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By Mark Cipolletti, Realtor
Moving can be one of the most stressful things that we do. For seniors, moving can be even more stressful. It usually means they will be downsizing and finding a smaller home and the modified lifestyle that comes with it.
All of my recent senior clients have expressed that they want to move and often need to move to improve their quality of life but are overwhelmed with the thought of downsizing. Almost all wait too long to start the transition to a home that would be better suited to their life stage and needs. Why? Because they are overwhelmed by the amount of stuff to sort through and their emotional attachment to their things.
The stress extends to the children of the older adults who are downsizing. Since many downsizers put off the work as long as possible, their kids are often needed to assist with decision making, packing and disposal of unneeded items.
Knowing that this challenge would be a part of my clients' lives for many years to come, I decided to proactively assemble a team of partners who can provide a one-stop-shop for downsizing, home renovations, as well as my traditional real estate services.
I’m excited to announce a unique partnership with Alyson Pedlow and her company HomeMatters of Virginia. Alyson is Richmond’s downsizing guru. She has over ten years of experience helping clients execute their downsizing strategies, easing the burden and stress on seniors and their families.
HomeMatters will assist my clients with:
- Decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of
- Disposal of unneeded items
- Move management, including packing and unpacking
- New home set-up and floor planning
- Management of online estate sales
It’s also no secret that many seniors’ homes have some deferred maintenance as well as needed renovations and redecorating. Many seniors end up taking less money for their homes because they pass this work and expense on to the buyers.
Through another new partnership, my senior clients (all clients really!) can make sure they get top-dollar for their homes by making the pre-listing improvements that buyers want. The best part is that this partner, Curbio, doesn’t get paid until closing! So no upfront cash is required.
If you or someone you know is planning to downsize in 2023, I hope you will put me in touch with them. My team will take exceptionally good care of them and they will probably wonder why they didn’t downsize sooner.
Thank you for your continued support. Through your referrals, I doubled the amount of houses I sold last year. In 2023, I hope to help even more people, especially the seniors in our community.