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Simple Tips to Make Your Move Easier
Your needs as a homeowner change over time, and you need the right home to fit those needs. Accordingly, it’s highly likely that at some point in your future you will experience another moving day. While moving can be challenging, there are resources to make it easier. If you are remaining in your current area, your Windermere agent can continue to be a valuable resource on communities, schools, utilities, transportation, recreational opportunities, and more.
If you are moving out of the area, your agent can help you with a referral to another reputable agent in your new community. Many agents also have relationships with real estate-related service companies in their area whom they can call upon for information regarding title, escrow, mortgages, temporary housing, and moving services. They can also help guide you in your search as you learn more about new communities and relocation services.
You’ve decided to move. Now what?
Once you have reached your decision, it’s time to gather information, start making decisions and get organized. Begin by creating a “move” file to keep track of your estimates, receipts, and other information. If you’re moving for a job, some expenses may be deductible, so you’ll want the paperwork when tax time comes.
If you are moving out of the area, start researching your new community and ask your agent for help in finding a referral agent in your new area. You’ll also want to determine whether you want to rent first or buy immediately. Your new agent should be able to help you with your decision. Once you know where you’re going, you’re also ready to get estimates from moving companies.
Closing one door, opening another
After you have chosen a moving date and either hired a moving company or reserved a rental truck, it’s time to wrap things up in your old neighborhood and start establishing relationships where your new home is located. This is particularly important if you are moving to a new town/city. You may want to ask your current doctors, dentists, etc. if they have any referrals on care providers in your new location. Be sure to check their recommendations on your insurance company’s online provider search list. Once you arrive, you may also want to ask new coworkers, friends or the school nurse for their recommendations.
Contact your children’s school and/or day care and arrange for their records to be sent to their new school district or day care. Call your insurance agent about coverage en route to your new home and also arrange for insurance in your new home. Remember to contact utility companies to disconnect, transfer or end service in your current home and turn on service in your new home.
You’ll want to file a change of address form with the U.S. Postal Service, either online or at your local office. If you don’t know your new address, have them hold your mail at the post office in your new locale. Don’t forget to cancel or transfer magazine and newspaper subscriptions as well.
If you belong to a health club or other association, contact them about ending or transferring your membership. Some clubs require written notice before cancellation. Finally, contact your bank or credit union to transfer or close accounts; if you have a safe-deposit box, don’t forget to clean it out before you leave.
Starting the countdown
With moving day in sight, it’s time to get organized. Here are a few items to check off your list before you start packing:
- Tie up loose ends. Be sure to send out an email or change of address cards with your new contact information to family, friends, and associates. Return library books and any other borrowed items you may still have.
- Triage your possessions. Determine what you are taking with you; what you are giving away to friends, family, or a favorite charity; and what is going to the dump or recycling center. If you have time, you can hold a garage sale or post items on craigslist.org or ebay.com.
- Clean up. Drain all gas and oil from your mower, other machinery, gas grills, kerosene stoves and lamps, etc., before loading them onto a moving truck. Empty, defrost, and clean your refrigerator at least 24 hours before your move, and prepare other appliances for moving as well.
- Have your car serviced. This is especially important if you are driving to your new home.
Packing strategies
If you are doing your own packing, start collecting boxes and/or buy them from your movers. It may take a few days to do your packing, so be sure to pack non-essential items first and label them carefully. If you have any valuables, it’s recommended that you take them with you as opposed to packing them. You risk the chance of losing those items if they’re packed away in boxes. It’s also smart to take along a box of essentials, including items such as toilet paper, paper towels, tape, soap, scissors, pens, paper, and your toiletries. That way you won’t have to track these items down once you’ve arrived in your new home.
For more information on how to make your move easier, visit our Moving Tips page here: How can I make moving easier?
You’ve Decided to Sell Your Home—Now What?
Deciding to sell your home is one of the biggest steps you can make in your journey as a homeowner. You’ve likely gone through every scenario in your head and are eager to make sure that the next step for yourself and your loved ones is the right one. The shift from homeowner to seller can feel like a roller coaster, but with the right preparation, it will go smoothly. Here are a few ways to make this transitional period a little easier.
