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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to feel limited sympathy over a hard-to-sell inherited retirement bungalow?

101 replies

nomas · 11/08/2026 15:04

AIBU have limited sympathy for these grandchildren about their inheritance? I get it's disappointing but the main takeaway for me is their grandmother had a lovely life in the bungalow and they will still inherit a nice amount.

https://archive.ph/eVPQ2

TL;DR: A woman inherited a £450k retirement bungalow from her grandmother expecting it to help her and her brother onto the property ladder, but strict age restrictions (55+ buyers only), rising service charges, council tax, and slow sales have turned it into a costly burden. Nearly two years later, they've spent over £14,000 keeping the empty property, accepted offers far below its valuation, and are still waiting for a sale to complete, highlighting a wider problem of retirement homes being difficult to sell and draining inheritances.

YANBU: Agree, the grandma had a nice life and the DGC will still inherit
YABU: Disagree, they've lost thousands in potential inheritance

OP posts:
Isseywith2witchycats · 12/08/2026 18:40

Our saga to break it down MIL went into care with dementia. Cost of Nursing home in Essex £7000 per month she was happy there though.
Service charge for the flat £8000 per year x 5 years as she lived for two years at the home
a new boiler and carpets £2000
Insurance, Utility bills etc I don't know costs on that
we did manage to get a buyer early on after she died but they pulled out as an upstairs one came on at a cheaper price
Three years after she died we were lucky to get a buyer that was buying it for her sister but did take ages as the sister was 58 and age limit there was 60 at the time,
8 inheritors including grandchildren,
It sold for £108000 (originally bought for £149000 ) so with what was left in the original estate and after sale costs the inheritors got £20000 each which was nice but an absolute nightmare for My OH as he was executor of the estate and we live in Yorkshire so had to trust people miles away to do work issues in the flat

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