First-time homebuyers don’t often think too far down the road, especially right after your purchase, but downsizing your home is a normal process in the long-term story of homeownership. Understanding this from the beginning can help you better plan for when this time comes. By knowing what signs to look for and seeing them when they show up, you can be ready to take that step and stay in control of events.
Additionally, you can adjust your plans in real-time because you understand the importance of knowing exactly what the market is doing at the moment and where it’s heading (assuming). When you’re constantly looking forward to the future or at least staying up to date, you’re in a position to act quickly. For example, if you find you’ll be retiring earlier than expected, you can still set your plans into motion, allowing you to downsize more efficiently. Read on to learn more about these six signs you need to downsize your house in Hawaii.
Empty Rooms
Have the kids have all grown up and moved out of the house? Maybe even left Hawaii entirely for the mainland or elsewhere? If you’re in a house with a lot of empty rooms, this may be a signal it’s time to downsize. That large 5-bed house in Honolulu may no longer fit your needs. Perhaps a smaller house in Pearl City or a townhouse in Kapolei or Ewa Beach would make more sense.
Upkeep
If your Hawaii house has become too much to maintain, consider this a signal to downsize. You may need less space, a smaller yard to maintain, or just less cleaning to do every week. A townhouse community, HOA or condo building can help alleviate a lot of the extra work that perhaps you’re getting much value from anymore. Townhouse and condo communities are everywhere in Hawaii, from Maili to Kailua on Oahu, Kona and Hilo on the Big Island, and Kahului to Lahaina on Maui.
Expenses
Borrowing against your home’s equity to attend to deferred repairs or remodel to save energy expenses is an indication that you may need to downsize your house in Hawaii. Replacing your existing jalousie windows with insulated windows or other energy-saving remodeling projects can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Similarly, if you suddenly cannot afford your current situation because of unexpected challenges, downsizing to reduce your monthly costs may be the best solution. Selling your existing house for a smaller home elsewhere on island (or even moving to Vegas?) would make your overall expenses more affordable.
Improved Living
Many people are choosing to live in smaller homes so that they leave less of an environmental footprint. If this is the case, you may want to consider the option of downsizing your house in Hawaii. Perhaps a new, smaller house would offer a better layout than your current home with less operating costs from split A/C units, bigger lawn, and water sprinkler costs, etc. While you may be buying less home, you are reaping the benefits of the convenience of a shorter commute or other positives that outweigh any minor downsizing inconveniences.
Finances
If your credit cards’ interest and other debt burdens are burying you in a mountain of debt, this is an indication that you need to downsize your house in Hawaii. You can apply the proceeds towards paying off your present balances and start improving your credit score, saving you even more in the long run. By buying a smaller home today, you’ll also be saving money every month by taking advantage of today’s lower mortgage rates while lowering the balances on your monthly payments on your other credit providers. You could also make an extra payment towards the principal of your new house loan, enabling you to pay off your mortgage note faster!
Profit
Should holding onto the equity in your home fail to be the best option, then this may be another sign that you need to downsize your house in Hawaii. Find yourself in need of a quick boost to your retirement fund? By downsizing, you could invest a chunk of money in mutual funds or an IRA or Roth IRA account to possibly make way more than if you only make deposits into a regular savings account. Even if you are at retirement age and quite happy in your larger home, downsizing later in life can be a nice boost to your account and maybe allow you to start crossing off the biggest dreams on your bucket list sooner than later.
Have you seen the signs? Give Oahu Home Buyers a call! If you need to downsize your house in Hawaii, let our professionals answer your questions and help guide you through the process. We will take the time to listen to your circumstances and future goals. If you are ready to downsize, why not sell your home directly to Oahu Home Buyers? We offer fast cash closings, usually within seven days! Send us a message or call us at (808) 333-3677 today to learn more!