The last few weeks I’ve been getting a lot of questions from sellers about when they should list their home for sale to allow enough time to move into a retirement community or a new home being built.  You might be a retiree who is considering the next phase of your life including downsizing and maybe moving into a retirement community.  The timing is not always perfect, so how do you work it out best to move from your current property into a new place?

1. Don’t wait.  I hear a lot of sellers telling me they want to wait until it’s closer to a completion date on their new property.  The problem with this is that if there are several neighbors who are also moving into the same new construction community, all your neighbors might be listing their homes for sale at the same time, saturating the market and making your property much harder to sell due to the increased inventory and competition.
2. It’s a good problem if your home sells right away and you’re homeless.   Remember the goal is to SELL your current property, so accomplishing that is the first big step! You could always do a lease back with the new buyer.  That’s when you sell your home and no longer own it, but now are a renter until you are ready to move.  I structure deals with sellers this way a lot of times, because it allows them time to make their move and everything to work out smoothly.
3. If the buyer just won’t allow a lease back, a less desirable option would be to put your belongings into storage and rent a small furnished condo until your new place is ready.  This is slightly inconvenient, but it’s not the end of the world.  Better to have your house sold and to be ready to move when your new home is ready than stuck in your old home, possibly paying two mortgages and two sets of bills.

Remember the goal is to sell your home.  That needs to be 100% of your focus.  I’ll gladly help you negotiate the most favorable terms to make your move as easy as possible.  Don’t worry about how your move will be impacted with a completion date of your new construction property.  Please call me at 239.825.2234 if you’d like help making it a smooth transition and selling your property.

Gabe Mellein was voted a Top Real Estate Agent – Exceptional in Service and Overall Satisfaction by Gulfshore Life Magazine in 2012.  He is the broker of Gulf Pointe Properties, Inc and has over 8 years experience in the SW Florida Real Estate Market.  He is a member of The Naples Area Board of Realtors, Bonita Springs – Estero Association of Realtors, Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, The Florida Association of Realtors, The National Association of Realtors, and is nationally certified in Feng Shui for Real Estate.  Need real estate help?  Please contact Gabe at:  239.825.2234, Gabe@GulfPointeProperties.com  or www.GulfPointeProperties.com