Lately, I have had many open house guests doing their research on homes in town, smaller homes, homes with less maintenance, homes on one story etc. It is a true conundrum for them and I relate very well because I am in the same boat.....or close to being the same boat. I can empathize easily.
A typical story:
We live out in the Black Lake area on acreage. We spend all our free time working on our place. We have weeds, we have too much lawn, and in general there is just too much to keep up with. And that is just the outside. We have outgrown our house, but the housework continues in rooms we don't need or use or want. Dust collects, cobwebs fly in the air with ease, and the walls still need to be repainted. We can't afford to pay to have all these things done, but is it a plausible time to sell in this market?
I show them the smaller home with a view that has recently been totally remodelled. It has a nice sized backyard and a small front yard with minimum beds to plant or weed. There is a smal trex deck needing no stain. There are new laminate floors downstairs and new carpeting up. The view from the front room and the master suite upstairs is awesome. They can walk downtown and to the library. It has condo benefits, but with a small outdoor space, a great tandem garage with work area....
The "upstairs" part can be a show stopper for a pre-retiree. Who wants to bother with stairs if the knees or back or feet are painful? So they move on with their looking and their pondering the options. I tell them they are doing absolutely the right thing in seeing what is available for what price and thinking through the benefits of making a big move. Maybe their last home purchase....that's a lot to think about.
I always offer to do a market analysis for them, too. That adds to their knowledge base when the decision time comes.
I keep thinking: what is going to happen to all the HUGE homes out there with all the rooms with all the cobwebs way up high.....???
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