What to Do With Your Home After Transitioning to Assisted Living
Our thanks to Jim Vogel for this contribution to our blog.
When seniors transition into an assisted living facility, there are many questions raised about the home they’re leaving behind. After spending years of their life in their house, it can be difficult to determine the best option. Generally speaking, there are three choices seniors are faced with: selling their home, renting it out, or giving it to a family member. Each option comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. It would behoove seniors and their loved ones to consider their financial and overall life circumstances before deciding on one of these options.
Sell the house to pad your savings.
The traditional step to take when moving out of a home is to list it on the market and put the proceeds toward a new property. Even though you’re not going to purchase a new home, you can still use the money to help cover the cost of the assisted living facility (assisted living in California averages $3,750 a month) or to pay off prior debts.
Before listing your home on the market, it’s important to take note of the average price of similar properties in your area to help determine what to do with your own (Alameda homes have been selling for an average of $979,000 over the last month). You want to avoid missing out on potential earnings from underpricing and prolonging a sale due to asking for too much. If you have the resources, hiring a real estate agent can also be a great way to sell your house smoothly.
Entrust it to a family member.
If you don’t like the idea of losing your home or renting it out to tenants, you can always entrust it to a family member for safekeeping. You’ll be able to maintain ownership of the property without having to worry about maintenance or upkeep. You might even find a relative willing to live in the home while paying a small fee. You’ll have the benefit of monthly income without the hassle and responsibility of dealing with renters.
Some seniors may want to go a step further and legally transfer ownership of their old home to a family member. This can be done immediately following your transition into an assisted living home or set up for a posthumous transfer of ownership. Either way, you can be sure that the home is taken care of and stays in the family.
Find tenants for a monthly income.
It’s a sad fact that millions of seniors in the United States are struggling financially, but if you’re willing to put in a little effort, your old home can be an excellent source of passive income.
The first step to turning your home into a rental property is making any necessary updates and renovations to make it livable and appealing. Next, you’ll need to find reliable tenants with good credit scores, little to no debt, and no criminal history. You may also have to hire a property manager to care for the property while you’re away. It can be a small yet necessary cost for seniors who don’t have the physical ability and time to keep a rental property up and running.
Moving into assisted living raises many questions about what to do with the home you’re leaving behind. When you have such an emotional connection to your home, it can be difficult to make the right choice. Before making the final call, make sure to consider your current circumstances and think about which option is most suitable.
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