5 Step Strategy for Downsizing Your Home

In our “bigger is better” culture, there’s an expectation that each home should be larger and grander than the last. But life changes like divorce, kids leaving for college, or even the simple act of growing older can prompt us to find a smaller home that better suits our shifting needs and lifestyle.

In fact, the advantages of downsizing are being increasingly recognized. A “tiny house movement” has gained passionate advocates who appreciate the benefits of living simply at any age and stage of life. Not only does a smaller home typically cost less, it also takes less time and effort to maintain.1

Whatever your reasons are for downsizing, the process can seem overwhelming. That’s why we’ve outlined five steps to guide you on your journey. And in the end, we hope you’ll find that less is more … more comfort, more security, and more time and energy to spend on the activities and the people that you love.

5 STEPS TO DOWNSIZING SUCCESS

  1. Determine Your Goals and Limitations

The first step is to figure out your goals for your new living environment. Do you want to live closer to family? Are you hoping to cut down on home maintenance? Are you looking for a community with certain amenities?

You should also consider any limitations that will impact the home you choose. For example, are stairs an issue? Do you need access to medical care? In the case of divorce, are there child-custody issues you need to take into account?

Estimate how long you plan to stay in your new home. Do you expect your needs to change during that time?

Make a “wish list” of features and prioritize them from most to least important. If you’d like any assistance with this process, give us a call! We’d be happy to sit down with you for a free consultation. We can also help you assess the value of your current home so you can set a realistic budget for your new one.

  1. Find the Perfect New Home

Once you’ve established your “wish list,” we can begin the search for your new home. As local market experts, we know the ins and outs of all the top communities in our area. We can help you determine the neighborhood and type of home that will best fit your wants and needs.

From family neighborhoods to retirement communities, we serve clients in all stages of life. If you or a loved one are in need of extended support, we can also share our knowledge of the assisted living facilities in town and help you identify those that offer the optimal level of care.

Are you planning to relocate out of town? We can refer you to a trusted real estate professional in your target area who can help you with your search.

  1. Sell Your Current Home

If you’re ready to sell your current home, we’ll begin the process of preparing to list it as we search for your new one.

We have a special interest in helping homeowners who are facing major life transitions, and we offer a full-service real estate experience that aims to remove as much of the stress and hassle of selling your home as possible. We also understand that many of our clients choose to downsize for financial reasons, so we employ tactics and strategies to maximize the potential sales revenue of your home.

We do this by employing our proven three-part approach, which focuses on optimum preparation, pricing, and promotion. As part of that plan, we invest in an aggressive marketing strategy that utilizes online and social media platforms to connect with consumers and offline channels to connect with local real estate agents. This ensures your property gets maximum exposure to prospective buyers.

  1. Sort and Pack Your Belongings

Even before you find your new home, you can begin preparing for your move. A smaller home means less space for your furniture and other possessions, so you will need to decide what to keep and what to sell or donate. Sorting through an entire house full of belongings will take time, so begin as early as possible.

Parting with personal possessions can be an extremely emotional process. Start with a small, unemotional space like a laundry or powder room and work your way up to larger rooms. Focus on eliminating duplicates and anything you don’t regularly use. If you have sentimental pieces, family heirlooms, or just useful items you no longer need, think about who in your life would benefit from having them. For large collections, consider keeping one or two favorite pieces and photographing the rest to put in an album.2

Make sure the items you keep help you achieve the goals you outlined in Step 1. For example, if you want a home that’s easier to clean, cut down on knickknacks that require frequent dusting. If you’re moving to be closer to your grandchildren, choose the shatterproof plates over the antique china.

Allow yourself time to take breaks if you start to feel overwhelmed. If you’re helping a loved one with a move, try to be a patient listener if they want to stop and share stories about particular items or memories throughout the process.3 This can be therapeutic for them and an opportunity for you to learn family history that may otherwise have been forgotten.

