Downsizing from a longtime Northwest Austin home
Help with the whole move, not only the listing: sorting, haul-off, timing and the Texas tax rules that come with it.
What downsizing means for longtime owners
Downsizing usually isn't a market decision. It's a life decision: the house is too big, the stairs are getting harder, a spouse needs more care, or the kids live somewhere else now. For many Northwest Austin owners it also means leaving a home they've lived in for 30 or 40 years, and everything that has collected in it.
That's the part that stops people. Not the sale, the sheer size of the job. Where do you start? What do you do with the furniture nobody wants? Should you fix the house up first? Will you lose your tax freeze if you move? I hear those questions in almost every downsizing conversation, and every one of them has an answer.
I hold the SRES designation, Seniors Real Estate Specialist, and I've spent my whole life in these neighborhoods. Many of the people I help bought here around the same time my parents did.
If you'd rather watch than read, my free video series, Downsizing with Dignity, walks through the whole decision in twenty short videos, at your own pace.
Talk through a downsizing plan
How I help with the whole move
The listing is the easy part. What makes downsizing work is everything around it, so that's where I start.
- Sorting and placing belongings. I help families decide what goes to the next home, what goes to the kids, what sells and what gets donated.
- Haul-off. Solid 1980s furniture often has no buyers anymore. I coordinate the hauling so it isn't left to you.
- Getting the house ready, within reason. I'll tell you what's worth doing and what isn't, so you don't spend money on a remodel that won't come back to you.
- Timing around the next home. Assisted living, a smaller house or a move closer to family each come with their own dates. We plan the sale around them.
For one couple moving into assisted living after more than 40 years in their home, that meant painting the living room myself and driving them back and forth so they could go through their things. Downsizing with dignity isn't a slogan. It's doing what the move actually needs.
The Texas tax questions to ask first
Two tax questions come up with almost every longtime owner. These are general information, not tax advice, so confirm your numbers with a CPA and the appraisal district before deciding anything.
- The over-65 school tax ceiling can move with you. Texas lets you transfer it to a new homestead. What transfers is a percentage, not the dollar amount on your current bill, which is where a lot of people get confused.
- Federal capital gains. The home-sale exclusion covers up to $250,000 of gain for a single filer and up to $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly. Those limits haven't changed since 1997, so owners who bought decades ago, especially surviving spouses, can run past them.
I walk through both before we talk about a list price, so the number you plan around is the number you keep.
Downsizing across the neighborhoods I serve
Many of my downsizing clients live in the established neighborhoods where I grew up:
- Downsizing in Spicewood Estates & Balcones
- Downsizing in Oak Forest & Barrington Oaks
- Downsizing in Northwest Hills
- Downsizing in Great Hills
- Downsizing in Jester Estates
- Downsizing in Anderson Mill
For how the sale itself runs, see how I sell a home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my over-65 tax freeze if I move?
Not necessarily. Texas lets you transfer the over-65 school tax ceiling to a new homestead, but it transfers as a percentage rather than the dollar amount you pay now. Confirm the numbers with the appraisal district and a CPA.
Do I need to fix the house up before selling?
Usually not much. I'll tell you which repairs are likely to pay you back and which to leave, so you don't spend money you won't recover.
Can you help my parents if I live out of town?
Yes. I work with adult children by phone and video, and I deal with the owners directly too, so nobody feels left out of decisions about their own home.
Downsizing by neighborhood
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Ready to make your move with James Brinkman?