In real estate there is always the cost of waiting. The biggest issue is because you’re not ready. The same holds true for downsizing baby boomers. You tell yourself you’re not ready to move yet. In all actuality, you’re not even close to being ready to move.
I talk about this all the time. It’s the 3 phases of selling your home. Most of the selling your home process is in getting ready. And it takes the average baby boomer months to be ready.
When the Cost of Waiting Becomes Urgent
On the 4th of July, I had a call before 9:00 a.m. from a lady that wanted to know if I could meet with her within the next hour. Those calls are the desperate downsizers that will end up doing the wrong thing, with the wrong people if they aren’t careful.
So, in an effort to save her from her own self, I agreed to stop by her house at 10:30 for an initial paid consultation.
The No Surprise Consultation
Nothing surprises me. After all, I’ve been selling real estate for 35 years and doing home staging for 15 years. When I ask people how ready they are to put the for sale sign in the yard, they always lie. Well, they don’t mean to lie. They just aren’t being realistic or honest with themselves. They usually tell me on a scale of 1-10, they are around a 7 or 8. That number better represents how many months or sometimes years it’s going to take for them to really be ready to put the sign in the yard.
This lady was ready though. It was like she woke up that morning and a bolt of lightning shot through her. When I asked how she found me she said she googled how to get started downsizing and there I was.
Yep. I’m here, there, and everywhere. I’ve done it, I currently live large in a small space and I am settled in for my final chapter. The question is, are you?
Just a Typical Baby Boomer
Linda was no different than anyone else her age. She was still in the big 2 story, in south Overland Park. She’d been there for over 20 years and her house was loaded. There was a path from the front door into the kitchen. She told me over the phone that the door would be unlocked and to let myself in.
As I announced my arrival, I almost couldn’t find her sitting in a chair across the 1st floor. There was so much stuff I couldn’t see past the path ahead of me. After touring part of her house, we ended up back at the kitchen where I offered her one of my programs to manage her move. She not only needed some guidance on what to do when but also needed someone to box the stuff up and haul it off. And then there was the accountability part of it. After some add-ons to my Move Management Program I designed years ago, we came up with something that would work for her. After all, she had so many health issues, she knew she was never going to get out of there without someone else physically doing the work for her.
By the end of our appointment, I had removed all of the items that were above the kitchen cabinets. You know the ones. They’ve been there for years, are so dirty, dusty, and grimy from kitchen grease it’s embarrassing. I loaded them into my car for donation and we scheduled our next appointment.
The Cost of Waiting – Priceless
Linda is a perfect example of somebody who is now experiencing the cost of waiting. Her health has deteriorated and now prohibits her from being on her feet for over about 15 minutes at any given time. Little did she know a year ago, this change in her health would ever occur. After all, she was a vibrant business owner in her early 70’s and had lots of years left. And then she got the diagnosis from her doctor.
Her cost of waiting is now costing her in dollars. She didn’t start the decluttering to downsize when she should have, and has no family in town (not that they WANT to help). Her only option is to pay someone to help her get rid of years of stuff.
The Good News
The cost of waiting for her comes down to the fact that she’s now ready. I believe she has finally faced the fact that the good days are behind her. She knows her health will not improve, she will never be able to box anything up on her own or get anything out of her house without help.
Her health scare motivated her beyond belief. She knows her days are numbered and she wants to be ready to move when the time comes. Linda isn’t ready to move just yet but might be by the time we get all of the clutter out of her house. She is my perfect client and would benefit so much from any one of my downsizing baby boomer programs. Trouble is, the cost of waiting has affected her as it does so many. She waited too long and is now unable to do the work.
What’s Your Plan?
Linda and I put our heads together and came up with a program that will work for now. At the end of the day, we’re both good with our agreement knowing full well that things could change at any time. After all, it’s not how it’s going to happen, it’s more about getting the job done so you can be ready for that next chapter.
There’s no better time to assess where you are in your life and your own downsizing experience. If nothing else, I hope you are participating in “The House Weight Loss Plan” on Facebook. It’s a year-long program and is totally FREE! While that’s not as detailed as one of my paid programs, it’s a great start to rid your life and your house of things you no longer want or need.
What About You?
Do you feel like you’ve waited too long to downsize? What are you going to do about it? You can take charge of your future or do nothing. It’s your next chapter and your decision. You can take charge of it or leave it for someone else to do. If you’d like to have a conversation to see if you’re making the right decisions for your own personal situation, call or text me at (913) 515-3250 or contact me here.
