Our Downsizing Process, From Sale to Relocation
Your Next Steps Inc. eases the senior downsizing process by managing every aspect of the move, from packing and storage to selling the home. We value efficiency and affordability and offer a full-service team, no financial stress and lots of compassion. We cover all upfront costs for retirement home consultation, downsizing, decluttering, moving, preparation at the new home and home care consultation. Our senior real estate specialists will ensure they maximize your profits allowing you to have the utmost flexibility when finding your new home! Our payment strategy helps alleviate the financial stress that comes with moving late in life. Here is an outline of our process:
What to Expect During Your In-Person Consultation
Our counseling and consultation session is a sit-down meeting where we will assess you or your loved one’s needs for your next steps in regards to your living situation. Here is a list of some of the questions we will cover:
- Tell us about yourself! We would love to hear you or your loved one’s story!
- Why are you or your loved one moving? Physical limitations, finances, fresh start? Please expand.
- Where do you or your loved one plan to move? Nursing home, retirement living, with a relative? Please expand.
- Do you or your loved one need any special requirements in your next living environment? Active living, respite care, homecare equipment installations? Please expand.
- What type of ongoing care do you or your loved one require? Please expand.
- Are you or your loved one looking to move locally? Close to family, more cost-effective neighborhood? Please expand.
- Who owns the home you or your loved one are looking to sell?
- Who is the Power of Attorney? That person will be required to sign any necessary documents as Your Next Steps is not able to proceed without the ability to sell your property.
- What timelines are you or your loved one looking to achieve?
- What is you or your loved one’s budget for the new home?
- Will the proceeds of the home be used for to finance your next step?
- Do you or your loved one have/need a will in place?
- Do you or your loved one have/need a lawyer (estate or real estate)?
Evaluation & Formalizations
In this meeting, we will evaluate the various locations we have found to be best for you or your loved one’s next move. Once that has been decided, your team at Your Next Steps will have a better idea of how long we will have to prepare (organize, declutter, store, and stage) and sell the home.
Due to the fact that we will need to evaluate the condition of your home, we will suggest having this meeting at you or your loved one’s house. During this meeting, we will also counsel on downsizing by decluttering, donations if you are interested (we work with two charities), contents sale and safekeeping (storage unit options). This is the most time-consuming part of the process and will require emotional support from family members.
Lastly, we will discuss the profitability of your home and what needs to be done to ensure maximum sale potential. At this point, in order for us to move forward with our services, we do require that a commitment is made to Your Next Steps Inc. and an agreement is signed.
Decluttering, Downsizing, Content Sales, Packing, Storage:
At this point in the process, you have decided to work with Your Next Steps Inc. on your transition to your new home. We understand that this part of the process can be emotional. We will need the support of you and/or your loved ones to make decisions on what will be done with the contents of the home. Things to consider during this phase (we will ensure all services are arranged, you simply tell us what you want to keep):
01 Counselling & Decision Making on Personal Items:
- What do you need to keep?
- Who else is interested in keeping items from the home?
- How much can you take to your new home?
- What is the size of your new place?
- Would you like to donate anything?
- Would you be interested in having a contents sale (estate sale)?
- Decide on a date at which all personal items are to be claimed and retrieved by family members. Once it is decided what will stay and what will go, we will arrange a ‘packing date’ where a professional packer will be there to pack for the move.
02 Contents Sale:
If you choose to have a contents sale (estate sale) and auction off some of your goods, we will be happy to organize the sale and work with Canada’s largest and most respected content sale company, Sell My Stuff Canada! They have a commission structure that will allow for homeowners to make some money off the sale of their stuff while taking care of all of the heavy lifting so to speak!
03 Organizing, Cleaning, Decluttering & Packing:
- How many boxes are needed?
- What other packing supplies are necessary?
- How would you like your items organized? By room?
- Are there any fragile items to be extra careful with?
- Is there any mold or infestations that need to be dealt with?
- Are we taking items to a storage centre or to the new home?
- Are you considering having a garage sale?
- Are all items that are being kept are to be packed?
04 Storage Solutions & Moving:
- We will bring items to a convenient storage location near a family member’s home or near the client’s new home.
- Month to month storage prices are the responsibility of the client; however, we will work to get you the best price possible based on our relationships.
- Moving costs may be covered by Your Next Steps Inc. based on the contractual agreement.
05 Remaining Household Items:
Undesired remaining items will be disposed of by 1-800-GOT-JUNK or a similar partner. Again, the cost will be based on the contractual agreement.
Once the home has been cleared of all contents we can prepare for the sale of the home. It is in everyone’s best interest that the home is vacant for the duration of the sale. While we understand that everyone’s situation is different; however, staying with a family member or being relocated to your new home is easiest as seeing other people in the home can be quite upsetting for someone who has such emotional investment in the property.
Lastly, we will discuss the profitability of your home and what needs to be done to ensure your maximum sale potential. At this point, in order for us to move forward with our services, we do require that a commitment is made to Your Next Steps Inc. and an agreement is signed.
Home preparation and staging:
There will be an evaluation on what needs to be done to the home in order to be sold for maximum value. This phase will include things such as minor repairs, deep cleaning, painting, and staging. Here are some questions you may want to start thinking about:
- Will the home likely be bought by someone who will renovate it?
- What needs to be repaired?
- What needs to be painted?
- What needs to be staged?
- What furniture will be kept for staging?
Here at Your Next Steps Inc., we pride ourselves on making things easy for you and your family. We know this can be an emotional ride and we want to be there to help you through it.
