Selling the Family Home, Planning
from a Distance
Selling the family home can be an emotionally and physically demanding task, especially if you live at a distance. Sometimes, the family needs to accomplish this within a very tight timeframe.
Here is one family's story, with helpful hints for those who find themselves in this situation.
Grandma recently moved into a long-term care centre, leaving behind her home with 50 years of accumulated personal belongings. Because of dementia, she could participate in decisions only to a limited degree.
Using our vacation time, we needed to travel across three provinces and accomplish the house clearing and sale in a short period of time. We consulted friends and others who had dealt with this situation. There would be many tasks involved, so we developed a plan of action.
Before the trip, we talked with our adult children and discussed a list of things we needed to accomplish. This high-tech generation advised us to use technology to our advantage - before we even left town. They introduced us to Poynt, a free search service that helped us to find many of the local businesses and services we needed near Grandma's house. (To learn more about using Poynt, visit www.multiplied.com).
First, we needed a hotel near Grandma's home. With Grandma's postal code, we used Poynt and found 3 hotels within 2 km. Interestingly, two were solidly booked because the annual H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group ) competition was in town!
Next, we planned for the disposal of furniture and household belongings. We found these services we needed, and contacted them by telephone::
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Recycling for paper, books, audiovisual tapes and records
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Hauling away trash and junk
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Accepting donations (household items, clothing)
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Appraising of valuables (jewelry, art)
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Buying used furniture and appliances
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House Cleaning
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Moving supplies (boxes and packing paper)
We learned that the local library would take all books, in any condition, and records, audiotapes and videotapes. We found an organization that would take donations of clothing, including their business hours and location. (We were pleased that this organization was one of Grandma's favorite charities.) We booked appointments with antique dealers for appraisal of valuables, and arranged for services to haul away trash and junk.
When we arrived in town, the local friends were amazed that we could accomplish so much from such a distance! Our preparation helped us to achieve our goal and complete the house clearing and sale in 10 days!
Vol. 3, No. 21
© ElderWise Inc. 2007.
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Originally published by ElderWise Inc., Canada's "go to" place for families with aging parents, who want clear, concise and timely information about health, housing and relationships. Visit us at www.elderwise.ca and subscribe to our FREE bi-weekly newsletter.
