by Tracy Heller

Decluttering and Rightsizing!

Many of us seem to be having the same conversations about simplifying our lives, decluttering our homes and getting rid of “stuff”. The “stuff” just simply bogs us down. It is amazing how it all accumulates. From large homes to more modest homes, we all seem to have one shared experience, Clutter! We love shows like Marie Kondo’s Tidying up with Marie Kondo on Netflix and magazines like Simplify Magazine, always looking for new ideas and strategies to face the accumulation.

As I explore resources on this topic, I realize that there is a wealth of information out there and lots of tips to begin this process. I think the tips in the SRES article below will help you get a good start. Please feel free to contact me anytime to discuss the process. I certainly have helped many clients work through the journey of rightsizing!

Top 10 Rightsizing Tips for Seniors

Julie https://sres.realtor/blog/blog-home/top-10-rightsizing-tips-seniors

Apr 3, 2020

1. Start with the easy stuff.

Eliminate anything that’s broken, damaged, or no longer wanted. Then, go to the out-of-the-way spaces like attics, crawlspaces, and garages. Progress in these “easier” parts of your home will help you build momentum and tackle the harder-to-decide areas.

2. Ask yourself, “If this disappeared tomorrow, would I run out and replace it?”

If you wouldn’t miss it or need to replace it, it’s probably not worth keeping.

3. Don’t be a storage unit for others.

If friends or relatives have left things for you to store, it’s time to ask them to pick up their possessions—or arrange to have them shipped. You may need to be tough and set a firm deadline, after which you will donate the items.

4. Ask for help.

Although you can do much of this work on your own, a family member, a good friend, or even a professional organizer can help make the job more manageable.

5. Decide what’s important.

Pretend you are moving overseas, but you can only take a severely limited number of items because it costs a small fortune to ship them. What items belong on your list? These are the things that matter most to you!

6. Is this something from a lifestyle I no longer have or want?

For example, if you have three cabinets full of plastic containers, but only cook for one or two people, it’s reasonable to eliminate a few plastic sets—and dishes, pots, and pans.

7. Schedule a regular time each week—or several days a week—to work on rightsizing.

Realize that rightsizing is a life-changing marathon, not a sprint. You didn’t accumulate everything overnight, and you won’t sort it all out overnight, either.

8. Value what you keep.

The fewer things you keep, the more you will treasure and enjoy what you have, instead of tucking items away in a closet or stacked among dozens of other things. These are the select, meaningful items worth having in your personal space.

9. Prevent new collections from forming.

Instead of material gifts, ask people to spoil you by sharing time, enjoying new experiences, and helping you indulge in luxuries (spa certificates, imported chocolate, a musical or other theatre production, gift certificates for dinner out, etc.). In other words, ask for special treats that you love and want, but don’t always buy for yourself.

10. Use age to your advantage.

Now is a great time to give items to family members that you eventually want them to have. Take a photo (preferably a digital one) of your recipients holding their treasured gifts and create a scrapbook of “next generation” memories. These images can serve as powerful reminders of your most cherished items moving forward into posterity with the most special people in your life.

DECLUTTERING

This information is provided by http://sres.com
If you are interested in related articles, please see another one of my blog articles below and subscribe. https://www.hellersells.com/2022/02/16/helping-our-senior-loved-ones-prepare-their-homes-for-sale

Photo by Julia M Cameron

Additional resources:

New Life Furniture Bank

Everything But The House

For more information please feel free to contact me: https://www.hellersells.com

A First-Time Home Buyer? Here is the Home-Buying Process

by Tracy Heller

A First-Time Home Buyer? Here is the Home-Buying Process

Thinking of buying a home for the first time? Here is a synopsis of the home-buying process:

Hire a Real Estate Agent
This professional https://www.hellersells.com will be your guide from beginning to end and will assist in your home selection, purchase negotiations and closing. Work with someone who listens to what your housing needs are and is knowledgeable of your market area. Here are some of the activities your agent will coordinate with you:

Learn what home features are most important to you – condition of the home, age of home, design of home, quality of home features, etc…
Do you prefer a newly built home or a re-sale home?
Make arrangements to tour homes
For each home tour, provide details about the property
Discuss benefits and drawbacks of each home toured in relation to your needs
Provide current comparable market analysis of homes in the areas of most interest with information that includes: active listings, sold homes and pending home sales and sale histories of the home of interest
Insure you understand all of the terms and conditions of the purchase contract and other documents
Perform detail work and negotiations that arise from submitting your purchase contract to the seller
Insure all parties involved are performing their roles to bring about a smooth purchase transaction through to the closing

Qualification for Mortgage Loan – Determine Your Purchasing Power
Before beginning a home search, it is best to have pre-qualification for a mortgage loan so you can determine the amount you can afford as well as an estimate of what costs you will incur with the mortgage. Pre-qualification gives a buyer stronger negotiating power over non-qualifed buyers.

