I inherited a home, when should I have estate sale vs. sell house?

I inherited a home when should I have estate sale vs. sell home

My parent’s home was left to me and I am a bit lost as to when the best time to have an estate sell and when should I sell the home.  There are 3 of us and everyone wants to do something different.

P Ellis

Response

Dear P Ellis

You should schedule the sales in a way that works best for everyone.  I would note that keeping some furniture is good for staging, so selling the home before the personal possessions makes sense.  You can store the items not used to stage the home, perhaps in the garage, and have your estate sale when the home is in escrow. 

If the home needs a lot of repairs, having your estate sale before listing the home makes sense too, to allow clear work areas for repairs. 

The use of a REALTOR is helpful with deciding the timing.  They know the area and the market.  One of the best parts of having a REALTOR involved early in the process is they will assist you with the estate sale, and most importantly, be a go-between between the parties.  It is always good to have someone not related and not emotionally vested be responsible for major decisions.  The family relationships can suffer at these times without a professional to assist with these types of emotional decisions.

Good Luck!

Curt V. Schultz, Architect, General Contractor and REALTOR®