Downsizing Done Right, Part 5: The Final Chapter

Jan 16

Written By Kenney & Co at KW Consultants Realty

If you’re just joining us, this story picks up after our client secured the closing date on her new condo. With that milestone behind her, it was time to prepare her longtime family home for sale.

What Made the Home Stand Out

Readers may remember what made this home special:

a layout built for entertaining
generous spaces for gatherings - both inside and out
a fantastic location in one of Dublin’s most sought-after neighborhoods

These features were the ones we loved about the home as well. And after years of working with buyers in the Dublin market, we knew they were exactly what many buyers are hoping to find.

A Thoughtful Approach to Staging

As part of the Kenney & Co experience, every seller receives a staging consultation, which we provide at our expense. We believe strongly in the value staging brings to a sale and see it as an investment in our clients’ success.

For this home, we brought in our longtime staging partner, Linda Powell, whose expertise continues to impress us. Linda brings a very direct, decisive style to her work, backed by years of experience and a track record that makes her guidance easy to trust. For this client, that guidance showed up in very practical ways, including:

recommending high-impact updates
advising against unnecessary work
fine-tuning furniture placement for flow and function
suggesting professional carpet cleaning instead of replacement, saving time and money

Linda also helped strike that sometimes-elusive balance between clean, neutral spaces and a home that still feels warm and full of personality. Our client embraced the process fully, and got to work on packing, donating, discarding, and moving items headed to her new condo into nearby storage.

Marketing and Momentum

Once the home was ready, we shifted into marketing mode:

publicized the open house
personally reached out to neighbors and clients who might be interested or know someone who was
followed up diligently with buyers who asked questions or requested second showings

The open house was extremely well attended, interest was strong, and momentum carried quickly into private showings.

From Offer to Closing

Soon after the open house, we received a strong offer. Through thoughtful negotiation and a few counteroffers, we were able to improve the price while keeping everything on track. After a smooth inspection and a handful of minor improvements, the closing date was scheduled shortly after our client took possession of her new condo.

After more than 20 years of memories, one chapter came to a close — clearing the way for the simpler, right-sized life our client had been thoughtfully working toward all along.

A Note from Teresa

We hope you’ve enjoyed following along on this downsizing journey. If you’re starting to think about a downsizing move of your own, or you’re simply curious what the process could look like for you - we’d be happy to help you explore your options. Let’s connect.