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Moving house is stressful at the best of times, never mind if you’re trying to help elderly parents leave a home they’ve lived in for decades.
Problems often arise when helping with the sale of a parent’s house, especially if you don’t live nearby, as the practical help you can give may be limited. Some companies have recognised that there’s a gap in the market and offer to manage the sale of the property. Here, we look at how they work and what they cost, and other ways you can help your parents manage their move.
Preparing the property
One of the hardest steps for your parents or relatives to take is to get rid of possessions they’ve accumulated over a lifetime. Moving to a smaller home, whether it’s their own bungalow or a property in a retirement complex, usually means getting rid of a lot of furniture – as well as general clutter.
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Whether you’re looking to clear some space, make a bit of extra money, or simply let go of things you no longer need, Vintage Cash Cow makes sure your belongings find a new home and nothing goes to waste or landfill.
They accept a wide range of items including jewellery, watches, cameras, coins, medals, and more – with no cost or obligation to you.
Don’t worry about getting their property into a ‘show home’ state before putting it up for sale. Getting rid of clutter and making sure it’s clean is definitely worth doing but it doesn’t have to have co-ordinated carpets throughout to sell. Many buyers like moving into an unmodernised property so they can put their own stamp on it.
It’s often worth having a conversation with a local agent to ask them what they’d recommend you do to prepare the property for sale – if anything at all. If your parents or relatives are selling a property on a road with half a dozen similar ones it may be worth helping them make sure theirs looks as good as the rest. But if you’re selling in a small village or rural location where it’s harder for buyers to make direct comparisons it may not be worth doing.
Try to encourage them to sell, give away, recycle, store or throw out what isn’t needed. Bear in mind that emotionally this can be really hard for someone who’s elderly – especially if they’ve lost their spouse or partner.
When sorting items, it’s a good idea to separate them into piles, as this can help make it easier to keep track of what they want to keep, what they’d like to give to family members, and to identify any items that might be valuable and could be sold. They might be surprised at how much they could make from selling their items. If they’re considering having a good clear-out, they might be interested in reading our guide on making money from your clutter.
If they’ve got any vintage or antique items they’re looking to get rid of quickly, Vintage Cash Cow may be worth a look.
You don’t have to worry about listing individual items for sale or dealing with buyers, and your items will be valued first. You simply order a free postage pack online, box and send your items, and you should receive a valuation within a few days. If you’re not happy with the offer Vintage Cash Cow provides, they’ll return your items for free.
You can see a full list of items Vintage Cash Cow buys here, which includes vintage watches, cameras, and toys. And for items they don’t accept, such as furniture, clothes, and breakables, check out this page.
Some companies provide downsizing/ decluttering services if you’re not comfortable going it alone, but if you plan to use one, it’s worth making sure that anyone who comes to your parents’ house is CRB-checked. Charges for a downsize/decluttering service vary widely but expect to pay around £30 to £65 an hour.
Managing the move
Some companies such as TimeFinders, The Senior Move Partnership and The Homemover Specialist, not only offer downsizing and decluttering services, but can also help manage the property sale process and move to a new home.
This may include preparing a report about your parents’ property and the state of the housing market, as well as giving them/you advice on which estate agent to go with and how much to sell the property for.
They may also be able to manage the estate agent and negotiate offers. If you’re worried about your parents being able to cope with estate agents ringing up and making appointments, having a downsizing company do this on their behalf could help remove at least one stressful element of their sale.
These companies can also often help with removals, including booking a removals company, help with packing and more if needed. They might even be able to help sort out utilities at your old property and your new one too. Dealing with utility companies’ call centres, especially if they make a mistake on your account, can be hugely stressful, especially for some older people who may have hearing problems and who might find it difficult to explain the problem again and again.
Some companies, including Timefinders, will help your parents get settled into their new home by finding branches of societies and community groups that they might find interesting.
Of course, these services come at a cost, but any charges should be explained clearly to you and your parents at the outset. Everyone’s situation is different, so fees will vary widely depending on which services are used, but if you aren’t able to be there to offer support yourself, both you and they might consider it a price worth paying. If you have elderly parents or relatives who are thinking about downsizing, they might find our article Five questions to ask yourself if you’re considering downsizing your home helpful.
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