When I talk with aging homeowners getting ready to downsize their living arrangements, I ask what are they doing with the home…selling it, renting it, keeping for the kids? Very often the answer I get starts the same way: “I’m not sure…we’re not there yet.” And I get it. These homes hold memories. They’re a source of comfort. But what many people don’t realize, until it’s too late, is that waiting can create problems that no one saw coming.
When I have these conversations, here’s what I like people to know:
1. Letting Maintenance Slide Can Cost You Big These older homes are like classic cars—they need upkeep. And not just once a year. Even basic maintenance is running most folks $3,000+ annually, but when big-ticket items fail like the roof or plumbing, you’re looking at $10,000, $20,000, or more.
And then there’s the day-to-day stuff: housekeepers, pool guys, gardeners. Add rising utility costs on top of that, and just keeping up starts to feel like a full-time job. What used to be manageable slowly turns into a financial and logistical burden, especially for someone living on a fixed income.
2. Insurance Companies Are Getting Pickier by the Day It used to be easy to insure these older homes. Not anymore. Insurance companies are pulling out of areas with fire risk, denying homes with wood shake roofs, and even dropping policies because of things like an empty swimming pool.
And even if you still have a policy, coverage today isn’t what it used to be. Now there are far more exclusions, higher deductibles, and even more red tape than ever before. I’ve seen families file a claim (myself included), thinking they’re covered, only to get denied for technicalities buried in the fine print. It’s harder and harder to actually use the policy you’ve been faithfully paying for.
If your parent’s home is in a “risky” zip code or hasn’t been updated, you need to check the policy now before it’s too late.
3. The Market is Not What It Was Let’s be honest; the peak has passed. California home values hit a high in May 2024, but since then, prices have started slipping. By January 2025, we’d already seen a 2.6% drop in the median price, as Spring listings started flooding the market.
That means longer time on market and more competition. If you’re hoping to time the sale just right, you might already be too late. Take advantage of the equity you’ve earned and worry less about trying to “Time the market”.
4. The Cleanup Always Falls on the Kids This is the one no one wants to talk about. If your parents pass away or suddenly need care, guess who’s left to handle the house? You. And your siblings, if they’re around. I’ve seen adult children spend months clearing out belongings, coordinating contractors, flying back and forth, even paying for care out of their own pockets.
One example found on Parents.com shares a story where a daughter spent over $100,000 of her own money caring for her grandmother. In another, the Wall Street Journal relays an instance of a woman who was paying $240,000 a year for in-home care. That’s not just emotionally exhausting; it’s financially devastating.
Don’t let the house become a burden just because no one wants to have the hard conversation.
5. The “Holiday Reality Check” Is Real This might be the most common call I get: “Dave, I went home for Christmas, and I didn’t recognize the place.”
I call it the Holiday Reality Check; that moment when you walk into Mom or Dad’s house and suddenly see what they’ve been hiding. The dishes stacked up. The fridge full of expired food. The clutter. The smell. They’re not being lazy. They’re overwhelmed. Maybe they’ve stopped driving. Maybe they can’t get up the stairs anymore.
And that’s when it hits: they can’t live here much longer. But by then, you’re behind the curve. You’re reacting instead of planning.
Aging in place sounds good until it becomes a crisis. I’ve seen families scramble to find care, sell the house fast, and clean out decades of stuff…all in a matter of weeks. It’s chaos. It doesn’t have to be.
So What Can You Do? If your gut’s already telling you that it might be time to start planning, trust it. Don’t wait for the emergency.
At Time4Change Real Estate and with the help of Caring Transitions Beach Cities, we help families do this the smart way. We’ll handle the relocation, the cleanout, sell or donate what we can, get the home ready, and in many cases, even front some of those costs until the home sells.
The goal isn’t just to sell the house—it’s to protect your family’s time, money, and peace of mind.
Let’s talk before things get urgent.
W. David Osborne; SRES, CRTS Senior-Certified Broker (CA & WA) 7,000+ Homes Sold | Time4Change Real Estate 📞 714-910-9820 | ✉️ dave@t4c.net | 🌐 www.t4c.net
