WORRYING, WAITING, OR ACTING...
WHAT CAN YOU DO
WHILE WAITING TO SELL
YOUR HOME?
Did you finally decide that you want to move into an retirement community, and now are frustrated with waiting because your current home has gone down in value? Worse yet are you letting the waiting out the market turn into worrying about whether you will ever sell your home? Sometimes it's tough enough to make the decision to move so to have that decision seem to be "held up" by external forces can really get your spirits down. Acting on your goal to move might just help you through this waiting time and make your home sale and move easier when the time comes.
Consider taking this time to turn the downsizing of your belongings from a "negative" (oh my, look at all the things I will have to part with) to a "positive." The downsizing process can keep you busy which hopefully will give you less time to worry about the home sale. Feeling in control is very important to your sense of well being. You can control how much closet cleaning you do each day, you can set a schedule if routine makes you happy, and you can choose the charities that you feel good about to donate extra items to. Some charitable organizations run large yard sales to raise funds for their cause. This can be an easy way to feel good about having to let go of some of your belongings, you benefit by getting the excess out of your house, the charity makes a bit of money and someone who needs it can buy it now and continue to use it.
Downsizing in preparation for a future move has the additional benefit of reducing clutter which may make your home easier to sell. Buyers want to see open spaces, closets, shelves, and counters. They can visualize more clearly putting their own things in the open spaces. Your actions of decluttering may very well help with the sale. Keep yourself busy and start downsizing!
Editor's Note: This article was submitted by Carolyn Seifried, owner of Home Changes with Heart.
She can be reached at 973-948-2088
The original article appeared in the "Seniors Blue Book - A Senior Resource guide for Morris and Somerset Counties, NJ, Sept 2008 - Feb 2009 edition and is ©2008