Your mortgage loan officer will also educate you on the different type of loans that are available and will help you choose the one that best serves your needs.

Location
Take time to figure out where you want to live. Factors may include:

Near to schools or work
Proximity to highways (or other transportation) and airport
Ambiance of the area: Does the neighborhood have well-maintained yards? Is it a walkable area? Is there a nearby business district or recreation area? Do you prefer a neighborhood that offers an outdoor pool and other amenities?

Make An Offer
Your real estate agent will assist you in making an offer on a home. This purchase contract will include the price you are willing to pay, along with any terms you have included (such as occupancy date and inclusion of appliances, to name a few). Many contracts also have contingencies to purchase such as a house inspection or financing.

Negotiations
Once the contract has been submitted, there may be a period of negotiation of price and terms. Your real estate agent will guide you through this back-and-forth process, and hopefully the result is an accepted offer.

Home Inspections
Once you have an accepted purchase contract, you will want to schedule a whole-house inspection to evaluate its structural and mechanical condition. This inspection reveals observable conditions and the professional inspector may make recommendations to consult a specialist (such as a roofer, engineer, etc.) You will receive a detailed report from the home inspection. Based upon the results of this report, you may have more negotiations with the seller.

Finalized Your Mortgage Loan and Obtain Insurance
At this point your loan will be going through its final steps with your loan officer. The mortgage institution will require an appraisal of the property. You will need to obtain home owner’s insurance. And, you will need to consider purchasing an owner’s title insurance policy to defend and protect your investment from future liens or disputes of title claims. Learn more about title insurance here.

Closing Day
An exciting day is when you sign on that dotted line and take ownership of your first home. Usually the sellers, buyers, their real estate agents and the closing officer meet together at an agreed upon time and location. Your agent will review all of the documents with you so there are no surprises at your closing. Congratulations, you are now a home owner!

Posted on December 16, 2013 by susanaknabe

Introduction to my BLOG

by Tracy Heller

Hello! My blog focuses on providing resource information for individuals and families who are preparing for or who are currently experiencing the stress of family transitions. Read on and you will see you are not alone!

So… your children are transitioning into an independent life and/or you are realizing your parents are transitioning into a more dependent life. Each comes with a specific set of challenges and some of us are right in the middle of both!

Life is an interesting circle of changes and transitions. Perhaps you are entering the time when your children begin moving out of your homes to purchase their first house. Likewise, as our parents get older and needing to evaluate where they are, the time arrives to explore the many options available to them and you. We are in a unique position of being privy to both, and finding the balance between them.

It can be very overwhelming and difficult.

Our personal struggles begin to blend with our responsibility to those around us. More and more, we find ourselves discussing with our friends our new aches and pains, our struggles with less energy, and the ever popular forgetting everything. The extra contribution of supporting our children and parents in their adjustments to life’s circumstances can seem daunting. But is there a way for us to be prepared?

We need to get a handle on this! All of this responsibility is challenging and we need answers – quick.

You probably find yourself asking friends, family, google, where do I find help?

How do I help my children leave their family home and become independent?

How do my adult children get qualified for a mortgage without a work history?

Who can I trust to work in my child’s best interest and take the time to help them understand how the process of buying a home works?

Who will take the time to educate and prepare them for the responsibilities that come with home ownership?

How do we help them with down payments, monetary gifts etc. to help them qualify to buy a house?

What do we do with all their stuff?

Do we get rid of all the lovely and sweet gifts we have treasured all these years; all the pottery, artwork, cuteness, that at the time was our world and is now clutter?

Are their ways to preserve all that stuff without throwing it out?

How can my parents afford the astronomical prices of assisted living, private pay nursing, medical bills, medical equipment, and all the things we need as we age?

This can quickly become overwhelming! But what can we do about it?

The resources are out there.

But how do you pay for them? What if you don’t have time to be on the phone for hours, to drive elderly parents to doctor’s appointments, to visit every house your child wants to look at while still working full time? Is there a simpler way?

I created this blog because many of my friends are going through similar experiences with their newly adult children and their aging parents. Navigating the system can be overwhelming and very frustrating and I want to help.

This is the purpose of Family Resource Page with Tracy Heller

My goal is to use my background as a social worker, individual, couples, and family therapist, researcher, and my knowledge as a Seniors Real Estate Specialist to create a place where you can go to find answers, learn something new, explore resources, ask questions, and find shared experiences with many others in the same position as you.

For more information on my background and experience, click the link below.

https://hellersells.com/2021/11/23/my-background

Photo by Kampus Production from Pexels

Top 10 Rightsizing Tips for Seniors

Top 10 Rightsizing Tips for Seniors

A First-Time Home Buyer? Here is the Home-Buying Process

A First-Time Home Buyer? Here is the Home-Buying Process

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