Making the Decision to Sell Isn’t Always Easy
After many years in a home it’s no longer just a property or a “thing”. It’s part of your life, it’s part of your life story. It can be an extremely difficult decision to part with a place in which you’re not only comfortable, but which holds a lot of memories.
Even a wonderful home can start to be a burden and difficult to keep up with. After many years most homeowners start deferring maintenance. There are several things at play. The most common is you just get used to it. I know in my house we have two missing thresholds. They’ve been missing since we got the floors refinished years ago. The contractor was supposed to come back and install them, but he lost his mother and we simply didn’t follow up to ask him to come back. We unconsciously decided to just live with it. At least once a week I think “I really need to get these things installed, it’s such a minor chore, but I don’t know how to do it…oh well maybe next week I’ll call someone.” That has literally been happening for 6 years. We all do it. Every few years, there is something else that we just decide to live with.
When it comes time to consider selling, these little things have added up to a major project. It’s easier to stay put than it is to deal with it. I get it. I think everyone gets it because we all do it.
But, when a house becomes a burden of time, expense, AND you’re on a fixed budget? Well, it can seem downright impossible to move forward, even if you’re ready and want to.
Are you ready to look at your options? Selling your home can be worry free, if you have the right partner to help you every step of the way. Here are things that need to happen before choosing the option that’s right for you:
- Contact a trusted neighborhood real estate expert
- Look at your finances together and what a home sale will truly net you after all the fees involved (Did you know that Fairfax County now has a “Congestion Relief” tax that’s paid by sellers? There may be other things that you don’t know about, so use the expert who does this every day and let them help you figure out your bottom line)
- Get a comprehensive analysis of your property value
- Map out your options
- Make a decision that works for YOU
- Move on to the next phase in your life and leave the work to someone else from now on
You probably have an idea of what seems perfect for you, why not explore the possibilities? A free consultation does not obligate you to anything, it’s an exercise in gaining knowledge.
Recently we helped a neighbor find her perfect path. She’s 79 years old, was deep in debt struggling to make all of her payments each month. She had health issues and the medical expenses were piling up. She owned a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house and used the rooms for storage and the occasional visit from her granddaughter.
We met weekly for 8 weeks and looked at her finances, created a budget, met with her children to discuss her plans, and came up with what worked for her. She decided she didn’t want to be a homeowner anymore and have to deal with hot water heaters needing replaced, hiring someone to mow her lawn and arranging for gutters to be cleaned. The house also had several items that needed to be repaired and the cash just wasn’t there.
She sold her home to one of our investors and received her money within 20 days after making her decision. She didn’t have to do any repairs, she didn’t even have to clean her house, let alone figure out how to have it open to public. She stayed in her home for another 2 months after receiving the cash so she could choose what to take to her shiny new 2 bedroom apartment, close to everything familiar, just 2 miles away from her property. We helped her move into the apartment with only the items she wanted to take with her, her children came to the house and took what was important to them from their childhood home, then we had an estate agent hold a sale for the rest of the valuable items. She also received that cash. We then arranged to have the house cleared out and many items were donated, some the estate sale company took to their store to sell on consignment, and we took care of getting rid of the rest.
Today, our client is doing much better health wise, is debt free (=stress free!), has space for her granddaughter to stay and visit and has made new friends because she’s no longer isolated in a house by herself. We talked recently and I was delighted to hear that she’s started doing Zumba (it’s organized dancing, but renamed as an exercise class), and goes to lunch with her Zumba friends each week.
A lovely family with one toddler and another baby on the way lives in the house now and they’re eternally grateful to have been able to buy a house our investors renovated and restored just for them.
Many of our clients have similar stories. Let us know if you want to explore your options. Our consultations are FREE and you will never be obligated or pressured to make any decision you’re not ready for – we care deeply for our clients. Personally, I think of every client in this situation as my mother and how I would want someone to treat her. In fact, she’s asked me to come help a friend of hers who just lost her husband, and needs someone to help her map her options so she can make decisions. We are truly here to help in any way we can, call, email or text us when you need us.
CALL: 571-353-1531
TEXT: 703-407-3426
EMAIL: [email protected]