Rely on Your Support System
It’s common to experience waves of emotion when selling your home. Leaning on your support system—your Windermere agent included—can provide some stability.
Selling a home is an exciting endeavor to be shared with the people around you. Reach out to your friends and family to share the great news and start the conversation about how, where, and when they can help you. Whether it’s helping you pack, getting you out of the house during open houses, lending a hand on moving day, helping you get settled into your new home, or simply offering words of encouragement, involving your community will help make it all feel a little less overwhelming for both you and them. If you’re looking for a place to stay while you sell your home, someone in your network may have the perfect solution.
Ask Questions
There is no such thing as a stupid question, especially when selling your home. Whether you’ve sold your home before or this is your first time, each transaction in unique. Your Windermere Real Estate agent will be equipped to address your every question, so don’t be afraid to pause the conversation to ask a clarifying question if something doesn’t make sense.
For information on every aspect of what it takes to sell your home, visit the Selling page on the Windermere blog.
Create a Timeline of Selling Your Home
From prep work to closing, there are many steps to selling your home. It may be helpful to create a timeline or schedule of events, so you know both what you’ve accomplished and what’s coming next. Here’s an example of what it could look like:
- Prepare to Sell
- Move out & clean
- Stage the home
- Marketing Photos
- List the house
- Open House Weekend
- Accepting the Offer
- Review Offers
- Accept an offer
- Negotiate with buyer
- Buyer’s Inspection
- Moving
- Pack up
- Move
- Update all addresses and bills
Expect the Unexpected When Selling Your Home
There’s a fair amount of unpredictability in a transaction as intricate as selling a home, so it’s best to be prepared. A pre-listing inspection will let you know of any major issues with your property that might impact the price of your home and the eventual negotiations your agent will pursue with the buyer’s agent. This lets you make necessary repairs before you go on market, providing you with one last chance to increase your return on investment.
Keep your home secure with a few precautions while you sell. While your house is on the market, you’ll have a lot of foot traffic during open houses and private tours. You can protect your home by adding cameras in and around your home, hiding valuables in a safe, and talking to your agent about taking the appropriate safety precautions.
For more on what you can expect when selling your home, read our blog post on the 10 Costs Associated with Selling Your Home.
Your Guide to Thanksgiving Weekend Events 2021
The year is coming to a close and Thanksgiving is just days away! Communities, locals and businesses are rallying together to finish the month off with a little holiday spirit and a whole lot of gratitude. See what Colorado has lined up for Thanksgiving Day and the year ahead:
Thanksgiving Day Run
Each year, cities across the state plan Thanksgiving Day runs & walks to raise funds for community organizations. The Mile High Turkey Trot in Denver is four miles long and has had 10,000+ participants in years past! Registration fees go toward United Way, an organization that assists families and individuals in poverty. Likewise, the Thanksgiving Day Run in Fort Collins has been going strong for 28 years now! This four-mile event is open to runners, walkers and kids in support of RamStrength, a local organization that supports cancer survivors. Lace up your shoes and start your Thanksgiving Day by giving back to those in need.
Pop-Up Markets
Check out the Colorado Holiday Maker’s Market at the Aztlan Community Center. 80+ local vendors will be selling their handmade, high-quality products on Sunday November 28th from 12p-5p. The Wolverine Publick House will also be opening their doors to local artisans for the Little Zurich Open Air Holiday Market. This outdoor marketplace is free to attend and offers visitors the chance to participate in a variety of activities including candle dipping and wreath making while you enjoy ciders, wines and hot chocolates around the fire pit.
Free Horse Carriage Ride
Break up your holiday shopping with a horse carriage ride in Fort Collins! Head down to the Foothills Mall on Saturday November 27th from 5p-7p to enjoy a ride in a Clydesdale pulled carriage designed to give a slow tour of the shopping complex. Pick-up location is across from the Cinemark Theater and Bistro.
Holiday Lights
Ring in the holiday season by exploring the newly hung lights across Colorado! The Grand Illumination is held the day after Thanksgiving to bring the community together for the lighting of downtown Denver. The Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Zoo, and Butterfly Pavilion will also be adorning their spaces with holiday lights, but the festive displays don’t stop there! Downtown Colorado Springs, Seven Falls, Estes Park, and Gunnison will all hold lighting ceremonies to show their holiday spirit.
