MAC Marketing Solutions has recently had the pleasure of being involved in several new communities where many of the buyers have been making the decision to downsize from larger single family homes.
For some, downsizing can be a dirty word. When you’re ready though, downsizing can be the start of an exciting new chapter in your life. Many of our recent buyers are after that “lock and leave” lifestyle so that they can go and travel the world. For others, it allows them to live closer to friends or family or to live a more pedestrian lifestyle – being a block off of Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver like in our 15 West community for example allows you to park the car and walk everywhere.
Downsizing also gives you the opportunity to buy newer. We can all get complacent about updating – especially after being in our homes for many years. But at many of the presale opportunities in Metro Vancouver you get to enjoy the best of interior design and finishes available today, and often can pick your preferred colour scheme and enjoy a warranty program once you move in. You may be downsizing, but you’re certainly upgrading.
Once you have decided that it is time to downsize, the first question you need to ask yourself is how much space do you REALLY need? What do you have now that you don’t truly need – are their rooms in your house that never get used? Has that older furniture seen better days, and perhaps doesn’t need to come with you? Alternatively, do you have family heirlooms that absolutely need to be in your home? Take some time to examine what you truly need in your home for the next chapter in your life. There are many helpful books, articles, and individuals for hire that can help you with this process.
When you have a good idea of what you need, it is time to start the search. Buying presale can be hugely beneficial because it will give you some certainty of what you are moving into (floorplan layout, room sizes, how much you will be spending) and also gives you lots of time to sort, reorganize, purge, etc. It also allows you time to sell your home or some of your items and get prepared to move. We have seen this time and time again where buyers are thankful for the extra time to go through the process and prepare – especially when moving from a home that you have been in for decades.
We are about halfway through our spring market here in Metro Vancouver and so far things have been pretty steady. Well-priced homes that are well-designed and well-built are selling but the pace is nice and steady - not frenetic, yet not slow. This balanced market is a great time to do your due diligence, think about your needs, work with your realtor and sales representatives to have all of your questions answered and make a relatively secure real estate decision for the next chapter of your life.
Cameron McNeill
