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Moving, Downsizing, and Donating for Home Sellers in Montgomery and Frederick Counties

Picture of Carolyn Thompson, Broker

Plan Your Move Early

Selling your home and moving often happen on the same tight timeline. Planning your move early, even before you list, makes settlement day and moving day far less stressful. It also gives you time to decide what to keep, sell, donate, or discard.

Broker Carolyn Thompson, CRS, SFR, ABR, MRP, CDS, CDPE, SRES, of Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC has helped sellers coordinate sales and moves for more than 20 years. As a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), Carolyn understands the care involved in downsizing from a longtime family home, and as a Military Relocation Professional (MRP), she helps military families coordinate moves on PCS timelines.

What a Move Manager Can Do

Move management professionals coordinate the many pieces of a move, which can be especially helpful for downsizing, estates, and long-distance relocations. Services often include:

  • Creating a moving plan and timeline

  • Sorting, packing, and labeling belongings

  • Floor planning for your new home

  • Coordinating movers, donations, and removal of unwanted items

  • Unpacking and setting up your new home

Give Your Items New Life Through the ReStore

Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept donations of gently used furniture, appliances, building materials, and home goods, and sell them to the public. Proceeds support Habitat for Humanity's work building and repairing homes. Donating through the ReStore keeps usable items out of landfills and supports affordable housing in our community. Contact your local ReStore to confirm what it accepts and whether pickup is available.

For questions about whether a donation is tax-deductible, consult a tax adviser.

Your Moving Timeline

  1. Decide on your moving date with your agent, based on your expected settlement date.

  2. Sort belongings into keep, sell, donate, and discard.

  3. Schedule donation pickups and removal of unwanted items.

  4. Book movers or a move manager.

  5. Arrange utility transfers, mail forwarding, and address changes.

  6. Pack nonessentials first and leave everyday items for last.

  7. Complete a final walk-through of your home before settlement.

Choosing Service Providers

Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC can provide contact information for move managers, movers, and other professionals in our network of service providers, and clients are free to use any licensed provider they like. We help plan the logistics when you schedule your service providers. Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC does not receive payments from service providers whose contact information we share.

Communities We Serve

The communities below are a sampling of the many areas Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC serves. In Montgomery County, we work with sellers in Rockville, Bethesda, Potomac, Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Germantown, and North Potomac. In Frederick County, we serve Frederick, Urbana, and the surrounding towns. Neighbors enjoy community favorites such as Pike and Rose in North Bethesda, the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda, and Baker Park in downtown Frederick. This is only a sampling of the many communities we serve across Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia, and Florida.

Learn More at Our Free Home Seller Seminar

Join us on Thursday, January 14, 2027, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom for our Free Home Seller Seminar. Independent guest presenters will share advice on preparing your home, planning your move, and giving your items new life. Register for the Free Home Seller Seminar for Maryland home sellers.

Clearing out before a move? Join us on Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. for Treasure or Trash? A Road Show Game, a community event hosted by Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC. Tickets are $20, and 100% of each ticket price goes to Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland, which runs the ReStore. Seating is limited to 50 guests.

Buying your next home too? Join our Free Home Buyer Seminar on Tuesday, January 26, 2027, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom. Register for the Free Home Buyer Seminar for Maryland home buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start planning my move? As early as possible, ideally before you list your home, so your moving date lines up with your settlement date.

What is a move manager? A professional who coordinates the details of a move, such as planning, packing, donations, and setting up your new home.

What does the ReStore accept? ReStores generally accept gently used furniture, appliances, building materials, and home goods. Contact your local ReStore to confirm.

Is my donation tax-deductible? It may be. Consult a tax adviser about your situation.

Can I stay in my home after settlement? Sometimes buyers agree to a short stay after settlement. Any arrangement should be agreed to in writing in your contract.

Can you help if I am downsizing from a longtime home? Yes. As a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), Carolyn helps longtime homeowners plan their sale and move with care.

Talk With Carolyn

Call our 24-Hour Appointment Desk at 202-630-5070, or schedule a call with a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) at a time that works for you. A list of references is provided on request.

Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC is not a law firm or a tax adviser and does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC, 1300 Piccard Dr., Suite 204, Rockville, MD 20850. Equal Housing Opportunity.