Page 114 - WCFL Senior Living Resource Summer/Fall 2019

114 PALM BEACH COUNTY SENIOR HOUSING

By Darleen Mahoney
Once it’s been decided that potentially the ‘heart of the home’ rooms first. That’s
downsizing for retirement living or mov- usually the kitchen, living room, and fam-
ing into a senior living community is on ily room, which tend to be the most clut-
the horizon, the most stressful aspect tered and contain items with the greatest
can be selling the home. There are many emotional value and everyday use. Make
things to consider outside of the emo- four piles-keep, donate, give to family
tional tolls of leaving a home with years members and trash.”
of memories attached. There is also the re-
ality that the house itself is most likely the Other things to consider while staging is
largest source of income/equity, therefore, touching up paint, changing out hard-
its very important to sell the house at the ware, new blinds, replacing burned out
best price that the market will allow. lightbulbs, adding fresh flowers or potted
plants, fixing visible issues around the
Staging a home and making it more ap- house that a buyer would notice, and
pealing to a wide range of buyers is a best rearranging furniture to create the look of
practice and that may be challenging for a larger space. Best practice is to keep in
some Seniors while they are still living mind that when a potential buyer walks
in the home. There are a few options for through your home, they need to be able
staging a home. It can range from keeping to picture their own personal items and
living spaces very organized and declut- sense of style as well. If there is a strong
tered and quick paint fixes to having a color palette in the home, it may be neces-
professional “stage” the home for sale. sary to re-paint a more neutral palette to
Typically, a service will stage a home to assure that the potential buyer is seeing
make it look larger, utilize neutral colors the actual house and not just the wall
and will take any personal items of the colors.
current homeowner and put them away.
These services may replace existing furni- Also, consider the front of the house. A
ture and other personal items which can potential buyer should never drive up and
be stressful for Seniors but can also raise before they even enter the house think,
the value of the home. Buyers should not “what a lot of work” before entering the
focus on the current homeowner’s taste, home.
style and personal choices. Remember the most important things in
staging with Seniors is that there may
If a Senior is moving to an Assisted Living
community, they will most likely need to be more emotional attachments to their
downsize right away. This can be such personal tastes and their personal items.
a taxing process both emotionally and It’s important to be cognizant of that and
physically. According to AARP https:// walk through the process at their pace
www.aarp.org/work/retirement-planning/ while explaining why “staging” will only
info-08-2011/retirement-downsizing.html benefit them in the long run.
, it’s recommended that you plan to, “hit