  1. Get Help When You Need It

Moving is stressful in any situation. But if you’re downsizing due to health issues or a major life change, it can be an especially tough transition. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Seek out friends and family members who can assist with packing and decluttering. If that’s not an option, or if you need additional help, consider hiring a home organizer, full-service moving company, or even a senior move manager, which is a professional who assists older adults and their families with the physical and emotional aspects of relocation.4 You can find one accredited by the National Association of Senior Move Managers at https://www.nasmm.org/find/index.cfm.

If financial constraints are holding back, let us know. We can help you explore the possibility of tapping into the equity in your current home now. That way you can afford to get the assistance you need to make your transition as smooth as possible.

ARE YOU LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE?

If your current home no longer suits your needs, maybe it’s time to consider a change. We would love to help you explore your options. Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

Sources:

  1. The Tiny Life –
    https://thetinylife.com/what-is-the-tiny-house-movement/
  2. My Move –
    https://www.mymove.com/moving/senior-guide-downsizing/
  3. Daily Caring –
    https://dailycaring.com/5-tips-to-downsizing-for-seniors-keepsakes-mementos/
  4. National Association of Senior Move Managers –
    https://www.nasmm.org

Serious About Selling? 5 Steps to Make Your Home the Best on the Block

We all want to be good neighbors. But when it comes to selling your home, it’s not just about “keeping up with the Joneses.” It’s about outshining them at every opportunity!

If you’re looking to sell your home fast and for the most money possible, you’ll need a strategy to set it apart from all the other listings competing for buyers in your area. That’s why we’ve outlined our proven, five-step plan for serious sellers.

Use these five tactics to help your listing get noticed, win over buyers, and net a higher sales price than your neighbors!Get Moving

STEP 1: Stage Your Home to Show Its Full Potential

The average seller will do the minimum to prepare their home for market: clean and declutter, fix anything that’s broken, mow the lawn. And while those tasks are essential, today’s buyers want more than just a clean house and tidy yard. When they dream of buying a new home, they envision a designer house with modern finishes. Help them see your property’s full potential by staging it.

Home staging is one of the hottest trends in real estate—because it works! According to the Real Estate Staging Association, homes that are professionally staged spend 73% less time on the market.1

So what exactly is staging? In a broad sense, staging is the act of preparing your home for market. The goal is to highlight your home’s strengths, minimize any deficiencies, and help buyers envision themselves living in the space. When staging a home, you might rearrange the furniture to make a room feel larger or remove heavy curtains to make it appear brighter.

Some sellers choose to hire a professional home stager, who has specialized training and experience, to maximize the appeal of their home to the largest number of potential buyers. Others may opt to do it themselves, using guidance from their agent.

We can help you determine the appropriate budget and effort required to push your home ahead of the competition in your neighborhood. The good news is, an investment in staging pays off. A 2018 survey found that 85% of staged homes sold for 6-25% more than their unstaged neighbors homes.2

STEP 2: Draw Buyers in with High-Quality Listing Photos

You only have one chance to make a first impression with potential buyers. And many buyers will view photos of a listing before they decide whether or not to visit it in person. In fact, 87% of buyers find photos “very useful” in their home search.3 Poor-quality or amateur-looking listing photos could keep buyers from ever stepping through your door.

Since good photography plays such an important role in getting your property noticed, we only work with the top local professionals to photograph our listings. But we don’t just rely on their photography skills when it comes to showcasing your home.

We go the extra mile to ensure your listing photos showcase the true essence of your home. We’re always on site during the photo shoot to help the photographer capture the best angles and lighting, and to let them know about unique or compelling selling features that they should photograph. The extra effort pays off in the end. In fact, listings with high-quality photography sell 32% faster than the competition … and often for more money!4

STEP 3: Price It Properly From the Start

Even in a strong real estate market, there are homes that will sit unsold for months on end. This can be the “kiss of death” in real estate, as buyers tend to imagine that there must be something wrong with the property, even if it’s not the case.

But why are those houses still on the market in the first place? It’s because they are often priced too high.

Every buyer has a budget. And most will be viewing listings within a particular price range. If your property is overpriced, it can’t properly compete with the other houses they’re viewing that are priced correctly. Which means it’ll sit on the market until you’re eventually forced to drop the price.

