From Kiplinger · · 2m
A snake, a gun and a safe full of soup
Selling a parent's house after 54 years of living in it turns up things no one is ready for.
In brief
Selling a parent's house after 54 years of living in it turns up things no one is ready for. Don't empty and sell a parent's house alone. The right agent and a senior move manager protect both the price and the relationship. Originally reported by Kiplinger.
Mom turned 90
An artist's home of 54 years, walls covered in her bright paintings and corners full of antiques. Then assisted living made selling it unavoidable.
More Grey Gardens than Grey Poupon
Once the siblings started prepping the house for market, the beautiful home revealed itself as something much harder to sell.
“we realized the house was more Grey Gardens than Grey Poupon”
We couldn't DIY this
Two things saved the sale: a real estate agent who could handle chaos, and the early admission that the family shouldn't do it themselves.
A five-foot snake in the couch
Agent Cheryl Leahy found a black snake sliding out of the living room sofa she'd been sitting on daily. A half-century house hides things.
“That's among the top three craziest things that have ever happened to me over 25 years of selling real estate”
The gun in the drawer
Mid-closing, the agent called: there was a gun at the back of a drawer. It was a prop from the parents' noir play readings.
“I find a lot of guns, and they're usually tucked away somewhere that nobody even remembers... We find a lot of rifles in attics.”
The locksmith who saw gold
A safe was sunk into the basement floor and had to be opened to close. The first locksmith claimed he spotted gold and wanted $350 more.
“I see so much gold!”
Silverware and a can of soup
The agent's own locksmith opened the safe fast and cheap. Inside: silverware, documents, and a can of Campbell's. A good agent's contractor list is the real asset.
Don't rip out the bushes
Most agents pushed for a lawn to attract families. Leahy said skip it, and the buyers said the no-lawn front yard was a selling point.
“It's really important to not put more money than you're going to get back out”
A wedding planner for the move
Senior move manager Jami Shapiro says hire a pro to stage, pack, and vet agents. They also shield families from realtors who rush the emotional part.
Let the parent stay the parent
Older clients take advice better from a neutral professional than from their own kids. Outsourcing the heavy lifting protects the price and the relationship.
“They've been the parent; let them continue to be the parent.”
At a glance
Don't empty and sell a parent's house alone. The right agent and a senior move manager protect both the price and the relationship.
