The house got bigger every year you stayed in it.
Nothing is wrong. The kids moved out, the stairs got longer, and you are maintaining rooms nobody has used since 2011.
See what it frees upWhat downsizing sellers usually want
Not the last three percent of the price. A date they can plan around, no strangers walking through on Sunday afternoons, and not having to fix things they have lived with happily for twenty years.
The traditional process is built around a different priority. Stage it, list it, keep it show ready, accept an offer contingent on financing and inspection, then negotiate repairs. For someone who just wants to move to something smaller, that is a lot of process for a modest gain.
The repair list problem
A house that has been comfortable for decades will still generate an inspection report. Original windows, a furnace at the end of its life, a roof with a few years left, a bathroom that has not changed since it was installed. None of it bothered you and all of it will come back as a credit request.
Selling as is skips that entirely. We are not going to send you a list, and we are not going to renegotiate after an inspection because there is no inspection contingency.
Timing two moves
The hard part is usually not selling, it is not being homeless in between. Tell us what you need. A ninety day closing while you find the next place, or a short period after closing to move out, can usually be built in.
And leave what you are not taking. Downsizing means having more furniture than the next place will hold. Anything you leave behind is ours to deal with.
Five questions. That is the whole thing.
We already know your situation from this page. Change it if it does not fit.
Question 1 of 5
What people ask about this
Should I just list it instead?
If the house is in good shape and you have time, listing will usually net more and we will say so. If it needs work or you need certainty, the comparison gets much closer.
Can I stay for a bit after closing?
Sometimes that can be arranged. Ask early so it goes into the agreement rather than being added later.
Do I have to empty it?
No. Take what fits in the new place and leave the rest.
Often it is more than one thing at once
See what it frees up.
No cost, no obligation, and nobody shows up at your door unless you ask them to.