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Why Selling Your Home Could Be the Key to a Happy Retirement

Black Knight Property Solutions • Dec 16, 2022

Retirement initiates major changes in your life. When you give up work, you will have a lot more free time and flexibility. For many retirees, it may make more sense to sell the home they lived in while working and move to a new place instead. However, this is not always the best choice for all seniors. However, selling your home can help fund your retirement in numerous ways, liquidizing cash to allocate towards your savings, buy a new property in full, pay off remaining debts, reinvest into other areas of your portfolio, or use as spending money.

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Evaluating Your Housing Situation

Before you start considering whether you should sell or stay in your home, you should consider all the factors contributing to your decision. Some of these may be within your control, while others are out of your control. When making your decision, you should consider certain aspects. For instance, you should consider how much your home is worth and what your remaining mortgage balance is.


You should also consider the condition of your home and how the real estate market is currently performing. Further, you should consider what your timeline is for selling your home.

Reasons to Sell Your Home in Retirement

There are multiple reasons why you should put your home up for sale when you retire. Below are some of the potential benefits you can enjoy by choosing to sell your home.

You Will Receive Cash

Many people usually go into retirement without enough savings. If you own your home or have a lot of equity in it, selling it to cash home buyers in Port St Lucie could give you the extra funds you need to retire. The amount of money you will get from the sale will depend on several factors, including the housing market and local competition. You will need to consider these factors to determine how much money you will sell your house for. 


You will then have to pay down your remaining mortgage. In addition, you will pay the real estate commission if you choose to sell your property through a real estate agent. After making all these payments, you will be left with enough money to add to your retirement savings.

You Will Receive a Tax Break

Most retirees are afraid of selling their homes because they are not aware of the tax consequences associated with doing so. Fortunately, there are tax laws that protect taxpayers that minimize their tax obligation. For instance, the recent changes to the capital gains tax legislation allow single taxpayers to exclude capital gains amounting to $250,000 from their return. These changes also exclude up to $500,00 of profit for married couples that file a joint return. 


It is vital to note that there are some rules that govern who can and can’t use this tax exclusion. In general, you will need to have lived in your home for two of the past five years before the date you’re selling your home. You can only tax this exemption once every two years. There are also conditions that make this exclusion not valid. 


For instance, the exclusion cannot be taken on property that is not your primary residence.

You Eliminate Maintenance Costs

Some retirees are often afraid that they don’t have enough money on hand to cater to emergencies. For instance, you may not have enough money to repair the roof or replace a broken appliance. Every now and then, every home requires some sort of improvement which was not planned. You may also need to purchase certain appliances if the old ones are not working.


Some of these expenses might be too high if you have limited or no income in retirement. Therefore, selling your home will mean that you will not need to worry about all these maintenance costs.

Avoid High Property Taxes

Property taxes are usually expensive cash outlays. These taxes are usually billed every year, and although the amount is known, not paying them may result in a lien being placed on your home. If you have lived in your home long enough, you probably understand how appreciated home valuations have resulted in much higher assessments. If you don’t have the cash flow to cover the ongoing government assessments, you should consider selling your home to cash home buyers in Port St. Lucie when you retire.

You Need to Downsize

Living in an oversized house will often result in higher utility costs. For instance, properties with large backyards may require more landscaping costs each year. In addition, larger homes with higher valuations will be assessed higher property taxes and insurance premiums. Therefore, if you were living in your current house with your family and they all moved out, you should consider downsizing after retirement. 


You can sell your home to a we buy houses Port St Lucie company and use the money from the sale to buy a smaller home. This will minimize the utility costs you will have to pay.

You Will Move to Your Dream Home

The perfect home may mean something different to a retiree than it meant when they were younger. For instance, you may have moved to your current home because of the good schools in the area for your kids. You may also have moved to your home so as to be near your workplace. When you retire, you may have different priorities.


For instance, you may want to live near a beach when you retire. You may also want to move closer to your family when you retire. Whatever your desires are, selling your home will allow you to move into your dream home.

You Will Shed Your Mortgage

A home mortgage is one of the largest financial responsibilities you will have. Even if you have made a lot of progress on paying it down, you may still be tied to a high monthly payment. This is especially considering your income will be smaller in retirement. When you sell your home, you will be required to clear your mortgage.


This will help you get rid of long-term liability, and you will no longer be stuck making high monthly payments.

Endnote

When planning your retirement, you must consider your home. Selling your home will be sensible if you did not save enough for retirement. This is especially if you have lived in your home for many years. By selling your home, you will enjoy a happy retirement because you will enjoy all the above merits.


About the authors

William Xu & Taylor Wing

Meet William Xu and Taylor Wing, the dynamic duo behind Black Knight Property Solutions, your go-to cash home buyer in Port St. Lucie, FL. Passionate about helping homeowners who are facing difficult situations, William and Taylor are committed to providing fast and fair solutions that meet their clients' unique needs. With their unwavering dedication and entrepreneurial spirit, they have built a reputation for delivering exceptional service and results. Their love for their community and desire to make a difference drives their work every day. Trustworthy, reliable, and compassionate, William and Taylor are your partners in real estate, no matter what your circumstances may be.

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