers and pack or label rest for yard sale / giveaway / charity/toss Furniture - Keep the best & items with sentimental value Be realistic about what will fit. Consider treating yourself with some new furniture models that are "right sized" for smaller rooms Dresser / Drawers - important, does your new place have them? Consider stackable plastic and the see-through versions for some items Toiletries - Time to finally discard old bottles, pills, expired items, older gift items. Most Police Stations will take old medications for free Tools - You only need couple of basics rest is yard sale or give away Linens sets of sheets, 4-5 towels Display art and table items - This is the fun stuff! Treat yourself. Not sure set aside and keep moving. Easier to decide once basics are done. If you touch an undecided item 3 times, toss it or give it away Keep what you want that is manageable and rotate displaying favorites You can't keep everything; where would you put it?

4 4) STOP AFTER THE BASICS - THAT S IT - YOU ARE OUT OF ROOM! That s why they call it downsizing. Remember your categories. Now is the time to tackle the Not Sure items. Be realistic and lighthearted about it. Toss or put on the make me an offer table at the yard sale the items that have not seen the light of day for years! GIVE, SELL OR JUNK THE REST BUT GET RID OF IT RESIST STORAGE 5) ENGAGE HELP FROM and DONATE TO >> FRIENDS & FAMILY MEMBERS Circulate list of items and let friends & family claim: "with a deadline to move it Include a "Reserve by" date or it is up for grabs Secure a "Move by date" and tell friends and family "Move it or lose it" Tip: Create a package for each loved one containing items they have given to you over the years such as cards, gifts, children s art, some pictures, etc. 6) DONATIONS Furniture - must be in pristine condition or Salvation Army etc. will not take Books - used book stores, some libraries, senior centers Clothes - roadside bins, goodwill shops, Savers Community Giving, BBBS 7) WAYS TO SELL Craig s list - larger items, furniture, lawn tractor E-Bay - jewelry, collectables (Consignment sellers available) Commissioned agents help with E-Bay / Craig s List, etc. Consignment & Specialty Shops (gold, jewelry, tools, antiques) Pawn Shops (a form of consignment) Estate Sale - must be high caliber and lots of it Appraisers - for establishing value of art, antiques, jewelry Lot Buyer - tools, furniture, etc. for entire lot, single buyer Yard Sale - engage friends, family & neighbors to help Price ahead & price by table with a make an offer table Advertise in newspaper, Craig s List & post signs ahead of your sale Take photos of items like furniture in the house and post at yard sale

5 Downsizing Checklist Use Funnel Below to Sort Choose the items you want to keep Determine which items you want specific people to have Select what will be sold and where; consignment, online, etc. Decide what you are going to donate Arrange for junk removal for the remaining items Your Stuff Not Sure Toss Out Family & Friends Donate to Charity Sell Pictures & Keepsakes Essentials & Useful Keepers Not Sure Not Sure Repeat Sort Cycle

6 Room-By-Room Organizer- Duplicate as Necessary Room Keep Giveaway Donate/Toss Room Keep Giveaway Donate/Toss

7 Thank you for requesting this guide We hope you found it useful! Also available: 1) SELECTED SEMINAR SLIDES: The most popular topics from our seminar titled: Downsizing and Selling from Daunting to DONE! 2) FREE CMA Competitive market Analysis as a guide to pricing your home. Please note that pricing varies with condition, the competing homes in your area on the market at the time of listing and other factors. The CMA shows this information. Find our what your home is worth! 3) FREE CONSULTAION: Either by phone or in your home. We will discuss your situation, goals and timing. We can even discuss alternatives on where to move next. Then we will recommend a course of action to move at your pace and achieve your goals. Call For any of your Real Estate Questions