Recently, Kate and I had the privilege of helping a wonderful couple relocate from their longtime South Bend home to a lovely villa in Fort Wayne. Their reason for moving was the very best one: they wanted to be closer to their children and seven grandchildren who live here.
A move like this is about much more than buying and selling real estate. Leaving a longtime home and community can be emotional and complicated, even when something wonderful is waiting at the other end. Our role was to make the transition more manageable and help them choose a home and lifestyle that would serve them well in this next chapter. Along the way, we also offered perspective on the sale of their South Bend home.
It was enormously satisfying to see them settled near their family, where they can participate more fully in everyday moments that are difficult to replace from a distance. We are now helping another couple prepare for a similar move—from Colorado to Fort Wayne, also to be near their children and future grandchildren.
The right move is not simply from one property to another. It is toward the life you want to be able to live every day.
Start with the life, not the listing.
When someone says, “We are thinking about moving closer to our children,” the first questions should not be about square footage or finishes. The more useful questions are about daily life. How often do you hope to see family? Do you want to be able to walk to dinner or drive five minutes to a grandchild’s school? Would a lock-and-leave home create freedom, or would you miss a garden and workshop?
These answers become the real search criteria. They can also prevent a buyer from choosing a beautiful property that does not support the reason for the move in the first place.
Plan two markets as one transition.
Moving from one community to another usually involves two separate real estate markets, two timelines and two groups of professionals. Those pieces need to be considered together. A pricing or timing decision on the home being sold can affect what is possible on the buying side. The preferred new home may appear before the old one is ready for market.
This is where an experienced advisor can be especially helpful: selecting the right local professionals, making their responsibilities clear and keeping the larger sequence visible while each agent manages the daily work in their own market.
Make room for the emotional side.
Longtime homes hold routines, friendships, memories and possessions that cannot be reduced to a transaction checklist. A thoughtful plan leaves room for the emotional work of deciding what to keep, what to give away and what kind of home will feel familiar enough while supporting a new way of living.
The goal is not to rush those decisions. It is to organize them so they do not all arrive at once—and so the excitement about what is ahead is not overwhelmed by the work required to get there.
- What is the real reason for the move, beyond the new address?
- Which parts of daily life should become easier?
- How much home and maintenance will feel comfortable in five years?
- Should the current home sell before the new one is purchased?
- Who will coordinate decisions across both markets?
Experienced guidance can travel with you.
This is exactly the kind of work I hoped to do in this stage of my career. Kate and I can use our experience, relationships and network of excellent agents and resources to help people make thoughtful real estate and lifestyle decisions—whether the move is across Indiana or across the country.
If you or someone you love is considering a move to be closer to family, begin the conversation before choosing an agent or making a list of properties. The earlier the decisions are viewed as one connected plan, the more calmly and confidently the transition can unfold.