Retirement Relocation Downsizing, Decluttering, Preparing Properties - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Retirement Relocation Downsizing, Decluttering, Preparing Properties for Sale and Moving House By Christine Starr of Blue Lighthouse Relocations

Barriers to Downsizing and Relocating  Anxiety and stress surrounding a move can be overwhelming  Some people can’t find where to start from  Uncertainty about where to go to  Do you have care needs to consider?  Is location important to you?

Benefits to Downsizing & Decluttering • A safer and more appropriate living environment means you are more likely to live at home for longer • A decluttered living space means a better mental health outcome • Do you have a home care package or have applied for one? You can move house and have the home care package pay for it with the right relocation consultant

Where do we start?  How do we work out what we can afford?  Understand what your assets are i.e. what your home is worth and therefore what you can spend.  Use a vendors advocate to get a valuation.  Find out where you want to go.  Use a placement broker to ensure you find the right place to suit your care, social and location needs.

Where do we start?  Do we need to sell our house before or after we move?  How do we buy a new residence without having already sold our existing one?  How do we go about selling our house? Vendor’s advocate.  How do we present our house for sale when we need to continue living there?

Where do we start – planning your move?  Focus on the end result – your new home and its setup is your starting point  Which items of furniture do you definitely want to take?  Which items of furniture will definitely fit in the new residence?  Which items of furniture will definitely not fit in the new residence?  Use a relocation consultant that can do a scaled floorplan of your new residence to make these decisions easier.

Example Floorplan

Preparing Your Property for Sale • Decluttering before photos are taken – the most important step • What to do with items that need to be removed: • Items to be kept for your next residence that are not required for photos should go into storage: • It may be an option to store these items within the property • Or, store items in a commercial storage facility • Items that are excess to requirements at the next residence can be: Sold – through private sale, 2 nd hand dealers or auction houses • • Donated to worthy charities • or disposed of

The Most Confronting Decision What will happen with the items I am not taking to my next residence? • Sell • Private sale – Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace • Secondhand furniture dealers • Auction houses • Donate • Domestic violence and homeless people assistance charities • Men’s sheds • Schools and kindergartens • Ozharvest • Charity sewing and knitting groups • RSPCA • Organise for the transport of items to family members

Moving Into Your New Residence • Choose a relocation consultant that can pack, move and unpack in the same day. • This should be a smooth operation that should not take more than a day unless necessary. • Evaluate the costs associated with your move i.e. will you be charged for boxes and packing materials you will never need again as well as your relocation consultant and removalists? • Will your relocation consultant connect the TV, make the bed, unpack bookshelves & display cabinets as they were, hang the paintings, connect the washing machine as well as unpacking all boxes?

After Moving House – Preparing for Settlement • After you have moved house there may be items that were required to stay for the sale of the house but you don ’ t want them at your new residence • These can be dealt with in the same way as items in excess to your requirements i.e. • Sale • Donation • Disposal

What to look for in a good relocation consultant Relocation consultants vary in the type of work they actually perform • Look for a consultant that: • Will allocate you one point of contact who will always be present • Are insured to perform all services they offer and oversee • Who do not accept or pay kickbacks or referral fees • Does not require payment up front • Have their own staff so that you are not dealing with subcontracted companies • Provide at no extra charge, all packing materials and remove them at the end