Selling Your Home and Moving: Tips for Seniors

Written by: Claire Wentz

For anyone especially seniors moving can be stressful. We have provided some tips for seniors whether you want to downsize for convenience or move across the country to be somewhere warmer. There are plenty of reasons seniors may want to sell their current house. It’s an exciting time, but putting your home on the market is also a lot of work, and there’s a lot more to do than just hire a real estate agent. If you want to sell your home for the highest price, you need to make improvements. Once you’re ready to put your home on the market, it’s important to have it properly staged to appeal to the largest amount of people. And once you’ve sold your home, you’ll need to plan your move.

Here are some of our best tips for seniors who are relocating and need to sell their home.

Tips for Seniors on Updating Your House

You may have lived in your house for years without redecorating or updating much. But if you want to get the most money for your house, now is the time to change that.

• Two words: curb appeal. If your home doesn’t have it, you’re not going to get as many potential buyers through the door. If you don’t already have a lawn or garden service, hire one. Your lawn should always be cut and mowed, and your flower beds shouldn’t have any holes. Also consider hiring a professional power-washing company to blast away dirt and grime that will stain your walkways and drive.
• Give your house a makeover by painting certain rooms colors that are proven to add value. Homes with powder blue or periwinkle bathrooms sell for up to $5,400 higher than expected. Kitchens, dining rooms, and bedrooms also become more appealing when painted certain shades of blue. The theory is blue is fresh, natural-looking, and neutral enough without being boring. With the right coat of paint, you can make your house’s interior look newer and larger, which is exactly what potential buyers want.
• Even though potential buyers can’t necessarily see the roof at first glance, you want to make sure it is in great condition. Have a professional roof washer remove mold and algae that can make the area look dingy and dark. Have them repair broken shingles and clean the gutters while they are up there.

Staging Your House

Staging your home is a great way to make it warm and inviting so buyers can imagine themselves living there.

• Clear away clutter, personal items, and family photos. While it may be sad to look around your house and not see a bunch of familiar faces, it will help create the blank canvas potential buyers need in order to see themselves living in your home.
• Keep everything as clean and pristine as possible both inside and out. Hire a housekeeping service and lawn maintenance company to come regularly. Maintain your home’s appearance by tidying up, dusting, vacuuming, and removing fingerprints from surfaces daily.
• If you have a lot of showings in one day or are holding an open house, make a batch of stovetop potpourri. It will fill your home with inviting warmth and fragrance without artificial perfumes that can trigger allergies.

Moving Day Essentials

You are not in college anymore. Moving houses can’t be as simple as buying your friends a pizza and a six-pack of beer in exchange for their help. You need to hire the best professional movers available who will safely and securely pack your belongings so nothing is damaged during the move. They will also be able to do the heavy lifting so you don’t end up throwing out your back trying to pick up a box. If you want to make sure you have your choice of the best movers are available and possibly save some money, try to schedule your packing and moving on less busy moving days. Usually, less people move on weekdays.

There are plenty of reasons seniors might want to sell their house and move, but the drive to do so is often diminished when confronted with the amount of work it takes. Make it easier by planning and preparing each step of the way. Before you put your home on the market, update it with a few fresh coats of paint. You also want to add curb appeal by taking care of the lawn and garden and cleaning the roof and gutters. Stage your home by removing clutter and personal items. Finally, when the time comes to move, hire the best movers available to streamline the process.

Whether you are looking at options or need resources on moving services the excellent team at Assured Assisted Living is here to help. Please feel free to contact our team members to understand how we may be able to help you with your moving needs.