So, you love the house that you have been living in for many decades. It has provided comfort, security and a lifetime of happiness for you and your family.

The kids have all grown up with memories of the wonderful life you were fortunate enough to provide. They all moved on and have families of their own, and now it’s time for you and your spouse to move to the next phase of your lives.

You no longer need the 3 or 4 bedroom house and all the related maintenance and expenses. It’s time to downsize. And that means there are several questions that come to mind.

The first step is to call an experienced Real Estate agent, who is also a Seniors Real Estate Specialist. A SRES certified agent is someone who is experienced in assisting the concerns of maturing adults when buying or selling residential or investment properties.

The next step is to get an appraisal of your house to determine the current market value. This is cost free and absolutely necessary. After that, the next step is to see what kind of housing is available in the price range and area you would feel comfortable spending your senior years.

Once this procedure is complete, its time to talk to your agent about preparing your house to be marketed. Your agent will explain the many ways that your home will be listed to potential buyers. As always, your agent’s goal is to get you the highest price in a timely manner with as little stress as possible. Once it is on the market, its time to prepare your move to your next dream destination.

One thing that can provide added value to your home is a Home Warranty. This can provide a certain level of protection to your home and it’s contents while it’s listed and sometimes it can be extended to the new owners. In some cases it is provided free of charge by the listing agent.