{"id":5707,"date":"2022-11-23T09:54:33","date_gmt":"2022-11-23T16:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/?p=5707"},"modified":"2022-11-22T09:59:28","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T16:59:28","slug":"how-to-downsize-without-panicking-the-pets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/how-to-downsize-without-panicking-the-pets","title":{"rendered":"How to Downsize Without Panicking the Pets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-Images-5-1.png\" alt=\"A woman downsizing her home with her dog in a moving box.\" class=\"wp-image-5708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-Images-5-1.png 450w, https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Blog-Images-5-1-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the National\nAssociation of Realtors, homebuyers actively search for a house an average\nof&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nar.realtor\/research-and-statistics\/research-reports\/highlights-from-the-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">8 weeks<\/a> before making a final decision.\nHouse hunting requires planning, access to finances, and a balance of present\nand future needs. Add pets into the mix and each new effort is slightly more\ncomplicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Realty Executives<\/a> explores\nvarious useful tips to help make your house hunt easy and streamlined for you\nand the pets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take Note of What&#8217;s Important<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Downsizing provides various\nbenefits, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Lower\nmaintenance cost and utility bills, a potential savings of thousands of dollars\nper year.<\/li><li>Ease\nof cleaning and upkeep, making it easier to keep a pet.<\/li><li>Reduced\nclutter, and learning to live more simply in a smaller space.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When searching for houses it&#8217;s\nimportant to maximize the benefits. An effective way to achieve this is by\ncreating a list of must-haves for the new home:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Outdoor\nspace such as a fenced-in backyard where your pet can roam and be active.<\/li><li>Two\nor more bedrooms to accommodate all family members and have space to invite guests.<\/li><li>A\nroom that you can transform into a functional workspace for your at-home\nbusiness \u2014 or the at-home business you\u2019re about to launch!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Proper division among rooms. Modern houses often come with open floor plans with the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apartmenttherapy.com\/open-floor-plan-pros-cons-36631789\" target=\"_blank\">minimum partition<\/a> between the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms. Sometimes cordoning off an area is necessary when you live with pets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Be Clear on Finances<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to your requirements,\ncreate a budget <a href=\"https:\/\/www.servicesutra.com\/blog\/expenses-to-consider-when-moving-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">covering all costs<\/a>\nassociated with downsizing. When downsizing, the majority of the cost of the\nnew home is covered through the sale of the old home. Depending on the\nneighborhood, even a small home can fetch a hefty sum, so talk with an\nexperienced realtor, like an agent from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Realty\nExecutives<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use your requirement list as a\ntool to convey your exact expectations to the realtor. Utilizing their market\nknow-how, realtors can start sending you potential property listings within a\nday. Moreover, through experience, they are skilled in helping clients find\npet-friendly houses, something which can prove to be difficult to find via\nonline search platforms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before applying for a mortgage,\nbe clear about your finances, a key factor being your credit score, which\nideally stands at 750 or above. Lenders will take a hard look at your score,\nwhich is based on a number of factors that are included in your credit report,\nso be aware of what all is listed on that report before approaching a lending\nprofessional or institution. You can access a free report at <a href=\"http:\/\/annualcreditreport.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AnnualCreditReport.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The better your credit, the\nbetter the terms of financing. Half a percentage point can save thousands of\ndollars over the course of the loan. Prequalifying for a loan can lock in the\nrate, and it gives the agent an idea of the spending limit. Be sure to ask, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pennymac.com\/rates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What are mortgage rates\ntoday<\/a>?\u201d and calculate monthly payments before\ncommitting to any long-term loan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sell Your Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your downsizing process includes\nthree parts \u2013 selling your home, purchasing a new home, and moving. Managing\nthese alone is a cumbersome task, however, first thing\u2019s first &#8211; you\u2019ve got to\nsell your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>HomeLight notes that staged homes\ncan sell for up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-clever-staging-affects-home-prices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">25% more<\/a> compared to non-staged\nones. As realtors are staging experts, they can assist in decorating your home,\nand negotiate a higher selling price. Staging can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Landscaping\nand decorating outdoors spaces<\/li><li>Decluttering\ncommon spaces<\/li><li>Conducting\nnecessary repairs and minor remodeling<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Landscaping services on average\ncost around $80, while the cost of other projects will depend on your requirements.\nIn total, expect to spend around $400 on staging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Manage Your Pet&#8217;s Needs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A sudden disruption in a pet\u2019s\nroutine can cause them a lot of stress, affect their sleep cycle, promote\nincreased attention-seeking behavior, and uncharacteristic aggression. This is\nespecially true if you\u2019re also experiencing additional stress \u2013 say, because\nyou\u2019re trying to sell your house \u2013 which can rub off on your furry friend.\nHence, it is important to gradually modify a pet\u2019s routine, and to try to\nmanage your own stress.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re moving into a new time\nzone, make necessary adaptations to your pet\u2019s feeding, sleeping, walking, and\nplay schedule. Additionally, introduce your pet to their new home before\nmoving, allow them to explore the space, and gain familiarity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.avma.org\/resources\/pet-owners\/yourvet\/finding-veterinarian\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">research<\/a> vet clinics, animal\nhospitals, and pet shops in your new town. Interact with other pet owners in\nthe area and check online reviews about these services.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before finalizing a home, ensure\nthat it meets all your requirements, is financially viable, and is suited to\ncater to the needs of your pet and family. Soon you\u2019ll all feel at home with\nyour new lifestyle in your new house.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the National Association of Realtors, homebuyers actively search for a house an average of&nbsp; 8 weeks before making a final decision. House hunting requires planning, access to finances, and a balance of present and future needs. Add pets into the mix and each new effort is slightly more complicated. Realty Executives explores various &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/how-to-downsize-without-panicking-the-pets\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How to Downsize Without Panicking the Pets<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[774,26,6434],"tags":[1709,400,59],"yst_prominent_words":[1239,2626,6869,3330,546,892,899,2144,1102,1115,1557,1562,3735,1502,6870,2433,1234,1083,2576,1407],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5707"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5707"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5709,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5707\/revisions\/5709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5707"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.realtyexecutives.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=5707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}