For many people, downsizing can be emotional and stressful – particularly if you are moving out of a property you have lived in for many years. However, as family circumstances, needs and priorities change, it can become a necessity to relocate to a smaller property.
At Bradbourne, we recognise that moving house can be one of the biggest financial and emotional decisions you may ever make. That’s why we work closely with you at every stage of your property sourcing journey and partner with trusted industry experts to make the process seamless from start to finish.
In our latest blog, we spoke to Bradbourne founder Stephen Jenkins and Rebecca Kashti, Director of Hedges Law to understand what can be done to make downsizing simple and stress free.
Making the decision to downsize
Downsizing is very common and typically associated with the older generation whose children have left home. Whilst it generally implies moving to a smaller property, homeowners can chose to downsize for many reasons including:
– To free up equity
– To save money
– To move closer to friends and family
– To find a property better suited to their lifestyle
Knowing when to downsize should be a personal choice based on your circumstances, wants and needs.
Just because your children have left home, it doesn’t mean it is the right time for you to move. You may want to enjoy the extra space or use the opportunity to entertain more often. Similarly, some people make the decision to downsize once their mortgage is fully paid off whereas others want to stay in the home and enjoy what they have worked hard for.
Tailored service
“Whilst smaller properties come with several advantages like lower bills and less maintenance, it can still be a difficult experience to navigate because of the emotional connection you might have to your home,” said Stephen.
“There are also several important elements to consider before making this decision such as lack of space and costs and hassle associated with moving.
“By working with an experienced buying agent like ourselves, we can offer guidance and support to help overcome many of these issues.
“We work closely with our clients, taking time to understand their requirements and goals to ensure we source properties that align with their vision so they are actually excited about making a change”
“This includes discussing the right timing of their move based on personal and family circumstances and the logistics of relocating. We find this tailored level of service and attention to detail helps to remove a huge amount of the stress and anxiety associated with such a big decision.”
Working in partnership
At Bradbourne Property Finders, we pride ourselves on building long-term, meaningful relationships with industry partners. This helps us deliver a first class service that supports clients at every stage of their journey from suggesting the right surveyor or financial planner, to recommending a solicitor to complete the conveyancing.
Rebecca explained: “Bradbourne is a valued member of our professional referrers network and we regularly work with their team to support property purchases across Oxfordshire and beyond.
“At Hedges we strive to provide ‘advice for life’ which includes advising our clients on the implications of downsizing and what that means for their assets and equity, and advising them on how it might affect their family’s inheritance
“Our Help from Hedges service is particularly valuable to older individuals and families considering downsizing.
“Through this unique service, our team works to safeguard the affairs and assets of our clients, providing them with the peace of mind knowing that their best interests are being looked after. We help clients with all the legal work associated with downsizing, but can also help with arranging movers, managing change address of details, and liaising with other professionals – whatever needs to be done to take the stress away.”
Stephen added: “Since Bradbourne was founded we have worked closely with Hedges Law to offer legal support and advice to our clients. Just like us, Hedges pride themselves on going above and beyond to deliver an exceptional, personal level of service thereby becoming one of our trusted partners.
“Help from Hedges is a service that has made a significant difference to the lives of our clients. It fits in perfectly with our approach to supporting a client’s property sourcing journey and truly helps to remove a lot of the stress associated with downsizing and relocating.”
Find out more about the Help from Hedges service through the Hedges Law website by clicking here.