A smaller house isn't automatically an easier one. Stairs, a big yard and an exterior that needs paint can follow you right into a home with a lot less square footage.
So when someone in Thompson's Station tells me they want to downsize, I don't start with size. I start with what you want to stop doing.
What should you look for in a downsizing home in Thompson's Station?
Look at how the house lives, not just how big it is. These are the things I check on every walkthrough when the goal is less house to take care of:
- A one-level plan, or at least the primary suite, the kitchen and the laundry on the main floor.
- A garage that opens into the house without a set of steps.
- Low-maintenance exterior materials, like brick or fiber cement, instead of siding that needs regular paint.
- A yard size you actually want to keep up, or an HOA that handles the lawn.
- A roof, HVAC system and water heater with known ages, so you aren't replacing big systems the year you move in.
Is a townhome or a villa the better fit?
It comes down to two questions: do you want stairs, and how much of the outside do you want someone else to handle? The attached-home segment around Thompson's Station comes in two main shapes, and a one-level detached home is the third option.
| Home type | Layout | Who usually handles the outside |
|---|---|---|
| Townhome | Often two or more levels, bedrooms upstairs | Varies. Some HOAs cover roofs and exteriors, many cover only common areas. |
| Villa | Usually one level, attached or clustered | Often the HOA handles lawn care, sometimes more. |
| One-level single-family | One level, detached, your own lot | You do, unless the neighborhood HOA includes lawn care. |
The word on the listing won't tell you what the HOA covers. The HOA documents will. Before you write an offer, I put the covenants and the HOA budget in front of you so you know whether the roof is yours or theirs.
Should you sell the big house first or second?
Sell first if you need the equity to buy, or if you want to know your exact number before you commit. Buy first if you can carry both homes for a while and you'd rather move once.
Selling first means you shop with your proceeds in hand and no sale contingency, which makes your offer cleaner. The tradeoff is you might need a short lease-back or a rental in between.
Buying first means one move, straight from the old house to the new one, with time to sort what comes along. The tradeoff is two payments and two sets of utilities until the big house closes. Your lender decides whether that works on paper.
Either way, I find out what the big house will sell for first, using recent closed sales in your own neighborhood. That number drives every other decision.
How do you get a house with a lot of years in it ready to sell?
One room at a time, starting with what you're not taking. Measure the rooms in the new place first, decide what furniture fits, and then sell, donate or hand down the rest. In a downsize, the furniture decision comes before the listing photos, not after.
Then we look at repairs. I own a renovated historic house near the Columbia square, so I've lived through a repair list on an older home. I'll tell you which fixes buyers pay for and which ones they'll never notice, so you don't spend money that doesn't come back.
“He was very personable and very professional from your first meeting until the transaction closing. He keeps you up to date throughout the entire process and is available almost anytime and responds almost instantly. Works with an amazing home photographer as well. At our first meeting, he came prepared with a complete book of market analysis along with personal references for us to make our decision to list our home with him. You won't regret your decision to use Kimo for all of your real estate needs.” -Bryan McCarthy
What's the first step to downsizing?
Make a short list of what you want your next home to take off your plate: the stairs, the mowing, the paint, the gutters. That list is your search.
If you're weighing a smaller home in Thompson's Station, text or call me at 615-392-1186. We'll start with what your current house is worth and what you want the next one to stop asking of you.
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