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How to Sell a House After a Relative Dies

how to sell a house after a relative dies - port aransas realtor
The task of selling a home after someone passes away often falls to the deceased person’s children or other loved ones—and it’s not easy. But although it’s an unfortunate situation, there are a few things you can do to make it easier on yourself and everyone else involved.

How to Sell a House After a Loved One Dies

First things first: You’re probably going to want to change the locks on the home. You don’t have any way of knowing who has access to the house; whether your loved one had a caregiver, a pet-sitter, or even gave keys to other family members, you can give yourself peace-of-mind by changing the locks.

Forward Mail

Forward your loved one’s mail to your home or work. That way, you’ll be able to keep up with bills and other important correspondence, such as subscription information, and if necessary, let others know what happened.

Find Important Documents

It’s tough to go through your loved one’s belongings, but there are some documents you’ll need. You’ll want to search for:

  • Homeowner’s insurance policy
  • A will
  • Insurance policies
  • Bank statements
  • Bill receipts and outstanding bills

Pay the Mortgage and Utilities

The lender is still going to need a mortgage payment; that doesn’t stop when someone passes away. You’ll be responsible for making the payments and keeping the utilities on until you’ve sold the home.

Prepare the House for Sale

In order to prepare the home for sale, you’ll likely need to make minor repairs and upgrades. You’ll also need to consider whether the items in the home are dated or worn out; if that’s the case, you need to remove them before you put the house on the market because they can make the house tougher to sell.
Watch for:

You’ll also need to clean the home thoroughly to ensure it’s ready to appeal to the widest possible range of buyers.

Are You Selling Your Home in Port Aransas or North Padre Island?

If you’re selling your home, we’d love to help you do so quickly and at the right price. We’ll be happy to give you a free comparative market analysis so you know exactly how much your home is worth. While you’re here, you can also download our free home-selling eBook and read our useful tips for selling your home faster.
When you’re ready, call us at 361-563-7788 or contact us online to find out how we can help you sell your home in Port Aransas or North Padre Island.
 

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