When the family home is being sold as part of the settlement of an estate, the choice of the realtor is extremely important in making the transaction as stress free as possible.

There are three areas that will need expert attention: emotional aspects of the sale, legal aspects of the sale, and skillful presentation of the property to obtain the best price possible.

It is often said that "people sell their houses with their intellect and buy their new house with their emotions". This is often not the case with estate sales. The sale of a property that contains many memories for family members can become a source of conflict if not handled with a large degree of sensitivity for all of the siblings involved. Each may have very different approaches to handling the situation. For the realtor, it may be like handling many separate vendors for the same property!

All members must be kept up to date on each situation relating to the sale. Achieving a consensus can be challenging and making sure every one has a sense of being heard is important.

Legally, to ensure things proceed easily your realtor should be in contact with your estate lawyer. A house may be listed before the will probate is complete as long as the appropriate clause is inserted in any offer to purchase. An example of a clause that would cover this situation would be:

"The Seller and Buyer acknowledge that the Seller is in the process of applying for a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee ("Probate"). In the event that Probate is not available to permit the closing of this transaction to take place on the date contained in this Agreement, then the Seller shall have the right to delay the closing on a week-to-week basis, provided that:
(1) the Buyer shall have seven (7) days' advance notice of the closing date; and,
(2) closing shall not exceed ____days in total"

The house should be properly prepared before putting it on the market. Any issues such as leaky basements should be remedied or should be disclosed on the listing as being in "as is" condition. If the home has not been updated for many years, a pre-inspection by a qualified home inspector may make clear any structural problems with things like wiring, insulation or plumbing. This inspection can prevent latent difficulties that cannot be seen visually from causing problems when the buyer's home inspector submits his report to his clients. Once the condition of the house is understood before listing it, the decision to remedy a problem or disclose selling the property in "as is " condition may be made.

Removing clutter, personal items and excess furniture will make the home appear larger and more appealing. A good cleaning, 100 Watt light bulbs, washed windows, and new paint where needed will greatly improve its' presentation. Landscaping should be cleaned up, and if the season allows some colourful flowers will greatly improve curb appeal.

Suzanne Hodgson is an Accredited Senior Agent (ASA), which is a designation that demonstrates her specific skill set for working with seniors, their families in these times of transition. Suzanne has significant experience in dealing with estate sales and will walk your family through the entire process. Click Here to contact Suzanne about your families estate sale needs.