Kids have to sell their parents’ home
Dear Heloise: My sister’s and I (there’s three of us) lost our parents a month ago in an accident. You might think that as adults, we’d know by now what to do to sell their home, but we don’t. All their will said was that we were to divide everything equally.
We’ve decided that the profits from the sale of the house will be shared equally, as will any repair expenses needed
to sell it, although our parents took excellent care of their home. Where do we start? — Anne V., Seattle
Anne, first, talk to each other about using a realty company to help you with various things, such as an inspection of the home. If there are repairs or improvements needed to sell the home, such as a handrail for the staircase or a new kitchen faucet, who pays? Is one person handling the cost and getting reimbursed from the profits of the house, or will you divide the debt equally?
You’ll need to have the major systems inspected. A real estate attorney can look into any outstanding concerns, including unpaid taxes, loans against the property, or missing paperwork. Once this is done, you can move onto clearing the interior of the house.
In their day-to-day living, most people have a few things out of place, or they’ve kept a number of papers, books and other items that have since been moved out of their places. You might want to hire a lawn service to keep the home tidy-looking from the street. Put timers on lights so that it looks like someone is staying there. This will keep vandals from trying to break in. Also, be sure to maintain the insurance on the property.
Don’t make any expensive restorations if you can help it because it will eat up your profit. However, you should probably remove any installations that were made for an aging person, such as a stair lift. It’s also good to remove other medical equipment in the home.
I know from firsthand experience that emptying out a home where your parents lived (and perhaps you were raised in) is painful. Memories are everywhere you look. But a new family will move in and make amazing memories. Just try your best to be there for one another. — Heloise