Navigating the Journey: Selling Your Parents’ Home with Compassion in Chicagoland
Posted on April 6, 2025 by Kimberley Petersen-Soccomonto, Senior Transition Specialist
There comes a time in many of our lives when we face the emotional and logistical challenge of helping our parents transition from the family home. Whether they’re downsizing, moving to assisted living, or you’re managing the sale after their passing, this process involves much more than just a real estate transaction. After fifteen years of specializing in these delicate transitions, I’ve learned that combining professional expertise with genuine compassion makes all the difference.
More Than Just a House
When I first met the Carlson family, they were overwhelmed. Their mother needed to move to an assisted living facility after living in her two-story colonial for 42 years. “It’s just a house,” Mr. Carlson initially told me, trying to convince himself more than anyone else. But as we walked through each room, the stories emerged – holidays in the dining room, height marks penciled on the kitchen doorframe, the garden where their father had taught them to grow tomatoes.
This is the first reality we must acknowledge: we’re not just selling a house; we’re helping transition a home filled with decades of memories and milestones.
The Three Challenges of Parent Home Sales
In my experience, families face three distinct challenges when selling a parent’s home:
1. The Emotional Component
Unlike typical home sales, these transitions often come during stressful life events – health declines, moves to care facilities, or after a loss. Everyone processes these changes differently, and family members may not be on the same page. Taking time to honor the emotional aspect of the process is essential before diving into practical matters.
2. The Practical Overwhelm
Many homes have decades of possessions accumulated. What do you do with 50 years of belongings? How do you decide what to keep, donate, sell, or discard? This process can be particularly overwhelming when family members live out of town or have busy lives with children and careers of their own.
3. The Market Reality
Older homes often need updates to maximize their market value, but families must balance potential return on investment with the desire for a timely sale. Understanding the local market for these specific properties requires specialized knowledge.
A Compassionate Approach to Selling
Over the years, I’ve developed a process that addresses these unique challenges:
Step 1: The Family Meeting
I begin with a conversation that includes all key family members (in person or virtually). This isn’t about listing agreements or market analysis yet – it’s about understanding your parents’ needs, your family’s goals, and acknowledging the emotional nature of the transition.
Step 2: Creating a Practical Timeline
Together, we develop a realistic timeline that balances market considerations with your family’s emotional and logistical needs. Whether you need a quick sale or a methodical approach over several months, having a clear roadmap reduces stress.
Step 3: Resource Coordination
My network includes senior move managers, estate sale professionals, cleanout services, contractors, and elder law attorneys. Rather than you having to coordinate multiple services while emotionally drained, I can help assemble the right team for your specific situation.
Step 4: Preparing for Market
Based on our agreed timeline, we’ll determine what improvements make financial sense, how to stage the home appropriately, and how to market it to highlight its best features while being transparent about its condition.
Step 5: Transaction Management with Extra Care
During the sale process, I provide more frequent updates than in typical transactions, recognizing that this sale may have additional emotional weight and complexity for your family.
A Story of Success
The Matthews family came to me after their father passed away. Their mother had died years earlier, and the siblings were scattered across three states. The home needed significant updates, and they disagreed about how to proceed.
After our family meeting and timeline development, we decided on a middle path: making strategic, cost-effective improvements that would broaden market appeal without overinvesting. I coordinated an estate sale for items the family didn’t want to keep, connected them with a contractor for the agreed-upon updates, and managed the process while they returned to their homes and jobs.
The result? The home sold for $45,000 more than they would have received “as-is,” even after improvement costs. More importantly, the family felt they honored their parents’ legacy by thoughtfully transitioning their home to a new family who would create their own memories there.
Your Family’s Journey
Every family’s situation is unique, but the need for both expertise and empathy remains constant. If you’re beginning to consider helping your parents transition from their home, I invite you to reach out – even if you’re just in the early thinking stages. Sometimes, having a confidential conversation with someone who understands both the real estate aspects and the emotional journey can provide clarity during a challenging time.
Kimberley Petersen is a Senior Transition Specialist with Family Home Transitions Realty, specializing exclusively in helping families sell their parents’ homes. She holds certifications in Senior Real Estate and is a trained mediator for family property transitions. To learn more or schedule a confidential conversation, contact Sarah at info@parentsppropertypros.com or call (630) 205-1234.