Retiring, selling your family home, moving to another state, buying a new home … all of these are BIG STEPS and all can be stressful, or not.
I can just sense the tension in some of my clients as they just think about all they will have to do to relocate when they retire. Let me start by saying that a large percentage of our clients are Buyer clients that are coming to Delaware from somewhere else. Sometimes, they have been coming here for years on vacation, but many are coming here for the very first time and that is BIG.
What can you do to make the whole process less stressful and frankly just easier? Don’t do it all at once!
Why sell your home before you retire
If you are just beginning the search for your life after retirement, the first question is “Do you definitely want to sell the home in which you now live?” Even if you are not going to leave the area, you still may decide to sell the family home and downsize to something more manageable. To sell any home in today’s market will require getting it into selling condition. So, that is
STEP#1 – Get your home ready to sell
Today’s buyers want perfect!
The next step is to contact your REALTOR and find out what else you may need to do to sell your home and discuss the best time to put it on the market. That can vary from location to location. What works here in Delaware may not work in Connecticut or New York.
STEP #2 – List your home for sale
But wait, you’re still not ready to retire or relocate! What will you do when your home sells?
STEP #3 – Plan to be homeless
Or more likely, what is your contingency plan and where will you live while you are still working and not yet ready to pull the plug? In some cases, our clients have found a rental near their place of employment. Other clients have been able to stay with family or friends several days a week and travel back and forth for the weekends.
STEP #4 – Decide where you want to live
Because you have already sold your home, you have bought yourself the time and freedom to thoroughly research both the area and communities to find the right place for this important next phase of your life.
STEP #4 – Find the right Buyer Agent to help you
The right REALTOR is someone that specializes in working with people just like you. If you call an agent and their advice is to “call me when you are ready to buy”, thank them and keep looking. Here’s some good advice on “How to find a good Buyer Agent”, especially when you are from out of the area.
In Delaware, your Buyer Agent can represent you and help you make the right decision whether you end up buying new construction or an existing home for sale.
STEP #5 – Move into your new life
You can do it gradually, without the stress of trying to do everything at once. Now you can buy your dream home and begin to get acclimated even before you move full time. You can have it painted, decorated and ready to live in so that moving day is all about the celebration.
I wrote this post yesterday. Then today I was with clients settling on their new home this afternoon. We went to contract on new construction in June and they were fortunate to sell their home in NJ quickly. Since they are not retiring until the end of this school year, they are renting an apartment through next June from one of their friends who owns an apartment building. The money they are saving will be spent on new furniture and decor for their new home. They will have a good 6 months to get things ready instead of trying to do everything in one fell swoop! Less stress when you can spread out the moving process.
Are you considering moving to Delaware?
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