Selling Your Home - Preparing to Downsize

Preparing to downsize requires not only getting all the drawers and cupboards cleaned out but reducing the amount of just about everything you currently have and own. What about selling your home to get ready to live in a smaller dwelling that costs less and is just the right space for what you need. Even if you're not quite
ready to decide where to live, what to live in and whether or not to buy another home or rent, you might be ready to sell the big house you live in now and bank some money.

That's where we are. Getting ready to sell the house. It's a big decision, no doubt but, it's too big for us now anyway and way too much to clean and maintain. So we've decided to just make it as easy as possible to downsize and sell what we think we won't need or want later. It'll take some time to get it all done so we're taking it a few steps at a time, thinking ahead.

     Here's what we're up to and wanted to share the steps we're taking since you might be thinking about it too.

• Decide what you want to keep and what you no longer need. Either take it a room at a time or do things at a time such as clothing, shoes, books, collectibles, beds, furniture, etc. 
• Start creating boxes and label them so that as you go around the house you can place items in each box. Label them Donate, Keep, Sell. 
• Start major cleaning from ceilings and walls to windows, woodwork and floors. Take your time to do a great job.
• Keep the house clean as you go to make it much easier later when it's finally time to list it.
• Get the outside in tip top shape from trimming trees, shrubs and bushes to flowers and lawn to the driveway and walkways. 
• Take a break - yikes there's a lot to do when you're getting ready to sell your house isn't there!
• Have a yard sale as soon as possible to create a cash flow to bank for later retirement:) and to help get rid of lots of stuff. You'll be amazed as I was at how much money there is laying around that you don't need and other people want and will love. 
• When you have a few boxes to donate, load them in your car and get them out of your house and into the hands of your favorite City Mission, Salvation Army or other local charity that can do the most good for others. 
• Invite your family members over to see the items you no longer want before you sell them. You may have forgotten that your sister loved an outfit you don't use any more and she might want it before you sell it.
• Guess you should also have a box labeled Not Sure - these items you'll want to review with other family members. You know: exercise tapes or small equipment, games, crafts, hobbies. You might and might not have room for them where you're going or you might only want to focus on these things in your retirement. If you're not sure, put it in the box for deciding later. 
• In the kitchen, try to get rid of all items that you might and probably have two of. We've found at least two of the following so far: can openers, wine bottle openers, meat thermometers, zesters, strainers, storage containers, cooking spoons, etc. 

That's what we're up to and doing this without outside help for now, there will be other things that we may need help with down the road. For now, it's a matter of cleaning, organizing, reorganizing, donating, selling and throwing away. We'll keep you posted on the next steps and just know that we're keeping busy with all these things for now. So, stay tuned and thanks for reading along!