For some, selling a home is a joyful and exciting time. But for some, namely Trustees, selling a home is a bittersweet experience. We’ve always said that your home is much more than a collection of bedrooms and bathrooms, and this is never more true than when saying goodbye to a generation of memories.
We recently met new clients who were Trust sellers - mourning the loss of cherished parents. Although they determined it was time to close a chapter and say goodbye to their childhood homes, both sellers were struck by the overwhelm of clearing out a beloved home and selling. All too often, we field the question, “where do we even begin”?
This is where our years of helping sellers navigate the sale of a family home comes in. Most Trustees need recommendations for estate sale organizers, haulers, cleaners, and clear (yet gentle) guidance on how to best ready their home for its next owner. Equally important, most Trustees need support in reducing the sheer overwhelm of the many things asked of them in this time, with clear communication and emotional intuition.
While we can’t speed up the timeline for processing loss, we can lift some of the burden by processing the contents of a home after family and friends have removed what is theirs to keep.
Trustees are often put in a tough spot with competing interests. Even in the most copacetic families, a singular Trustee can be pulled in many directions if there are multiple beneficiaries. And if there are several Trustees, consensus can be a challenge. We can help by documenting conversations so that the decision-makers are in the loop, track expenses and create scenarios so that everyone has a peek into the finances (as needed), and provide transparency for those who are engaged. Most importantly, we can serve as that trusted advisor - a neutral guide that is committed to acting as your fiduciary - so that when things feel murky, there is a clear voice to lead the way.
Our Best Piece of Advice…
While no one enjoys a conversation about the afterlife, we recommend that you talk to your loved ones about what you want if something were to happen to you.
Be thoughtful and detailed and put it to paper. These conversations will relieve family members from the stress and potential guilt of having to make these decisions for you, and will provide them with the space they need to grieve.
Put your home in a trust. This is the most important thing that you can do to protect your assets. A will conveys your wishes for other assets, but only a trust will allow your heirs to avoid probate in California.
If you need a reference for a trust attorney or estate planner please reach out. Roughly 50% of our sellers are trust sales. We are here to help.
