Richard Kopp says that four years ago he and his wife Hazel made the decision not to stay in their home of nearly 30 years.

“I wasn’t sure if I was ready for a move,” says Hazel. “I liked where I lived.”

With three acres of land in Devon Farms in Walkersville and Richard really busy with their mailing business, Hazel handled most things around the house and the yard.

“And we really needed to slow down those stresses in our lives, while not being a burden to our children if possible,” says Richard. But the Kopps noticed a stigma when mentioning retirement communities to their friends.

“They would all say, ‘You’re both healthy and active. Why would you go to one of those places?’” says Richard. But the couple went ahead and looked at several Frederick senior communities, chose Homewood at Crumland Farms and was placed on a waiting list for a cottage.

“Of course, we didn’t want to be in the position to have to pay for the community and a mortgage,” says Hazel. So, the Kopps began to take steps for home improvements to put their house on the market.

They invested in an updated kitchen and a glass enclosure on the back of the structure where the patio was built. During the course of improving their house, the market took its latest downturn. And with the downturn came the need for good advice. The Kopps looked to Carol Burnette, owner of Spiritsong Real Estate Services, who they heard speak at a free seminar for seniors in Frederick.

“Carol took the initiative to give a good presentation, showed a great interest in our age group and offered the confidence that she really knew what she was doing,” says Richard. “She was the right person to help us sell our home.”

According to the Kopps, Carol did “the normal stuff,” comparing their home to other homes in their area and taking a real look at what prices those other homes were selling for.

“She stressed the importance of looking at the houses that had actually sold in the market,” says Richard. “She also emphasized the importance of being willing to adjust and negotiate.”

Richard and Hazel lowered the price of their home twice in a short period of time, sticking to Carol’s advice to be flexible.

“That was actually an easier decision than some of the changes Carol wanted us to tackle inside of the house!” says Hazel.

Carol suggested new paint and carpeting for the Kopps’ home. She asked that they strongly consider getting rid of their “popcorn” ceiling, as Richard calls it.

“That one, we struggled with, because it seemed that there were several ways of doing it,” says Richard. “But, we finally found the right contractor for the job.”

For Hazel, the importance of staging her home became evident with the help of Carol. “But that meant that I was going to have to make decisions about getting rid of things that were a part of my home for so many years,” says Hazel.

“How do you even begin to do that?” Carol suggested Inspired Relocations, a moving and organizing company focusing on seniors. According to Hazel, “without them, I think I would still be living there!”
With Carol’s suggestions, the Kopps were able to put their house on the market in June 2008 and sell it less than two months later. Now at the top of their waiting list and in a rental with a short-term lease, the Kopps feel like everything really fell into place for them.

“And despite all of the change, the stress is gone, thanks to the help of Carol and others,” says Hazel. “I have a real sense of relief for our years to come.”