Jim and Susan:
Migrating to their happy place

Years before Jim and Susan thought of retiring, they found their happy place and built a “cabin” where they could escape to on weekends and holidays. It truly is a wonderful property with water access and a view to die for.

They have two sons, whom they raised in that house, but have since moved away, so there is travel in their future. They also have a grand daughter and a dog (Lola).

The Property

Jim and Susan bought their house new 30+ years before. They maintained it well, and did upgrades along the way - something we HIGHLY recommend as you should enjoy your home and any upgrades. These included a new kitchen, new primary bath, and hardwood floor refinishing. They did other things like paint, update the trim, and other smaller upgrades. They also built a large deck and an covered outdoor living space. All of these are extremely marketable and add value to the home.

What updates/upgrades add value to your home?

The Process

A number of years ago, Susan starting talking about what they were going to do when they both “retired.” We had multiple conversations over the years where they asked advice on how to prepare their home, things to do, and as importantly, things NOT to do that wouldn’t improve the value.

About a year from when Jim planned to retire, they got more serious. Kelly and Pat met with them a few times, did a walkthrough of the house (they were the original owners), and identified things, mostly minor, that would help make their home marketable, including what to stage and what to downsize (e.g., move to storage). We provided a list of vendors, helped figure out how to organize and plan for the move, and the best time to put the house on the market - in this case it was ideally February or March.

Susan and Jim dove in, organized, and worked on their home. They also have firends and family come to help them, which lowered the stress level considerably. We also recommended a “pre-inspection” to identify things that would come up if a buyer had an inspection.

As we approached their selling season, they decided the hardwood floors needed some attention.

The Pitch

The home is in a sought-after subdivision, with multiple schools within walking distance, shopping, activities (multiple pools, soccer, baseball and a cricket pitch), so we knew there would be interest.

We determined the best listing price to bring in potential buyers and staged multiple open houses the opening weekend. We also helped Susan host a short “goodbye” cocktail hour to see her friends and neighbors, and let them see the house.

The Results

Working together with Jim and Susan, we were able to sell their house the first weekend, with great terms and got them on their way!