It's easy to give advice, but it's not so easy to take it!
As Realtors, we often give out advice so that people can sell their homes more quickly and for more money. We advise people to de-clutter, clean, and make repairs before putting their homes on the market. We advise them to remove personal items, paint in buyer-friendly colors, and rearrange or store their furniture to appeal to buyers. When they finally do receive offers on their house, we advise them to put their emotions (once again) on the back burner and think in terms of their goals.
But what if you were on the receiving end of all that advice? I had a dose of being on the receiving end of my own advice this past week when I seriously considered moving. I had spent another week in warmer climates and started looking at properties. When I found one I could absolutely see myself living in, I went to the next step of asking myself what I would need to do to make it happen. Of course, this probably isn't going to take place any time soon, but I did go through the exercise, which is the closest I have ever come to actually picturing myself moving out of the house I have been in for 35 YEARS!!!
All of a sudden, I could feel the angst that some of my clients have felt. Although there is the attraction of taking the next step, there is the stomach-churning reality of cleaning, decluttering, repairing, painting, and discarding years of junk that has been so easily stored in the attic!
Where do I start? I made up a list and will just have to tackle each task one step at a time. I can't imagine every getting to the end of the list, but in the meantime, I have a whole new appreciation for what sellers have to go through!
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Peggy Chirico, REALTOR®
Serving the Greater Hartford Area
Prudential CT Realty
peggychirico@gmail.com
860-748-8900
If you are buying or selling a home in Hartford County or Tolland County, please call me, email me, or visit my website. I would be happy to help you with your home search or provide a market analysis for your home.
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Peggy, your story is true of most of us. We just don't live staged to sell.
Hi Janice - Why not? Haha--it would be so much easier! But thanks for commiserating with me!
Oh boy I can relate...11 years ago when we built our home I thought seriously that all Realtors need to move ever once in awhile to know how it feels! LOL Of course I am not ready to pack it up and move yet!
Hi Peggy--I always thought I pretty much lived "staged to sell" as Janice notes, but when we sold our last home I couldn't believe how much stuff there was that needed to be gone. I don't think it is ever easy to sell and move regardless of how close we are to this business.
Hi Deborah - Yes, it is an eye-opener! And I haven't even really started yet.
Hi Janet - When I go up in my attic, I think I will probably scream!!!
Peggy --- 35 years!!!???? You are so far behind needing to move! The average around here is 5-7 years, and then you don't have so much to go thru! Good luck on making a decision whether or not you want to move. I have lived in the same house for 10 years, but make HUGE efforts to dive through "stuff" every winter when it is slow, and get rid of stuff I don't need!
Hi Joan - Yeah, I don't even know how I am in this business!!! Vicarious experience, I guess!