Top 5 Things To Sell Before Moving To a Retirement Community — Even If It’s Tough
Written by
Laura Bogart
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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After years of living independently, you’re thinking it’s time to move to a retirement community. Maybe the house you’ve cherished for years has become too large for just you — and the cost of property taxes, on top of utilities and other fees, has made staying put an unworthy investment. And on top of that, you’re feeling lonely: It sure would be nice to have some new friends and fellow adventurers nearby.
Getting ready to enter a retirement community isn’t easy emotionally, physically or financially. There are a lot of things you need to sell, but taking stock of all of them can be tricky. GOBankingRates is here to make the task easier by listing some of the most pressing things you’ve got to sell before starting your next phase.
Your House
Many seniors use the sale of their homes to help pay for their stay in assisted living, so you’ll want to get the best price possible. Keeping your home in tip-top condition at all times — as in, staying on top of all repairs and maintenance needs — is a great place to start. And if you haven’t enlisted the help of an expert real estate agent or realtor to guide you, now is the time.
While you’ll want to time your sale around available move-in dates for the retirement community you’ve chosen (and a number of them have waiting lists), the team at Cedarhurst Senior Living invites you to consider some more emotional factors: Ask yourself if upcoming life events (like birthdays or anniversaries) or seasonal changes might make staying put for another month or so more palatable.
The team also encourages you to stay in contact with representatives from the retirement home of your choice to coordinate your move-in dates.
“From there, you can map out a general timeline that’s realistic,” the team wrote. “Creating a clear, flexible plan with achievable steps along the way can make the transition feel manageable.”
Oversized Furniture
You may have adored that antique sofa for decades or grown attached to that wall-length dresser you thrifted only a few years ago, but you’ll likely have to let them go when you’re moving into a retirement community. Simply put, there’s likely not going to be enough room in your new space.
The furniture that filled an entire house, like your dining room set and that decor in the guest room, has no function in a retirement community — and leaving it in storage to gather dust would be a waste of money. So, sell it. Host a yard sale, list items on Facebook Marketplace or send word around to your friends, family and their extended networks that a new dining room table or chest of drawers could be theirs — for the right price.
Unnecessary Kitchen Items
For the Julia Child fans, this one is hard, we know. However, given that most retirement communities prepare their own meals for residents, you can generally relax and leave the cooking to their chefs. That large kitchen stand mixer, microwave or toaster oven probably has no place in your suite. Time to list them all online or sell them directly to people who you know will give them a good home (even if you’re not ready to part with your famous chicken and peppers recipe).
Tools
One of the biggest perks of moving to a retirement community is that you’re no longer on the hook for any repairs that come up — there’s a whole team dedicated to maintenance. Your days of using a power saw or electric drill are about to be over, huzzah! There are likely a lot of amateur craftsmen or professionals alike who’d pay a pretty penny to get their hands on your toolbox.
Gardening and Lawn Care Supplies
While you may want to hold on to a watering can or small shovel to care for the pots on your windowsill, moving to a retirement community means you’re no longer responsible for landscaping a property. That means those large bags of unused soil, lawn mowers, sprinklers, giant pots, rakes and shovels can all go toward growing you a new kind of green — as in, money.
That’s not to say you must forgo gardening as a hobby. Some retirement communities will let you volunteer to help with their gardens. And there are always community gardens or gardening clubs outside the grounds who’d love your helping hands.
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