Selling a home is rarely simple. But new research from the Center for Retirement Research suggests that older homeowners may face additional hurdles when listing their property.
Data shows that sellers 70 and older often receive significantly lower prices compared with younger sellers, and the shortfall can add up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Understand exactly what many homeowners overlook so you can avoid common pitfalls and maximize your home’s value. Here’s how home sellers 70 and older can get top dollar.
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Address deferred upkeep before listing
Older homeowners often defer property maintenance. Over time, routine tasks like replacing aging roofs or updating mechanical systems get postponed.
These deferred maintenance issues may spook buyers into making lowball offers. Research suggests that even small cosmetic issues, like peeling paint or dated carpet, are a sign of larger hidden problems.
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Upgrade key areas buyers care about
Homeowners over 70 have often lived in their properties for decades, which means kitchens, bathrooms, and layouts reflect earlier design trends.
Today’s buyers generally prioritize updated kitchens and bathrooms, modern appliances, and more open floor plans. Simple upgrades, like painting cabinets, updating hardware, or removing wallpaper, can help buyers see the home’s real value.
Fix visible wear and tear
Even when a home is structurally sound, visible wear can influence how buyers perceive value.
Worn carpet, scuffed walls, or aging cabinetry can make a property feel older than it actually is.
Addressing surface-level issues like paint, flooring, and lighting can make a dramatic difference in how buyers respond.
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Declutter before showing the home
Clutter can significantly impact how buyers view a home.
Older homeowners often have decades worth of belongings that fill closets, basements, and living spaces. These extra items can make rooms feel smaller and distract buyers from the home’s true square footage and actual storage capacity.
Professional staging or decluttering can help buyers visualize themselves living in a larger space, which can lead to stronger offers.
Replace dated furnishings and décor
Décor trends change quickly. What looked hip and modern 20 years ago may now feel outdated. Remember built-in record players, shag carpeting, and orange Formica countertops?
Heavy drapes, ornate furniture, patterned carpets, or outdated wallpaper can make a home feel stuck in another era.
Even if you don’t renovate, swapping out dated furnishings for simpler staging elements can modernize the look and improve buyer appeal.
Avoid rushing into a sale
Another reason sellers age 70 and older receive lower offers is timing.
Older sellers may list homes quickly due to medical expenses, changing health conditions, or sudden financial pressures. When time is limited, homeowners may forego staging or accept lower offers rather than wait for stronger offers.
Even if you don’t want to sell now, it’s worth talking to a realtor now. Finding out your home’s current value and what simple projects you can tackle over time can maximize home value, protecting equity later down the road if you have to unexpectedly list.
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Improve curb appeal
First impressions are a big deal, perhaps doubly so in matters of real estate.
Keep up with appearances if you want top dollar. You don’t need elaborate landscaping, but keep your lawn neatly mown, repaint peeling trim, and power-wash your siding and walkways. These can dramatically improve how buyers perceive a home before they even walk inside.
If you can’t tackle these chores yourself, find someone who can. Beyond perusing professional listings, ask neighbor kids, church groups, or ads on Taskrabbit and Facebook Marketplace.
Prioritize improvements that boost appeal
Not every improvement requires major renovations, and not all improvements deliver an equal ROI.
If you have a limited budget, talk to a professional stager or realtor about what upgrades to prioritize and come up with a list of upgrades to tackle in order of importance.
Seemingly minor changes will help homes photograph better and show better during open houses – and receive more home visit requests.
Reevaluate aging-in-place modifications
Many homeowners modify their houses to make aging in place easier.
While these changes can improve safety and accessibility, certain modifications — such as stair lifts, grab bars, or wheelchair ramps — may be off-putting to buyers.
When my husband and I home shopped ten years ago, I saw dollar signs with obvious age-in-place modifications. Mentally, I did the math to remove grab bars and putty or repair the drill holes in the tiles. And the cost to remove and replace outdoor wheelchair ramps — that made it harder for us to access the door — was not cheap. (For one property, I was quoted $2,500 to take down and remove the ramp.)
Before listing, it may be worth discussing with a real estate agent which features should remain and which could be removed to broaden the home’s appeal.
If you are living at home until it sells, you should keep in place any modifications needed for safety. However, talk to your realtor about offering to remove and replace these elements before new buyers take possession of the home.
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Bottom line
Homes sold by owners over 70 often sell for less, but the price cut isn’t inevitable. Prepare yourself financially now by addressing maintenance issues and modernizing key spaces to preserve your home’s perceived value.
The ROI is worthwhile. Realtor research shows that homes sold by older owners sell for $20,000 less on average, driven largely by deferred maintenance and cosmetic appeal.
Many high-impact changes, like fresh, neutral paint, decluttering, or caulking the bathroom, are low-budget and DIY-friendly.
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