Don’t miss the opportunity to meet the staff of Village On The Isle at the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce 2011 Consumer Expo, Friday and Saturday, October 21 & 22 at the Venice Community Center.

We hope to see you there…

So it’s time for retirement. You’ve spent years building up equity in your home and like most Americans benefited from that equity when it came time to pay for renovations, your kid’s college and unforeseen expenses.  You thought of your home as a piece of your nest egg.  A nest egg you would one day cash in to pay for retirement, right?  WRONG.  When housing prices came crashing down, so did the dream of retirement for many seniors.

With things slowly turning around and these elderly couple’s homes’ being worth more than what they originally paid for them 40 years ago, there are a few things our savvy seniors can do to stay ahead of the game and increase their chances of selling.

STAGING – Hold on to all those wonderful memories, but GET RID of the stuff! Seniors appreciate their belongings far more than the youth today. Problem is, they see value in TOO many of their belongings and when it comes to selling your home, the cleaner the better. Purge, Purge, Purge.  When potential buyers are coming in to a home they are interested in space, they want to visualize their own dream of what the house will do for them, what fond memories will be created there for them.  They are definitely not interested in seeing your memorabilia or coin collection you’ve had since you were 12.

Proper staging requires:

• Cleaned and cleared tables, counters, closets and floors.  (remove trinkets, collectables, picture frames, etc.)
• Fresh Paint, clean walls
• Clean Windows, inside and out
• Warm welcoming scents such as warm vanilla or fresh baked cookies
• Proper furniture placement – There should be enough furniture in the room so it is not empty feeling, but not overcrowded so flow is not interrupted when walking through.

SMALL UPGRADES & MAINTENANCE – Little things starting with curb appeal and “newer” appliances can add value and entice potential homebuyers.

A few inexpensive ideas:

• Fresh cut lawn, new mulch or shells (if you’re in FL) and a few colorful plants once the house is listed.  Keep the plants watered and alive.
• Pressure Clean your driveway and Garage Door.  Depending on roof condition you may want to budget to have all 3 done at the same time.  In Florida most homeowners’ wait until after August (rainy season) to have these services provided.
• New Garage Door. Stay away from color Garage Doors, if you cannot afford a brand new door try to have damaged panels repaired.
• New or “newer” appliances.  If your stove was put in when you bought the house in 1960, please have it upgraded.  If you cannot afford a brand new appliance, chances are there is probably a “newer” model for sale on Craigslist or in your local paper.
• If you have tiled or wood floors have them cleaned.  If your home has carpet, renting a steam cleaner or hiring a service to perform the cleaning will freshen up your home for minimal cost.

Retiring is something we work hard for all our lives.  Selling your home in this economy is possible you just need to be smarter and take some extra steps.

Just how “independent” are you living at home alone?

It may be time to think of a Continuing Care Retirement Community …

Would you rather live at home, alone, depending on others, not being able to do the things you once could?  Is this really keeping your independence?  Unable to mow your lawn or keep up with daily chores around your house is a constant reminder that you may actually be losing your independence.  Why burden yourself with these worries?  You should be enjoying your retirement years… Your time is NOW!

Take a look at the list below.  Answer each question to yourself and find out if you’re really as “independent” as you want to be.  Be honest with yourself.

• Do you spend quality time with other people every day?

YES –or- NO

• Do you have the energy to clean the house every week?

YES –or- NO

• Do you fix yourself 3 healthy meals per day?

YES –or- NO

• Can you drive yourself to the store, church and other places, daily, weekly?

YES –or- NO

• Are you able to mow the lawn and take care of your yard throughout the hot summer?

YES –or- NO

• Can you fix things around the house by yourself?

YES –or- NO

• Is it easy to climb steps?

YES –or- NO

• Could you care for yourself if you broke your hip or leg?

YES –or- NO

• Are you happy living by yourself and do you look forward to each new day?

YES –or- NO

• Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to worry about Hurricane Preparedness?  If you lived in a community that took care of this for you?

YES –or- NO

• Do you have a strong social support network, locally?

YES –or- NO

It’s important to be honest with yourself and keep a positive attitude about aging.  These are the years you should be enjoying yourself.  You should have fewer worries and really live the life you deserve.  We work towards retirement our whole lives and mowing the lawn or driving when we are impaired should not be what makes us feel independent!  Socializing with others, laughing, joining activities, relaxing with our peers – these things are what it’s all about!