Realtricity Helps Seniors Downsize

As an affiliate of Alchester Group, LLC, a development and management company; members of the Realtricity team have been involved in the progress of two of the area’s leading independent senior communities – The Lodge at Ávila and Shaker Pointe at Carondelet. Aiding seniors in the transition to an independent and rewarding lifestyle has only helped to strengthen Realtricity’s knowledge base of the downsizing and moving process. This knowledge and experience helps inform and prepare our clients for the next big move in their lives.

One of the major transitions people encounter in their lifetime is the move into retirement living. Downsizing from a home you have lived in and taken care of all your whole life seems like an overwhelming task, but an important one. Personal items tend to collect and build up over time making the chore associated with moving daunting to most. We are here to help you through the process associated with downsizing and help you sell your home. Once you recognize that the tasks associated with home ownership have become too much to handle its necessary to take the next step in life to see what other options are available to you.

Taking the step to downsize will only help to simplify your life and make more time for the things you enjoy. Outside of home ownership there is always the option to rent, but nowadays as the baby boomer generation continues to age into retirement the need for more senior housing, alternative senior living communities, and a more fulfilling lifestyle has begun to grow. In a 2009 census estimate there were 40,477 people over the age of 65 in Albany County making up almost 14 percent of Albany’s total population. With this growth comes new opportunities and gone are the days when the only options for retirement were assisted living facilities or senior communities with no services or amenities. Today, several options have taken shape within the Capital District for senior living, and Realtricity is happy to be a part of two of the area’s up-and-coming independent retirement communities. For more information on these independent living communities, you may visit the Ávila and Shaker Pointe websites.

Entrance to Shaker Pointe at Carondelet Independent Living Community

The Cottage Residences at Ávila Retirement Community

Realtricity takes the time to work out a selling plan with all of our clients by listening to their needs and their timeline for moving. As part of our services we always offer a free staging consultation to help homeowners compete in a tough market and make their home stand out among the competition. The process of staging works hand in hand with downsizing a home and preparing for a move. Staging is the process of making a home visually ready to sell by removing personal items, de-cluttering, and neutralizing furnishings and décor within the home. Our stager will draft up suggestions and offer a price to do the work for you, or you can take these suggestions and do the work yourself. To help get you started here are some helpful tips to start the process of downsizing your home.

Downsizing tips:
It’s better to downsize your home before you list it for sale. Downsizing removes excess clutter and unwanted or unused items while helping the home look larger and more appealing to a potential buyer coming through. Pack away personal items and mementos such as family photographs and excess clutter and move them to storage. Consider all of the personal items and furniture you own and determine the items you don’t wish to take with you to your new home. Go through your home and place a sticker on the items you wish to get rid of. For these items consider the following options to remove them as soon as possible from your home.

Your options for the items you wish to dispose of:

Donate to family and friends: Begin to contact the individuals you would like to give furniture and other household items to.
Garage sale/estate sale: If you plan on having a garage sale, it may be a good idea to ask a few of your neighbors to join you. In most cases, the larger the sale, the more people it will attract. If you are not able to have a garage sale or would rather someone else dispose of your things, consider having an estate sale. For more tips on garage and estate sales please contact one of our agents.
Donate to charities: The Capital Region has many deserving charities. Please try and donate items that are in fair condition. Many charities will pick-up unwanted items and there are many places to drop off items. Always be sure to ask the charity for a receipt and a value of the items that you donate for tax deductions. To see a full list of Capital Region Donation Organizations please contact us and we would be happy to pass it along to you.
Waste Disposal: For items that are too worn out or broken, consider disposing of them. For large items or large amounts of unwanted items, consider calling 1-800-Got JUNK or 1-888-Chuck-It. They will pick up anywhere in the Capital Region if you call ahead.