George and Della Porter of Highlands Ranch took one look inside a nice retirement community last year and said, “We’re not ready for this yet.”
So, when it came time to get rid of their 4,000-square-foot house and move closer to their seven grandkids, they did what they’d done every other time they’d moved over the course of their marriage: started visiting new home areas to build something brand-new.
Regardless, downsizing can be a challenge.
“I knew we needed help,” says Della Porter.
She’s a former Englewood Schools principal, he’s a former Air Force pilot, and both are plan-ahead types, already worried about the details, including what to do with the “stuff.”
“We still had our parents’ stuff; we had our stuff; and some of our daughters’ stuff,” she adds.
Senior move-manager Cierra Olmsted with A Move Handled with Care told the Porters to get in touch with The Steller Group, real estate brokers specializing in downsizing moves, to plan a sale and the new-home purchase.
“It’s important to time a sale of a home concurrently with the delivery of the new home,” says Steller Group’s lead listing agent, Blair Bryant.
Bryant met the pair at their Highlands Ranch home and assessed what they needed to do on their older home to get the best return.
Meanwhile, Steller buyer rep Katie Fredrick helped the Porters contract on a ranch patio home in a new community near their daughters’ homes in Colorado Springs.
“We kept on top of the construction timeline, made several visits to the construction site, and we made sure their new home was in pristine condition for their move-in,” says Fredrick.
“Having a second set of eyes on contracts and condition is helpful when purchasing a brand-new home.”
“The Porters’ old house was attractive and they’d kept it up,” notes Bryant. “I told them that all we needed was to handle a few dated aspects to avoid a stall in the sale.”
The kitchen was newer, but the master bath was dated.
Bryant outlined around $4,000 in updates including granite counters, a glass shower and tile in the bath; then called in Steller’s full-time staging/design consultant, Carolyn Brake, to start work.
The new home was scheduled for finish in eight months, but Brake put Steller’s contractors to work on the Highlands Ranch updates right away, so they’d be ready to go — while allowing the Porters to enjoy the improvements.
“The Steller Group lined up fantastic contractors,” adds Della Porter.
When it went on the market, the house sold in two days.
Now, the Porters are moved in their new place in Wolf Ranch near Briargate, where they have already hosted birthday parties for grandkids and are planning to invite the whole clan for holiday festivities, just as in previous years.
As for Steller’s involvement, “They were just … stellar,” Porter says.
Steller Group offers free seminars, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Village at Belmar, 7825 W. Alameda in Lakewood; also Monday, Nov. 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Vita Littleton, 2100 Littleton Blvd., on Estate Sales and Steps for a Low-Stress, High-Yield Move; and Tuesday, Nov. 13, 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Southglenn Library, 6972 S. Vine, on Estate Sales and Senior Buying Options.
Details are at stellerrealestate.com/upcoming-senior-seminars.
The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this post’s preparation.