Realtors and Stagers... It's Time to Eliminate Another One of Those "D" Words!
Kathy Streib is changing our vocabulary....literally.
Declutter is one of the words I really hate. But, downsizing ranks right up there, too.
Weigh in on your opinion on Kathy's blog. I am streamlining.
Realtors and Stagers... It's Time to Eliminate Another One of Those "D" Words!
Last month I wrote a post about eliminating the use of the word Declutter. Most of the comments agreed that it is overused and could be seen as insulting to the Homeowner. It's just a pet peeve of mine when we get lazy and use catch-all words without really thinking about what it means or that there are other words that would be so much better. (When I was in college I could not stand the phrase "let's rap."... well I just dated myself again!)
There is another "D" word that has been around long enough to have worn out its welcome and that is the word DOWNSIZE.
I hear it every day. My friends use it...goodness knows every husband out there preaches it. And whereas I could not find "declutter" in the dictionary.. the word Downsize is.
Downsize can mean:
To Dismiss from work.
To Make in a Smaller size.
To Reduce in Size and Number.We have had this word crammed down our throats by just about everyone and we've also tossed it around as well.
When I was doing some research on 55+ communities something I noticed was that builders just shrunk the whole house. Not too much imagination needed for that.
But how are you using this word when working with your clients?
This word has a negative meaning for people, just like "declutter". Yes, many of us want to simplify our lives by reducing the things and tasks that take up so much of it. And this can be a good thing.
But when you're working with a Seller who is in that "55+" group and you sense a reluctance to do some of
the things they need to do to prepare their home for sale, try to avoid using this other "D" word... downsize. We already know we're "shrinking" in size. There are a lot of things changing at this time .... our sphere of influence is getting smaller... our circle of friends lessens....our physical abilities begin to take a nose dive.
It's saying you are being "dismissed" from life as you knew it.
It's emphasizing a truth they already know... they are on the down side of life's journey.I'd love to hear some of the different words or phrases you're using when working with your clients.
Simplify ... Free up your time....
What do you use??
And for you who remember shrinkies.....
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