What if leaving town were as easy as locking the door and going?
For many homeowners, especially as life begins to change, travel sounds wonderful, but leaving the house behind can feel like a project in itself.
Who will mow the lawn?
What happens if there is a storm?
What if the HVAC stops working?
Who is watching the house?
What needs to be done before leaving for several weeks, or even several months?
At some point, many of us begin asking a different question about home:
Does my home still support the way I want to live?
That question is at the heart of an upcoming webinar I'll be hosting:
Thursday, November 12
12:00 PM
Online webinar
To get the invite via a zoom link, click HERE

When people hear terms such as downsizing or rightsizing, they often immediately think about square footage.
But that isn't really the point.
The better question is:
What do you want your home to require from you?
For some people, caring for a yard, maintaining a large property and managing home projects is enjoyable.
For others, those responsibilities begin competing with the things they would rather be doing.
A lock-and-go lifestyle is about reducing the responsibilities that tie you to your home so you have more freedom to do the things you enjoy.
Here is a simple question:
If someone gave you a completely paid three-month trip tomorrow, what would you worry about back at your house?
That answer can tell you quite a bit about how much your home requires from you, even when you aren't there.
During the webinar, we'll explore questions just like this.
And this won't be a webinar where you simply sit and listen.
We'll be using live Zoom polls, audience questions and a simple "Is Lock & Go Right for Me?" worksheet so you can think about your own situation as we go.
We'll explore questions such as:
How much of your current home do you actually use?
Which home responsibilities would you happily give up?
What would you want your next home to have?
What would make moving difficult?
What would you gain if your home required less of your time?
And perhaps most importantly: are you even ready for a change?
You may discover that your current home still fits your life beautifully.
You may simply become curious about your options.
Or you may realize that a lower-maintenance lifestyle could give you more freedom than you expected.
There is no predetermined answer.
The purpose is simply to start thinking about what you want your next chapter to look like before circumstances make those decisions for you.

During the webinar, we'll also look at BellaAge in Hickory as an example of how a lock-and-go lifestyle can work in the real world.
We'll talk about what homeowners are responsible for, what they don't have to manage, and what it actually looks like to leave home for several weeks or months at a time.
We'll also address one of the biggest questions I hear from homeowners considering a move:
"What in the world would I do with all my stuff?"
We'll discuss how move-management professionals can make that process much less overwhelming, and why you don't have to tackle everything at once.
This may be the most important point.
Exploring your options does not mean you've decided to sell your home.
In fact, I believe the best time to begin exploring is while you still have plenty of choices.
You can tour communities.
Understand different housing options.
Begin sorting belongings gradually.
Talk with your family.
Think about your finances.
And decide what matters most to you.
The goal isn't to convince you to move.
The goal is to help you make an intentional decision about how and where you want to live.
Because sometimes having a little less house can give you a whole lot more life.

I'm putting together the interest list now for:
Lock & Go: The Freedom to Leave
Thursday, November 12 at 12:00 PM
Online via Zoom
If you'd like to attend, let me know and I'll personally send you the direct webinar link as we get closer to the date.
No commitment: this simply lets me know you'd like the invitation.
Janée Krauth
Senior Real Estate Specialist® | Certified Residential Transition Specialist®
Founder, Senior Life Transition Alliance™
Thoughtful Guidance for Life's Next Chapter.
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