You are now considering selling your home.  Going through the organizing and packing process can be extremely challenging if you are not organized.  However, first off, have you thought seriously about where you are moving? What towns and schools, if you still have young children?  Is your home larger than your current needs, and are taxes and overall expenses too high? Downsizing is the answer.  Do you want to stay locally within the same town, or move out of state to where your children reside?  Maybe you already have a second home and know where you will be living. These are important aspects of deciding where to move to.

Finding a reliable mover with excellent reviews and testimonials will be a starting point.  Ask close friends or people you know who can provide a mover who did a commendable job and that you had a satisfactory experience.   Most important is asking the moving companies about their insurance and policy if something gets damaged or broken beyond repair.  Will they replace the item or provide you with a cash settlement?

There are a multitude of decisions that will have to be considered.  To simplify things one should create a checklist and contemplate the necessary steps to begin all those crucial aspects of your move.  Googling “checklists when moving” will provide you with an excellent format and you can also add to it as needed. Whether you are upgrading or downsizing, moving can be stressful (and exciting too) at the same time, if you aren’t properly prepared.  Give yourself and your family a cushion of at least 6 months.  This will minimize the challenges and issues that will come about during that time.  Once you have decided where you are going, you will need to sell your home.

Deciding who to hire will be critical in knowing all the details of selling and that will be handled by a knowledgeable, expert and reliable Broker, who has years of experience to get the job done responsibly.   This will help to make your closing a happy ending.  There is much to do in the process from the start to the closing table.  You should walk around the inside and outside of your home as if you were the purchaser, to ascertain what basic things need to be either repaired or replaced.  You may or may not have a huge budget, but the cost of not doing anything just might be more costly in the long run.

I don’t suggest that you do a new kitchen or bathrooms; unless you plan to live there for at least 5 plus years.  But you must realize that, depending on the market, you may not recover the total investment in those major improvements.  You will want to walk away with as much equity as possible.  I always suggest that if you are going to sell sooner, do not spend a lot on upgrades as this is something that should be left to the buyer’s decision and specific tastes once they own your home.  However, a good coat of paint will be a great start.  Also, getting rid of clutter and knowing what you will be taking with you and what you will be either throwing out or donating for a tax deduction.  Having your home look like a “shiny penny” will make buyers feel that you took care of your home over the years that you have lived there.  As they say, “You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.”

Check out the exterior of your home and see what you can do to improve it. Spray all weeds during the cooler hours of the morning or evening.  Edge the flower beds.  Have your gardener fertilize your lawn with a summer fertilizer and apply insect control. Remove all branches that might be overhanging your home and trim and prune all bushes below the window sill.  Clean all your windows inside and outside.

.  Make sure your patios are clean and mold-free as well as your vinyl siding.  Does the outside of your home need painting; then that is something to consider if within your budget.  If you haven’t completed this during the spring, clean your gutters and leaders of all debris.  Check for any hazards that might cause a lawsuit as the home is being shown. Once you complete your packing, and after you remove all those items that you will not be taking with you; utilizing a cleaning service will make your job easier.  Several franchised companies for cleaning and removals will cart away whatever you want to be thrown out.  Some even donate acceptable and slightly used items to local charities (The Cancer Society or St. Vincent DePaul) as opposed to dumping them.  Deciding what you need daily to live will make your packing a much easier process.  Why procrastinate, when the process can be simplified by doing a little bit every day and then you will minimize the stress that goes along with your move?

Lastly, make sure you provide your post office a change of address form, as much in advance as possible by doing this online.  Here is a simplified and shortened link to get your form: bit.ly/3WpzcwJ

I hope the information that I have provided will make your current or future move easier and if you need any advice or a consultation, call me.

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. For a free 15-minute consultation, value analysis of your home, or to answer any of your questions or concerns he can be reached by cell: (516) 647-4289 or by email: Phil@TurnKeyRealEstate.Com or via https://WWW.Li-RealEstate.Com