… sang David Bowie way back in 1971 – fifty-three years ago! (Wow! That went by in a hurry!) It was all about the weirdness of time and change, and the fluidity of both.
I loved this tune when it first came out, and I love it still. Its message is universal. No one really “gets” time, but one thing is dead certain – time changes things, and us. No one and nothing is immune.
Another universal is that change drives real estate sales. When people’s lives change – birth, death, marriage, divorce, career, retirement – people tend to change where they live.
Change can be good, or not-so-good. It can be hard, or really hard, or maybe not-so hard. But however it comes at us, change is a given. How do we handle change so it works for us, not against us, when we deal with real estate?
Look down the road
Embracing the inevitability of change, and keeping an eye on the road ahead, is a great way to handle change when it comes. Be ready – at least mentally – and when the change comes, it won’t throw you off your stride.
Be ready, stay ready
Right now I’m working with four sellers who have been in their homes for 25 years or longer. None of these lovely people is a hoarder, but over time they’ve accumulated a TON of stuff. And it’s hard to deal with stuff. What to keep, what to toss, what to sell. How to deal with memories the stuff calls forth. Actively working against accumulation – making regular trips to Goodwill or Ebay, refusing to rent a storage unit – can make real estate change so much easier.
Learn to let go
I have a client who recently moved from a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo, to a 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo and in the process had to deal with several truckloads of things she’d had forever, but had zero use for. Making decisions and actually watching it leave her life was tough. But now she says she feels lighter and happier without it. I’ve had the same experience. A good lesson for all of us!
Embrace the changes
This can be a tall order. Change is always challenging, and some change is hard to see as positive – in any way, for any reason, in any timeframe. But knowing that nothing stays the same forever, and looking for the doors that change almost always opens, is a great way to deal with the challenge. In my own life, I’ve dealt with changes that knocked me flat on my back, but every time I got back up and looked around, things were actually better.
To quote another 1970s pop icon, Carley Simon, “these are the good old days!” And I’m looking forward to what’s up ahead.