Taking the Stress out of Home Selling for Seniors
Helping seniors sell their home is a passion and the expertise of The Kolb Team.
Generally, when seniors age and consider a move it is likely due to health concerns or possibly the loss of a partner. The thought of selling can be overwhelming and often the homeowner says. “Where do I even begin?”
Let The Kolb Team help. We have over 35 years of combined real-estate expertise selling in Arizona Active Adult Retirement Communities. We know the market as we’ve sold over 95 million in sales and over 300 homes. And, we have a designation for working specifically with senior citizens. A real estate agent with the SRES designation (Senior Real Estate Specialist) has the education and expertise to work with seniors in the real estate industry.
A recent client, 86 years old, lost his spouse two years prior and wanted to move into something smaller. He had virtually no family nearby and no idea where to begin.
When he called The Kolb Team his questions were as follows:
- I have a house full of furniture. What will I do with it?
- Who will help me pack up and move everything?
- What will I do with all of the accumulations in the garage and throughout the house?
- Where will I go? I am not even sure what my options are.
- When is the best time to list the home and what do I need to do to get it ready?
- What is an accurate value of my home?
- My spouse is deceased and our home is titled in both names. How is that handled?
Those are all very real questions and why we love helping seniors sell their home. While they might not be ready today, it isn’t too early to begin thinking about and readying the home to start the process.
Helping Seniors Sell Their Home
Another homeowner whose husband was in and out of hospital and rehab facilities called to discuss the sales process. He would not get better, and she knew she needed to begin thinking about a plan. She had made the decision to live near family in another state so that hurdle was handled. But, she was a collector of antiques and the home required some thought about storing or removing some items. Her husband had a business with many tools that would need to go. We discussed her plan and gave her options and resources on how to handle each of these.
As we walked the home, we were able to give her some tips on what needed to be done to remove excess furniture and accessories before listing.
Her questions were similar to our 86 year-old client. As Realtors passionate about helping seniors sell their home, we have a program designed to answer these questions.
Our nuts to bolts full-service program for seniors includes:
- Initial meeting with the senior (and their family, if desired) to determine their goals and concerns.
- Determining what needs the homeowner has and if there is help to assist.
- Discussion about where the senior will go and provide information on independent/assisted living or find a Realtor in another location or help with downsizing.
- Providing advice on removing or rearranging furniture so that the home will show at its best.
- Provide resources, if needed, to help with removal, packing up, donating furnishings.
- Provide value of home at the time we meet and discuss the best time to list as well as the listing and selling process.
- Discussion of the legal aspects (copies of trust documents, death certification, powers of attorney) and other items that may be required to sell the home.
The Kolb Team partners with professionals and provides resources to seniors and their families that will help them make the best choices for them. Often, family is located in another state and relies on someone local to work with their elderly parents and keep them informed. The Kolb Team understands the importance of communication and is committed to keeping everyone informed. We represent many seniors whose adult children reside in other states. See our testimonials from satisfied clients.
Lauri Devon says
Becky and the Kolb Team were of great assistance to me in selling my mother’s home. She is 81 and they were very respectful to her and explained the process in a way that was easy for her to understand. They took care of everything that needed to be done and made it as easy as possible. They are very professional and I would highly recommend and trust Becky and her team for any real estate transaction that involves an elderly person. Thank you for all your help.