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The personal stories of one Realtor’s battles and triumphs in the highly-competitive Bay Area Real Estate Market, seeking to illuminate and humanize the very real ups-and-downs of homeownership.
A good Realtor understands the UN-easy work of moving out and moving on.
“I used to be good at attacking things” my client said, “Now I just want someone I can rely on who will make it easy . . . I’m ready for things to be easy.”
You’re in luck — we’d like to make it easy on you too. So if you’re EASY, we will do everything to help that along.
Years ago, a good friend, who became a client said, “Tell me what the perfect Seller looks like, and I’ll be that.”
“Well,” I jokingly said, “The perfect Seller would move out, hand us their keys, write checks for the vendors, listen to our advice, and fill out the disclosures to the best of his/her ability. The rest we’ll take care of . . .” and to my utter amazement, that’s exactly what he did.
Of course, that’s not everybody’s journey. In fact, it’s hardly ANYBODY’S journey. (I can count on one hand the number of times a Seller gave over complete control.) If you find yourself overwhelmed by the piles of accumulated items in your home (and that’s easy to do when you’ve been collecting for decades), the mere thought of moving can freeze you in your tracks.
That being said, a move to a simpler lifestyle might make total sense at this stage of life, which is why a good Realtor not only understands the market, but the logistics of actually moving out and moving on.
In short, we’re here to help ease the transition.
Is any of this “easy?” In a word, NO!
It’s never easy giving up what you’ve known for the vast unknown or letting go of friends, neighbors, and community. Even Sellers positively embracing change still have to deal with the mechanics of a move and that’s just the first phase of many.
What to keep, what to donate, what to toss . . . and what to do with the kids’ trophies, yearbooks, clothing, sports equipment, and miscellaneous everything else? It can be a MOUNTAIN to climb!
We’re working on a project now that’s a “diamond in the rough” with a million-dollar view. The father recently passed away and the house has suffered from years of neglect. But aside from its condition, it was also chock-a-block full of possessions the homeowner had amassed through the years. Interested in a cookbook? He had literally dozens. That’s where we come in.
“What do we do with all this stuff?” the heirs asked, looking around at the piles.
Leave it to us. We’ll take care of it.
Once family and friends had taken what they wanted, the rest was headed to charity, an estate sale, or the landfill thanks to the helpful support of Remoov. Within the space of 48 hours, we had the house completely emptied, power-washed, and cleaned up. This week, the home is being inspected, and next week, it will hit the market in an “AS IS” sale. Given its location, untapped potential, and bay views, it should sell rapidly. In short shift, Jill, Sarah, and I will have helped the family resolve this part of their father’s estate, and that’s a good feeling. It’s also a great responsibility.
Lest anyone think Real Estate is an easy road to making a fast buck, they should walk in our shoes for a week, a month, or a year . . . while we deal with grieving families, dissolved marriages, empty nesters, and job transfers, not to mention COVID, the stock market, rising interest rates, ego, greed, fear, and uncertainty. And because homes are so very valuable in our marketplace, there’s a LOT at stake, which doesn’t necessarily bring out the best in people. We’ve seen that too. Moving, if nothing else, is HIGHLY emotional and often laced with anxiety.
Moving is UN-easy work — which is where we come in.
As my friend, Amy, who runs Creative Moving, once reminded me, “A move is the physical manifestation of a life event this is about to, or has already taken place.” (How’d she get so wise?) Amy’s amazing and she’s one of the many pros we count on to help our overwhelmed Sellers weed through what’s truly important to them while letting the rest of it go. Turns out, moving “takes a village.”
So, if there’s a life event on your horizon, if you are dealing with the next phase of life, or if there’s been a shift in your circumstances, we’ve got a team of specialists ready to jump in and help. No matter the journey, we’re here to offload your stress and make things easier because the real job of buying or selling is so much bigger than just the house; it’s your life. So, please — make it easy on yourself!
How can we help you?
Julie Gardner & Sarah Abel | Compass Realty
Not just Realtors, but consultants in all things house and home, we’re here to educate, explore, examine and refer . . . In short, you may count on us to take care of your home as if it were our own and anyone who knows us, knows we take pretty darn good care of our homes.
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