Senior citizens go through many changes – from physical challenges of aging to losing friends or loved ones and being faced with living alone. While many will be able to live on their own for a long time, many older adults decide that it would be best to move in with family or find an assisted living facility to make new friends. But choosing to move is only half of the story – at that point, they often have to sell their home. Selling the family home is an emotional and overwhelming prospect, so here are some tips to help your mom or dad through the process.

Saying Goodbye to the Family Home

Decision Making: If possible, allow your senior family member to make as many decisions as possible – for instance, in choosing the real estate agent. You can research and find two or three qualified agents, but then arrange appointments and let your loved one choose who they are most comfortable with. Do the same thing with their new home – you can perform the legwork to select several suitable residences but leave the final decision to them.
Facilitate the Real Estate Process: Selling a home is stressful for everyone but can be incredibly overwhelming for a senior. Work with the agent to choose a couple of days a week for showings, then help your senior to clean and straighten up that morning. Take them out to take a walk or go to lunch while people are looking at the home. Work with them to schedule any needed inspections and be there so they are not intimidated by all the people in their homes. If you are not available to help in this way, speak with any prospective agent to ensure that they will be helpful with these steps.
Help with Purging and Packing: This may be one of the most challenging steps in moving out of the family home. Most seniors will be moving into a much smaller space and cannot bring everything with them. Help them to make distinctions between those things that genuinely hold sentimental value and possessions that they are just accustomed to. Before you begin, if you can measure and take photos or videos of the new place, it will help to determine what can stay and what needs to go.
Leave Room for Sentimentality: While practicality is necessary, never forget that your loved one is leaving behind a lifetime of memories. Allow for some tears, and understand if they are resistant. Help them to choose items to bring with them that will establish a sense of “home” at the new location. This may be a favorite chair, a quilt or blanket, or some favorite artwork. Be creative as well – take note of unique items and consider making shadow boxes or having their boxes of photographs stored on a digital photo frame. Take note of things they seem especially attached to – you’ll need them on moving day.
Help Them Share with Family: If there are items that are special to them but too much to bring, ask them about gifting items to favorite family members.
Have a Garage Sale (or sell online): If there are essential items, such as rooms full of furniture, that cannot make a move, help them to sell them. Whether an old-fashioned garage sale or a listing on Facebook marketplace, you can help them to sell these items and make some money for their bank account. You may also consider if they still need their car, exercise equipment, or sports gear.
It’s Moving Day: On moving day, allow your loved one a few minutes to say goodbye in their way, then take them out somewhere for a fun day. Enlist the help of others to get the actual move done, which can be very stressful and emotional. Have someone you trust to arrange the new apartment with the favorite chair, blanket, and photos. And those special items you noticed during packing? Have them prominently displayed. If possible, have some favorite music playing as well. For the first night in the new home, make sure several friends or family members stay for dinner and talk for a while in their new place. All of this will help them to settle in a bit easier and not feel “dropped off and abandoned.”

Moving is stressful, but you can make it a peaceful and joyous experience for your loved one. At A Banyan Residence, we strive to provide beautiful, comfortable, and safe new homes for our residents. If you are looking for an adult living residence to call home, contact us today.