Support the Rapids & Donate to a Great Cause
The Colorado Rapids, Major League Soccer Team in the Denver Metro area, have made it to the playoffs and will be playing the first Thanksgiving Day game in MLS history at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. This is a huge accomplishment in an of itself, but the league isn’t stopping there. For every fan inside the park prior to kick off of the Western Conference Semi Final Playoff, the Colorado Rapids and Kroenke Sports Charities will donate fifteen meals to the Food Bank of the Rockies. Show your support while helping families facing hunger this holiday season!
When in Doubt, Hike it Out
Show gratitude for the awesome state we live in by jumping on a trail at one of Colorado’s 41 state parks. Lory State Park, Eldorado Canyon State Park, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, and Cheyenne Mountain State Park are just a few areas that are worth exploring.
Your Guide to Trick-Or-Treating in Northern Colorado
It’s the sweetest, spookiest time of the year! If you’re in the Northern Colorado area, we’ve put together a list of family-friendly trick-or-treat locations that are sure to hit the spot!
1. Anderson Farms is opening its doors for all the “Little Ghouls” out there. This daytime trick-or-treat event will be hosted on both Saturday and Sunday from 11a to 2p, giving the kiddos the perfect chance to show off their costumes, collect candy and explore the farm’s “Fall Festival”. Tickets are $5 per participant and registration includes a trick-or-treating sack!
2. Trick or Treat Street 2021 is back and better than ever! Enjoy this completely outdoor trick-or-treat event taking place on Friday October 29th from 4p-6p in Downtown Greeley. Over 40 businesses will be in attendance and they’re bringing more than just candy… booths, prizes, treats, and trunk-or-treat cars are all a part of this short and sweet celebration!
3. Not quite ready to take on the crowds yet? We’ve got you! The Thompson School District is hosting its second annual “Drive-Thru Trick or Treat”. This socially distanced event gives the kiddos a chance to dress up and collect candy from the comfort of the car, all while checking out Halloween scenes decorated by local businesses, schools and nonprofits. The best part? This event is doubles as a fundraiser for the Thompson Education Foundation! Get into the spirit of Halloween while supporting a great organization! Tickets are $5 per vehicle and the event will take place on Saturday, October 30th from 10a-2:30p.
4. Head to Downtown Fort Collins the kick off your Halloween weekend! Nearly 70 businesses in the downtown area will be participating in this trick-or-treat event. Join in the fun on Friday October 29th from 10a-1p! Not in the area? Downtown Windsor will also be hosting it’s annual Trick-or-Treat event on Saturday from 1p-4p. Stop by and say hi to the 20 participating businesses including our Windsor office located at 207 4th Street!
5. Stick with tradition and trick-or-treat in your neighborhood over the weekend. Wherever you choose to celebrate this year, we’re wishing you a Happy Halloween!
All In, For Community Amid COVID-19
Over the past few weeks, as the effects of COVID-19 have spread to everywhere Windermere has offices, we have seen an outpouring of support from our agents and offices in their local communities, embodying what it means to be All In, For You.
The Bellevue, WA-based Windermere Real Estate East Inc. offices have been all in for their community in recent weeks by organizing “Feed the Front Lines.” This effort has raised upwards of $9,000, with many members volunteering their time to help pick-up and deliver much-needed meals to the medical professionals at a local hospital. So far, they have scheduled six shifts of lunch and dinner deliveries, totaling 415 meals. They have reached out further into the community, collecting donations for local small businesses that have been forced to close.
Windermere agent Chris Gaines—based in Boise, Idaho with the Windermere Powerhouse Group—was inspired to deliver food and other necessities to the elderly in his neighborhood. Chris and his family spent the day visiting local grocery stores and gathering supplies to make care packages. After divvying everything up, they safely delivered the care packages to neighbors, who were sincerely grateful. “It was clear by the excitement of some of them that we were the first to have visited since all of this began,” said Chris of his neighbors.
