INSIDE: DOWNSIZING DETAILS Downsizing a plus for some seniors PAGE A4 Selecting furniture for smaller spaces PAGE A6 How to store a recreational vehicle PAGE A7 Container gardening with a limited area PAGE A8
FREE jun 2 to jun 8 2017 issue 07-21 editorial 403-781-1324 advertising 403-263-4940 crebnow@creb.ca
real estate news from industry experts
TRADING SPACES
ADRIAN SHELLARD / FOR CREB®NOW
creb®now
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indy Beaudet owns and operates Destinations Seniors Downsizing, a Calgary company helping seniors “declutter, downsize and decide what stays and
MLS® MONTH END INVENTORY* APR ’15 – APR ’17
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leave behind large furniture that occupies a lot of space. A challenge Beaudet frequently encounters is people who don’t want to let go of items because they paid good money for them. “Something is only worth what someone will pay for it … People don’t want your old cutlery or your 1988 Winter Olympics glasses from Petro-Canada with half the gold edging chipped off,” she said, adding that old plastic containers and Tupperware are among the first things to greet the garbage when downsizing. Beaudet also advises people against taking up valuable space with things they are saving for their kids. “Your kids have their own stuff,” she said, adding that younger generations have embraced minimalism
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what goes.” “I tell them the first thing to do is to call their kids and tell them to get their stuff out of the basement,” said Beaudet. Most of Beaudet’s clients have been in their homes for more than 40 years. “It’s so overwhelming for them. They’ve been in a house for 40 or 50 years, and now they’re moving to 587 square feet of space,” she said. After Beaudet instructs downsizers to unload their children’s belongings, she says it’s best to start with the smallest room in the house and go through everything, deciding what to throw away and what to donate. “I always recommend, ‘take all your memories, those are what are most important to you,’ ” she said, adding she also suggests people
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Downsizing can be the right move in a variety of situations
Cindy Beaudet, owner of Destinations Seniors Downsizing, has helped many clients accustomed to living in a larger home downsize to a smaller property that is more suitable for their lifestyle.
and have no interest in acquiring the family silver or the 12-place setting of Royal Doulton in English Rose. Ashley Corcoran is one of those members of the younger generation who aspires to live a minimalist lifestyle. In her mid-twenties, she and her fiancé recently downsized from a one-bedroom-plus-loft apartment in Killarney to a basement suite in Montgomery with a shared kitchen. Corcoran says the primary impetus for the move was the desire to save money on rent. “We decided to downsize so that I could travel,” she explained, noting her fiancé is still attending university.
The move resulted in the couple unloading their living room furniture and many of their kitchen supplies. “We were happy to sell it,” said Corcoran. “If you spend less money and time on things, you can spend more time and money on doing things.” Mike and Nancy Besner are part of a demographic often associated with downsizing: empty nesters. Though still a few years away from retirement, the couple’s four children have all moved out of the family home in Millrise.
RECESSION RECOVERY CONTINUES TO SPUR SALES
DOWNSIZING A3
CONTENTS ROAR 2017. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Winners & Highlights
NEWS BRIEFS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3
CREB® STAFF
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mproved confidence in Alberta’s economy has spurred an increase in residential MLS® System sales in Alberta this year, as the recovery from a two-year recession continues. According to data supplied by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), MLS® System sales in Alberta are up 14.3 per cent year-todate until the end of April compared with the same period a year ago.
*All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB® via MLS® activity. Includes detached, attached and apartment.
HOUSING A3
COMMUNITY PROFILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A9 Legacy
BUYER PROFILE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A9 Brian and Susan Vos
MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 @crebnow
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“It all begins with Trust...”
Is it time to “right size” your living? HELPING BOOMERS TO SENIORS WITH THEIR NEXT TRANSITION JACK CLARKE, REALTOR ® 403.247.5171• boomersandbeyondcalgary.com SENIOR’S REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST • CERTIFIED CONDOMINIUM EXPERT
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