Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Many homeowners who are thinking about downsizing start by thinking about what they need to do to get their home ready to sell.
That is a good question to be exploring... but it's only one of the two questions we should be considering.
The second question is... what will you buy next?
If you've lived in your current home for 20 or 30 years, it's easy to pour all of your energy into the selling side of things -- decluttering, making updates, freshening things up, thinking about the timing. And sometimes, the buying side of the equation can accidentally become an afterthought.
Focusing on the buying side of the equation is just as important if not more important! Sometimes these homeowners hoping to downsize are surprised that there aren't many single level homes (detached or attached) with lower maintenance needs on the market at any given time. If were to wait until you are under contract to sell your current home before we start exploring your purchasing options, you might find yourself with fewer choices than you expected.
So, if you're thinking about downsizing, it's important to invest energy into both sides of the equation from the beginning.
On the selling side, yes -- let's talk about what updates make sense, what doesn't need to be done, what your home might be worth, and when the timing might be right.
On the buying side, let's start exploring too. What kind of home are you hoping to land in? One story? Low maintenance? Close to town? Further out in the County? What's your budget going to look like after the sale? Some of these questions take time to answer. We might need to walk through a few homes just to get a feel for what you actually want -- and just as importantly, what you don't want.
The good news is that both conversations can happen at the same time. If you're starting to think about downsizing -- even if it feels like it's a year or two away -- let's start chatting about both sides of the equation.
That is a good question to be exploring... but it's only one of the two questions we should be considering.
The second question is... what will you buy next?
If you've lived in your current home for 20 or 30 years, it's easy to pour all of your energy into the selling side of things -- decluttering, making updates, freshening things up, thinking about the timing. And sometimes, the buying side of the equation can accidentally become an afterthought.
Focusing on the buying side of the equation is just as important if not more important! Sometimes these homeowners hoping to downsize are surprised that there aren't many single level homes (detached or attached) with lower maintenance needs on the market at any given time. If were to wait until you are under contract to sell your current home before we start exploring your purchasing options, you might find yourself with fewer choices than you expected.
So, if you're thinking about downsizing, it's important to invest energy into both sides of the equation from the beginning.
On the selling side, yes -- let's talk about what updates make sense, what doesn't need to be done, what your home might be worth, and when the timing might be right.
On the buying side, let's start exploring too. What kind of home are you hoping to land in? One story? Low maintenance? Close to town? Further out in the County? What's your budget going to look like after the sale? Some of these questions take time to answer. We might need to walk through a few homes just to get a feel for what you actually want -- and just as importantly, what you don't want.
The good news is that both conversations can happen at the same time. If you're starting to think about downsizing -- even if it feels like it's a year or two away -- let's start chatting about both sides of the equation.