In other cities where Windermere operates, such as Palm Springs, agents are volunteering to buy and deliver groceries for the local elderly population who are currently unable to leave home due to the threat of COVID-19.
On Maui, the local Windermere office is routing Windermere Foundation donations to a local food bank. On top of that, they will provide that same food bank with a donation from each closed home sale over the next 60 days. Agents on Maui are also volunteering to prepare grab-and-go breakfast and lunch meals for kids at the Kihei Charter School.
In Nevada, the mother-son team of Reba St. Clair & Devone Donley are providing delivery services free of charge to their neighbors throughout the Lake Las Vegas area. They are picking up prescriptions and performing food deliveries, making themselves a dependable resource to their community.
The Seattle-area offices that make up Windermere Wall Street recently donated $2,000 to Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) to aid in the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as surgical masks. RAI’s mission is to transform the lives of refugee and immigrant women by providing sustainable work in sewing and handcrafting goods.
As our agents and offices have proven time and time again, together we can make a difference. We will continue to share these uplifting stories of support for our communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.
All In, For Community. All In, For You.
Windermere Foundation Has Raised Over $1.5 Million This Year!
Windermere offices throughout the Western U.S. have been busy raising money and making donations to non-profit organizations in their local communities that provide services to low-income and homeless families. And their efforts are paying off; so far this year we’ve raised over $1.5 million, bringing the total raised by the Windermere Foundation to $39.5 million since 1989.
Here are just a few examples of how our offices are giving back to their communities:
Fort Collins, Colorado
The Windermere Real Estate office in Fort Collins held its 5th Annual Windermere Foundation Tailgate Party on Friday, September 20. The family-friendly event featured food, drinks, a bouncy house obstacle course, corn hole, face painting, and live music. Over $1,800 was raised for the Windermere Foundation during this event. All proceeds from the tailgate “party with a purpose” benefitted Partners Mentoring Youth and Crossroads Safehouse.
Centralia, Washington
The Windermere office in Centralia, WA sponsored the “Down Home: A Toledo Shindig” event held at Bonanza BBQ on September 14 to benefit Toledo School District students in need. Local businesses and residents came together to donate auction items, food, and volunteer their time. Windermere owner Dan Gorton spearheaded the organization of the fundraising event, seeing a need in the community that was not being met. The Gortons provided the venue and the BBQ. Other sponsors provided additional food items, entertainment, and big-ticket items for the auction. The event raised $34,000 for a fund to help provide basic needs for students in the school district, things that low-income families couldn’t otherwise afford.
Photo Courtesy of Josie Ray Photography
Spokane, Washington
The Windermere office in Spokane, WA held their annual Windermere Shoes and Socks Event at their local Big 5 sporting goods store on August 24. Windermere agents and family members volunteered their time to help 132 children select a pair of shoes and socks. An additional 250 pairs of socks were also donated by Liberty Lake Rotary. In total, the Windermere office donated over $5,400 to provide shoes and socks to local children in need.
Windermere offices are proud to host events in their communities, like the ones mentioned above. These generous donations to the Windermere Foundation further our mission to support low-income and homeless families in the areas where we live and work. If you’d like to help support programs in your community, please click the Donate button.
To learn more about the Windermere Foundation, visit WindermereFoundation.com.
What is success?
“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” –Albert Einstein
I’ve never really defined whatever we’ve accomplished at Windermere in terms of success or failure; rather, it is what we value.
For me it is something very simple: it’s about family, relationships and community.
It all starts with family. By that I mean both my loved ones and the family known as Windermere. We’ve had some success because we embrace the same values in our organization as we do in our family: integrity, decency, great communication, compassion and grace, to name a few. And, like any family, we have our share of disagreements, but ultimately we come together on the important issues because we have shared values.
Great relationships are a function of those same values. My best relationships come from working and playing together and sharing experiences. Whether solving a problem or celebrating anniversaries, the experiences we share add up to strong relationships. In business and family, you can only go forward with those you trust and value. It’s the relationship that counts.
Community is a by-product of family and relationships. A community is simply a larger group of people who share experiences. It can be as simple as meeting at the neighborhood coffee shop every Sunday morning with some favorite neighbors, or a reunion of several generations of family.