Alternatively, if you price your home aggressively, it can be among the nicest homes that buyers have seen within their budget. This can lead to emotionally-attached buyers, who are often willing to pay a premium or settle for fewer seller concessions. And in certain markets, it can lead to a multiple-offer situation, or bidding war. The end result? More money in your pocket.

We can help you determine the ideal listing price for your home in the current market. Pricing it properly in the beginning is the best way to ensure a fast and profitable sale.

STEP 4: Put on a Good Show at Each Showing

Once buyers are interested enough to schedule a visit, it’s crucial that you put on a good show at each showing.

The first step is to make your home readily available—and often on short notice—for buyers to see it. A missed showing is a missed opportunity to sell your home. If you set too many restrictions on when it’s available to view, busy buyers will simply skip over your listing and move on to the next one.

Part of making your home available means keeping it relatively show-ready as long as it’s on the market. Most of us don’t live picture-perfect lives, and our homes reflect the day-to-day reality of our busy (and sometimes messy) families. But a little extra effort spent keeping your home clean, fresh-smelling, and ready for buyers will help it sell faster … which means you can get back to your regular routine as quickly as possible!

STEP 5: Use a Proven Promotion Plan

Most agents are still marketing their listings like they did 20 years ago  … put a sign in the yard, put the listing in the MLS, and pray that it sells. Yet, we know that 93% of buyers search for real estate listings online.3

That’s why we invest in the latest training and technology—to ensure your listing appears in the places where buyers are most likely to look. Our dual-level promotion strategy includes both pre-launch activities designed to seed the marketplace and post-listing activities to ensure your home stays top-of-mind with potential buyers.

By utilizing online and social marketing platforms to connect with consumers and offline channels to connect with local real estate agents, your property gets maximum exposure to prospective buyers.

LET’S GET MOVING

Are you thinking about listing your home? Get a head start on your competition! Contact us for a copy of our Home Seller’s Guide, which offers a complete guide to the home selling process. Or call us to schedule a free no-commitment consultation. We’d love to put together a custom plan to maximize the sales potential of your property!

Sources:

  1. Real Estate Staging Association – https://www.realestatestagingassociation.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=304550&module_id=164548
  2. Home Staging Resources –
    https://www.homestagingresources.com/2018-home-staging-statistics/
  3. National Association of Realtors –
    https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2018-real-estate-in-a-digital-world-12-12-2018.pdf
  4. RIS Media –
    https://rismedia.com/2018/12/12/shocking-stats-importance-photography-real-estate/

How Moving Into a New Home Can Help Heal After Loss

Nothing can prepare you for the emotional havoc that comes after losing someone near and dear to your heart. Soon after the initial shock, our minds race through the stages of grief in strange and unusual patterns. Positive memories of times spent with a loved one can even become painful reminders of the absence that now exists. The pictures that line your hall might even feel like ghosts of your past coming back to haunt you.

Grief can make us latch onto locations in strange ways, and it may be that continuing to dwell where the hurt is can make it seem as if the pain will never go away. Sometimes the best thing we can do after experiencing a traumatic loss is to refresh our lives in a new location. If you are considering moving into a new home, here are some things to think about.

Friends and Family Members Will Likely Understand

Initially, you might feel ashamed for wanting to leave your home. You might even think that it is a sign of shallowness or weakness. However, bear in mind the start of a new chapter always comes after another ends.  Communicate with friends and family members about your decision to move. Talking things through can help them understand your situation, help you feel at ease, and help you stay involved with those who care about you during your transition.  Buying and selling a home during an already challenging time can feel overwhelming, so keep communication flowing to allow loved ones to assist and support you.

Connect with good help

Everyone’s financial situation is unique, and your own circumstances will shape how the buying and selling process will work for you. Start by consulting with professionals, such as real estate agents, attorneys, and financial advisers. Your decisions could influence personal circumstances you might not even think about, such as your future taxes, so by covering all your bases you set yourself up for success. It’s also important to find an affordable property in the location of your choosing, sell your current home, and ensure you’re able to purchase your new home without hiccups. Those advisers can play a key role, especially your real estate agent.

