Living closer to the grandchildren again

Sabine and Jürgen H. rarely see their grandchildren. Their daughter Claudia moved to a distant city about ten years ago for professional reasons. She is now married to Felix and has two children, Leon and Mila. Claudia and her family often only visit her parents twice a year. Clearly not enough for Sabine and Jürgen. But what can they do?

It's one thing that Sabine and Jürgen miss their grandchildren. The other is that their house on the outskirts of the city has become too big for them since Claudia moved out. Initially, there were still plans for Claudia's children's room. It was to remain her room so that she could always come home. Later it became a guest room, then a study. It was only used perhaps three times a year.

Housing needs in old age

They also found gardening increasingly difficult. They both wondered whether their house still met their living requirements. This thought matured for a long time. But now, after several years, they have decided to move to their daughter's town so that they can be closer to their family. This also led them to ask the question: "What if one of us needs care?"

Rent or sell?

The next question was: "What will become of our little house?" At first, they thought about renting it out. Rental income would boost their pension. However, they saw a difficulty in managing the property from afar. If something came up, they didn't want to drive all that way.

When selling the property, on the other hand, they were expecting high proceeds. This would certainly allow them to buy an age-appropriate apartment. But they were unsure how to reconcile the property search and the property purchase. After all, they could only buy a new property once the other one had been sold. But where would they stay in the meantime?

Ask the professional

Before Sabine and Jürgen wanted to make a decision, they decided to seek advice from a real estate professional. They looked for a quality estate agent in their region. He advised them on their rental and sales options. He determined the value of their property and calculated how much rent they could ask for. As the estate agent was also networked with other estate agents nationwide, he was able to suggest a professional in Claudia's city who could start looking for an age-appropriate apartment.

In the end, Sabine and Jürgen decided to sell after all. The estate agent in their old home took care of everything, while the other agent found an apartment that suited their living requirements. With the help of both estate agents, they were able to find a good transitional solution from the old property to the new one.

Sabine and Jürgen now see their grandchildren more often. They occasionally come over after school to do their homework when Claudia and Felix have to work late.

Are you considering selling your property and moving into an age-appropriate property? Get in touch with us! We will be happy to advise you.

Notes

For reasons of better readability, the generic masculine is used in this text. Female and other gender identities are explicitly included where this is necessary for the statement.

Legal notice: This article does not constitute tax or legal advice in individual cases. Please consult a lawyer and/or tax advisor to clarify the facts of your specific individual case.

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