Preparing a home for sale is never an easy task-- especially if the home embodies a family history or represents many years of stability. Accumulated memories and belongings often get in the way. But, once you have made a resolute decision to transition to an alternative lifestyle, subsequent steps are easier. If the time has come to consider a move to assisted living, Cincinnati style, summer can be the perfect time to start your transition.
Plan Ahead, Develop a Timetable
Schedule the "business" of moving logically. Most seniors face three major tasks:
- Finalizing future plans for an appropriate lifestyle
- Preparing the property for sale
- Dealing with personal possessions
When first contemplating a move to assisted living, Cincinnati residents should seriously assess their financial abilities and their lifestyle goals. Once a decision is made, the steps to achieve that goal will fall into place.
Think Like a Buyer
Spring and summer are prime seasons for real estate activity.
As you begin to pare down your possessions, look critically at the physical condition of your home. If there is deferred maintenance that you have been waiting to get to until the weather was right, schedule it now. Check your heating and air conditioning systems. Assure that all electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems are working properly. Complete your normal spring cleaning routine, and lighten the interior decor by removing heavy draperies and dark rugs and accents.
Critically examine your exterior and yard as well. Increase street appeal by repainting your front door, if necessary, or replace your address numbers, entry lighting and mailbox to produce a brand new and appealing look. Trim trees and shrubbery, clean up planting areas and add fresh mulch. Pull weeds. Plant flowers. Create a pleasant sitting area on the back patio, or add some outdoor furniture to the lawn.
Pack Up, Pare Down
Now is the time to aim for a spare and minimal interior look. Since you will be moving on, it makes good sense to sort through your belongings and to pack up some possessions in advance. Clean your closets and empty all your storage areas-- including attics, basements and garages. Dispose of those items you do not plan to take with you when you move. Pack everything you don't use every day.
Not only will these strategies help show your home to better advantage, they will also make your final move easier once your house is under contract. By doing much of the work in advance, you will not have to accomplish the sorting and packing with the threat of a looming deadline.
Don't Be Proud, Accept Help
Moving is a chore. There's no doubt about it!
Don't be afraid to accept all the help you can get. It might even be a good idea to develop a list of tasks that others can do, from running errands to making phone calls or even doing the heavy lifting. Know that the generous offers of friends and family are heartfelt and made with no duress.
Think Positive
Comprehensive discussion of the inevitable changes brought about by aging is a sensible component of retirement planning. If you and your loved ones have discussed the need for a lifestyle change, the prospect of such a move doesn't have to be stressful.
Select a knowledgeable real estate agent who has experience selling property in your area, and then listen to the professional advice given by the agent you select. If you have prepared your property well, you can look forward to moving into the kind of living situation you desire in the best assisted living Cincinnati has to offer. It will become an experience to look forward to, not a cause for dread-- an opportunity rather than a chore.
