Key Strategies to Help Seniors Sell Their Home in 2025

Now that the kids have grown up and moved out, your big family home is starting to feel empty. You’re beginning to wonder to yourself - what’s next? Is it time to sell the home and downsize? Well if you are, you’re not alone - around 75 million Americans are going through this stage of life right now. If you’re over 60 and considering downsizing, then keep reading to learn the key strategies that seniors should focus on when selling their home in 2025. 

Overcoming Emotional Hurdles

The emotional side of selling is often overlooked, but a very important part of the home selling process. Sometimes it makes sense logically to sell a home, but are you ready to sell the family home, the home that you raised your children in? Overcoming these emotional hurdles should be one of the first things that you address when considering selling a home to downsize. Instead of focusing on what you’re leaving, take time to remember the good times and then reframe your mindset - you’re starting a new chapter of your life now. This could mean a variety of things - maybe you’re moving closer to your family or downsizing for financial freedom. Whatever the reason may be, the move should be something that excites you and makes you excited for the future. 

Decluttering the Home and Preparing it for Sale

Now that you have overcome the emotional side of selling, let’s address the elephant in the room - you’ve accumulated a lot of things after living in your home for the past 30 years. That storage closet full of old clothes and the attic full of boxes - it’s time to go through them, decide what you want to keep, and then donate or dispose of the rest. Preparing to sell your home may just be the motivating factor you need to finally offload some of the things that you’ve acquired over the years. 

Once the home has been decluttered, there are some simple changes that can then be made to the home to enhance its curb apparel and make it camera ready for the upcoming sale. Some of the simplest and cheapest things that you can do are:

  1. Fresh Paint: Hire a painter and apply a fresh coat of paint to the exterior. Choose a neutral color to help improve the resale value as opposed to something colorful and unique. 

  2. Landscaping: Remove any weeds, dead trees or tree stumps, and overgrown plants. Remove dead grass and replace it with either fresh grass or bark.

  3. Interior Fixes: Apply some WD40 to that squeaky door, tighten those loose bolts, and change out those dead light bulbs. While these changes may not seem like much, it goes a long way to potential buyers and shows them that you have taken care of your home all these years. 

Planning Your Financial Future 

Lastly, let’s talk about finance. As a senior preparing to downsize, you’ve probably lived in your home for a while and accumulated quite a bit of equity. What are you going to do with all of that cash once you’ve sold the home? Are you going to use it to buy a new home? Or maybe you want to invest your proceeds and then rent. Regardless of what you decide to do, I recommend talking with a Certified Financial Planner. They’ll be able to work with you to discuss your financial goals and recommend the best ways to use the proceeds from your home sale so that your money will serve you best in this next chapter of your life. 

Selling your home after 60 is a big decision, but with the right professionals by your side, it can be a refreshing and rewarding start to the next chapter of your life. As long as you work through the emotions of deciding to sell, prepare the home for sale, and determine your financial goals for the future, the senior downsizing process will go smoothly. 

Contact me today to take the first step and learn more about the value of your home - I can send you a report that will give you key insights into what your home could sell for and help you begin the downsizing process. Click the “Book a Consultation” button below to get started!

Melina Rissone

Having sold properties for more than 20 years and earning various prestigious awards throughout the course of her career, Melina Rissone has more than earned her reputation as one of San Diego's most skilled and trustworthy real estate brokers selling homes and luxury condominiums. Her loyal clientele would share that Melina brings structure and planning to chaos. She specializes in supporting her clients and their referrals; families and individuals going thru divorce and seniors and active adults planning their moves and financial decisions during their retirement years..

  • Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and Institute of Luxury Home Marketing certified.
  • Cartus Network Inventory Specialist and Cartus Network Marketing Specialist since 2015.
  • RCS-D Designation, a Real Estate Collaboration Specialist for Divorce.
  • SRES Certification through NAR is a Seniors Real Estate Specialist certification.
  • Melina is bilingual in English and German.
  • Recognized as the Top 4% of all real estate brokers in San Diego County in 2021 and the Top 3% of Coldwell Banker International.
  • Coldwell Banker Presidents Elite Award.
  • Recognize as the Top 2% of Coldwell Banker West in 2024.
  • Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and Institute of Luxury Home Marketing Certified.