Dear David,
How do I go about selling a home that is located eight hours away from me? One of my parents recently passed away and I’ve moved my other parent in with me. Their house is a significant distance away. They lived there for 30 years and the property is not in good shape – I’m pretty sure they only worked on it when absolutely necessary. We’ve been back to the house to pack up their personal belongings, but need to sell it and have no family or friends in the area. What should we do? – FAR AWAY
DEAR FAR: Loss is challenging at the best of times. To manage the tasks that come with it, you need to have a trusted team in place. There are several steps involved in selling a home, no matter where you are located. An experienced and well-connected Realtor can help you orchestrate this process as part of the service they provide. This degree of oversight is not typically in the Realtor’s job description, but it is something I’ve helped my own clients with when the situation warrants.
You mentioned that you have packed up your parents’ personal effects. Presuming items wanted by family and friends have been removed from the house, you will need to donate or dispose of what is left. You may feel somewhat gratified donating items with economic life left in them, perhaps to a charity that is near and dear to your parent’s heart.
When you’ve cleared out what you can, the next step is to bring a dumpster to the property and dispose of the contents that have no value. Typically, this can be accomplished with a couple of phone calls to the right people.
Once the house is empty, give it a quick facelift. Ask your Realtor for advice on what jobs need to be tackled. Fresh paint and flooring may be in the cards depending on the state of the house, but without question, the best money you can spend is on a cleaning service. Have professionals detail the home from top to bottom, including the kitchen, bathrooms, baseboards, vents, utility rooms, and garage if applicable. Even if the house needs a bit of work, clean carpets give the impression it has been lovingly cared for, which goes a long way in the minds of potential buyers. Big HGTV-style renovation projects (like a new kitchen) can actually work against you, since these tend to shine a light on the worn-down nature of the rest of the house. When it comes to updates, you need to do it all, or stick to the absolute basics.
PRO TIP: Trust is key in this situation. Your Realtor will work with their existing contacts (and perhaps call in a few favours), but it is not their role to get multiple estimates at every step of the process. Leaning on their tools and expertise can help you get the job done. A lock box can provide access for contractors, and digital software will allow you to receive and sign documents from any location. This is the time to surround yourself with professionals. An experienced and well-connected Realtor can save you the time and trouble of becoming a long-distance home renovation expert. #Advice #AskDavid #TheNegotiator
David is a top-selling Broker in Kitchener-Waterloo Region. He works personally with you when selling or buying your home. Moving? Get it right. Ask David today! Call or text 519-577-1212.