To help your real estate agent find the perfect place, consider making some notes about your search criteria.  Categorize what property features are non-negotiable, what would be flexible, and what items are on your wish-list.  To help you get started, The Balance offers an extensive list of home amenities and features.

It’s Good to Have a Timeline

Once you find your new home, consider creating a timeline to help make the transition as smooth as possible. It’s a great way to ensure you stay on track and avoid getting waylaid.  Make sure you hire movers or arrange helpers well in advance, since the last thing you want is to have everything packed and no help for moving day.  If you do hire movers, be sure to adjust your budget accordingly. Most homeowners in Fort Lauderdale spend between $671 – $1,772 for a local move. While hiring movers gives you one less thing to worry about on moving day, having friends and family help can be a nice way to connect and keep your mind busy. Do what helps you the most during a challenging time.

Packing Is the Hardest Part

Another reason to have a timeline laid out is because there will likely be some emotional hurdles involved with sorting your household items.  This is especially true if you need to sort many things that belonged to or remind you of your special someone.

Allow yourself ample time to work through things and consider asking a close friend to help.  Having someone there who knew your loved one will give you a chance to sort your emotions while you sort tangible belongings, laughing and crying as those things trigger memories.  Shelly Frey explains that while it may be difficult to let go of something that belonged to your loved one, it can be an important part of the healing process. At the same time, allow yourself to keep some special things. You might like to create a memory album or some other tribute to your loved one, and revisit it as you wish.

Packing and moving after a major loss can be a highly emotional experience.  As you begin your new life, consider it a refresher instead of thinking of it as running away.  Embrace the promise of a new chapter and know your loved one would want you to be happy.

Do You Really Need A Lockbox When Selling Your Home?

I had a conversation with a colleague this week about using lock boxes.  She hadn’t been able to convince her seller that using a lock box was advantageous and whether having a lockbox on her door was even necessary to sell her home. Those of you that don’t know, a lockbox is an apparatus that usually holds your front door key securely inside; your listing agent will attach it (the lockbox) in a convenient location somewhere on or near your home, making it very easy for the buyer’s agent who wants to show your home to gain access.  To get the key out of the lockbox, a Realtor would use an electronic key or an app on their smart-phone to access the lockbox.

 

In the South Florida market, Real estate agents have become very accustomed to lockboxes and almost expect them for the convenience they afford.  Often agents will schedule several homes to show with their buyer and will want to have the ability to quickly go from one property to another without having to worry about keys. If your home is one of the few properties without a lockbox, it puts a monkey wrench in the flow of things.  Homes without lockboxes run the risk be tagged “Difficult to Show.”

Without a key on site (in a lockbox) there are usually only few other ways to gain access to your home; none of which agents care for:

  • Seller has to be home to let you in
  • The buyer’s agent has to go to (listing) agent’s office to get and later return the key
  • Listing agent has to go to your property to unlock the door and wait at the property with the showing agent until done

Agents don’t have time to worry about keys nor do they like having to schedule around other people’s time such as the home owner or listing agent.  Thinking you will always be home or that your listing agent will always be available to accommodate another Realtor’s showing schedule is not realistic.  A showing can happen at anytime and arrival time to your home is usually within a broad time-frame which fluctuates within a half hour to an hour.  It is usually inconvenient for the listing agent to sit around your home waiting for a showing, and it’s often challenging for a buyer agent to keep a precise schedule.

Agents are like water, they follow the course of least resistance.  If your home is difficult to get inside an agent may drop it from their showing schedule.

What would be your objection to a lockbox anyways: Safety? Security? Someone coming in your home unannounced?  The South Florida MLS uses a lockbox system call Supra. It is very secure and affords Realtors many options controlling the lockbox functions.  Once you see the lockbox firsthand and understand how secure it is (holding your key inside) and all the control you and your listing agent have over others having access to the key inside. The box itself is virtually indestructible and it would be far easier for a nefarious intruder to break down your door instead of trying to gain access to a lockbox.  Going that extra step to assure your home accessible at any given time will go along way in helping you sell your home.

