In 2010, the average size of a new home was 2,169 square feet. That’s over a 1000 square foot increase in the last 30 years. A large home can be nice, especially when you’re raising a family. However, if your kids are now grown or you’re just tired of cleaning and maintaining all that space, you may be thinking about downsizing to a smaller home.
But selling your home and buying a smaller one is a big commitment. To be sure that you are ready to move to a smaller place and before putting your home on the market or shopping for one, take an earnest look at your reasons for making this change.
You may have rooms you never use. Do you find yourself wondering why you even have a formal dining room, or when you’ll ever use that fourth bedroom again? Your home should suit your lifestyle. So, if your formal dinner party days are over and your current home no longer makes sense, it might be time to downsize.
Upkeep on a larger home is time consuming. Extra rooms and a large yard need regular cleaning and maintenance. Significant dollars spent on hiring help for extensive landscape and lawn care, systems inspections and other maintenance or repairs can be a cash drain for spaces rarely used.
Your family and friends may have already moved out of your neighborhood and into smaller homes or city condos. When the people you care about and socialize with have moved on with their lives, it may be time for you to move on, too.
Accessibility will eventually become an issue. That second floor master suite may no longer be optimal and a smaller, one-story home, designed for easy access, could be exactly what you need for prolonged independence. That being said, statistics say that people who have stairs in their home live an average of 7 years longer than people who don’t! Just sayin.
Fortunately, if you are ready to downsize, now is a great time to do it. Home prices are affordable, and mortgage interest rates are at historical lows. If your downsize time has arrived and you’re ready for a new chapter of life in a new home, contact me at any time and we can discuss how I can help you to make that transition more easily.
Whether you're an empty nester moving from a house into a condo, or a renter trading in a two-bedroom for a studio, you'll have to say sayonara to some of your stuff. Stressed out by the prospect? Don't be. Here are some downsizing dos…
1. Write a list of all the items you love and can't live without; it will help you bid adieu to things that didn't make the list. It's hard to persuade people they can't take everything with them. But by keeping what's on your wish list, you won't be upset about the things you can't keep.
2. Start thinning out your belongings at least three months before the move. Take some time each day, or one morning each week, to go through that jammed coat closet or overflowing filing cabinet. Paper is the real killer, so tackle it one box at a time. The same goes for photos, which require a lot of attention.
3. Get a feel for the size of your new rooms by comparing them to rooms of similar dimensions in your present home. For instance, your living-room-to-be might be roughly the same size as your current bedroom. You may think you can squeeze in two sofas, but this kind of reality check could help you realize that only one will fit comfortably.
4. Heavily edit areas with items that don't have as much sentimental value. Take the kitchen, for example; most people don't need 10 mixing bowls and won't get teary-eyed over losing a second spatula. If you're downsizing from a house to a condo, target the garage. Snow shovels, the lawn mower, ladders - you won't need any of them.
5. Don't throw anything in the garbage. Recycle, reuse, sell and donate instead. As tempting and easy as it is to pitch wire hangers, musty clothes and shabby furnishings, be environmentally responsible and find a home for everything. A can of Comet with a few shakes of powder left could make someone else's sink sparkle if you don't want it; consider giving supplies to a shelter, neighbor or cleaning lady.
6. Label three bins To Keep, To Sell, and Charity (bins should be manageable when full). For the average downsize, keep only one-third to one-half of your belongings.
7. Get an objective opinion. If you can't decide whether to keep or kiss that dusty '70s-era sewing machine goodbye, it's good to have someone who'll say, ‘Oh, please, you never use that!' It might just be the kick you need.
8. When selling your goods, try an auction for high-end items. Then look for reputable antique and secondhand dealers. Often, they can buy all of your wares or put you in touch with booksellers and other specialty dealers. Some dealers will come to your home, take what you don't want and even drop off the charity stuff, that way you won't be trudging all over town. If you can't sell an item, donate it to a shelter.
9. Use floor plans to prearrange your furniture before the move. This is another useful reality check. To start, draw plans if you don't have any, and sketch in a furniture layout. Then look at the plans realistically; if you've crammed in side tables, armoires and chairs, you need to edit more. Don't wait until after you move to contend with furniture you'll just end up tripping over.
10. Once you get to the packing stage, use a color-coded system to organize all of your boxes. Choose a color for each room and mark the boxes destined for that room with a coordinating color sticker. You can also do the same thing numerically; for example, if room No. 1 is the kitchen, then all boxes marked No. 1 will go there. A simple and efficient organizing idea to make the move that much easier!
52 LA PLAYA STREET, Monterey 93940
|
|
|
|
|
Class:
|
Townhouse/Condo (Comm Int Dev)
|
List Date:
|
08/29/2013
|
Beds:
|
2
|
List Price:
|
$1,050,000
|
Baths:
|
3 (2/1)
|
Sale Price:
|
|
SqFt:
|
1,250 (Seller (Unverified))
|
HOA Fee:
|
$415.00
|
Lot Size:
|
(Seller (Unverified)) (Seller (Unverified))
|
X-street:
|
Del Monte Blvd.
|
Elem Dist:
|
Monterey Peninsula Unified
|
|
|
High Dist:
|
Monterey Peninsula Unified
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
List Office:
|
Sotheby's Int'l Realty-Rancho
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Direction:
|
Del Monte Blvd by Monterey Wharf
|
|
|
|
|
Remarks:
|
Wake up to the sounds of waves and Bay views only 55 steps from the beach. This lovely 2 bedroom 2.5 bath unit was remodeled with granite counter tops, hand made copper sinks, steam shower & many more! Loft could be converted to the 3rd bedroom. Pool, gated community
|
|
|
|
|
1441 MANOR PLACE, Monterey 93940
|
|
|
|
|
Class:
|
Single Family Residential
|
List Date:
|
11/04/2013
|
Beds:
|
3
|
List Price:
|
$865,000
|
Baths:
|
2 (2/0)
|
Sale Price:
|
|
SqFt:
|
1,748 (Assessor)
|
HOA Fee:
|
|
Lot Size:
|
14,958 Sqft (Assessor)
|
X-street:
|
Manor Road
|
Elem Dist:
|
Monterey Peninsula Unified
|
|
|
High Dist:
|
Monterey Peninsula Unified
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
List Office:
|
Sotheby's Int'l Realty-Rancho
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Direction:
|
From Highway One going South, take Aguajito exit. Turn right on Aguajito. Turn Left on Sylvan Rd. Turn right on Manor Rd. Take first right on Manor Place. House is on Left.
|
|
|
|
|
Remarks:
|
Nestled in a quiet cul-de-sac in one of Monterey's sunbelt-sought after neighborhoods, this single level post adobe home exudes a comfortable lifestyle. Wide-plank Hickory flooring, vaulted ceilings, Pella windows. Mature oak, pine, redwood, and lush landscaping, create a park-like setting. Street-to-street lot. Detached artist/office studio in the back yard, large hot tub, children's play area.
|
Patty Ross
831-236-4513
pattyre@comcast.net
www.pattyrosscarmel.com
If you’ve been waiting to sell your home, the housing market is finally picking up. Now is the time to take action. But keep in mind that there is no guarantee on how fast your home will sell once you list it. 
Every day it seems that something happens to affect 
One of the biggest worries about