Realtors in South Florida using the Supra system can:

  • Block-out showing times;
  • Provide you (the seller) with online access where you can restrict showings;
  • Require all showings to be confirmed by you, by me, by both of us, or completely automatically;
  • Know exactly when any Realtor accesses the lock box in real-time;
  • Post all showings and agent feedback in real time online.
Block-Out Showing Times Feature:

You can ask your agent to automatically block off showings (and disable your lockbox) for any specific time or recurring time frames.  Unless otherwise objected, I like to restrict home showing times to fit between: 9AM to 7PM daily; before or after that time-frame Realtors can not automatically schedule a showing online and the lock-box goes into complete lock down – The lockbox is completely disabled and no one has access.  It’s also good to know for example, when when an owner has a vacation home and wants to “use” it for the weekend they can block out times days or weeks in advance.  It’s simple to block out those days and time they plan on being at the property.  Scheduling block-out times is very easy. Another option is the do not disturb feature. This gives a seller the ability to disable the lockbox ANYTIME desired.

Do Not Disturb (DND) Feature:

You have total control when someone can use the lockbox. You can disable the lockbox on your property at any time – from the comfort of your home.  Say for instance you are feeling a little under the weather, took the day off from work and are at home bedridden; you called your listing agent and asked them not to schedule any showings for the day but … you keep thinking about the key in the box outside.  Not to worry, all you have to do is enter a simple code (provided by your agent) and that code will completely disable/lockout anyone that tries to get access until you turn off the DND function.  You can keep it off for minutes, hours or days – you have total control over that lockbox.

Showing Record:

Every Time your lockbox is accessed by a Realtor their unique electronic key instantly embeds their personal identification, date and time of access and the information is then transmitted wireless to Supra which can be accessed online. We always know who was at your property and when.

Sellers’ Gateway:

In addition to documenting who has accessed the lockbox, the Sellers’ Gateway also solicits agents’ feedback about your home, keeps a tally of all the showings you had, and will even show future showings.  Our sellers love this feature and it’s only possible when using both the Supra lockbox and our ShowingTime scheduling system.

Going back to the question at hand – Should you use a lockbox when selling your home? Of course I feel strongly that it is in your best interest as a seller to use a lock box.  A lockbox makes a home much more accessible to buyers and their agents and  provides you with a complete and accurate record of showings.  The key inside is safe and secure and you always have total control.  When I visit for a listing presentation I will bring a sample lockbox with me.  I will show you all the features of the lockbox firsthand and how we interact with it.

Having a lockbox at your home increases the number of showings and foot traffic through your property. The buyer’s agent still needs to make an appointment with the listing agent to show the house and no one can gain access to your home without your knowledge.

Fort Lauderdale Housing Market

My Market Insider provides a wealth of information that will help you better understand the factors that impact the real estate market. Consider this page your reference library for resources, tips, and techniques.  Whether you’re a buyer or seller, the knowledge you gain will help put you in control of your real estate transactions.  Gain valuable insight into a community by looking at household incomes, crime risk, education levels attained, and potential for extreme weather. Use the map to locate points of interest like shopping, restaurants, and healthcare services.

These reports are updated in real time and broken down by neighborhood throughout Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities.

I can provide a more in-depth analysis for a particular neighborhood.  Contact me if I can share anything with you.

Downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Las Olas Isles – zip code 33301

Near North, Victoria Park, Middle River, Central Beach – zip code 33304

Wilton Manors to the southern Corals – zip code 33305

Southeast Oakland Park – zip code 33306

Coral Ridge Country Club, Bay Club, the northern Corals and Imperial Point – zip code 33308

North Fort Lauderdale and Central Oakland Park – zip code 33334

West Fort Lauderdale and West Wilton Manors – zip code 33311

Lauderdale West, South Fort Lauderdale, Riverside, Lauderdale Isles – zip code 33312

Downtown South, Marina Mile and Fort Lauderdale Airport – zip code 33315

Rio Vista, Lauderdale Harbours, Harbor Beach – zip code 33316

 

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