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Original poster

Selling house with elderly/disabled person living in it

93 replies

Cheepcheepcheep · 07/08/2025 08:48

Any ideas gratefully received..

My dad has recently had a severe escalation in his disability and is now completely immobile. He lives with my mum in a 2 storey detached house and is currently sleeping in what was the dining room. He is doubly incontinent and has carers 4 times a day who get him out of bed, move him via hoist into the living room into his chair and back again at bedtime. Rest of the house is completely inaccessible for him. Mum is currently not in the best of health but will recover. Both have full capacity although my dad is a cantankerous old bloke who has absolutely no filter and can be a bit - tricky. I have an active POA for finances and property.

They desperately need to move into a bungalow wide enough for my dad to be able to move around in a wheelchair. Ideally they would have done this in the last 10 years when it was entirely foreseeable this would happen, but never mind…

We’ve had a couple of valuations but what I cannot get my head around is how we sell the house. The place is full to the brim with disability aids, its constantly cluttered with all the stuff he needs and there’s no way we can get him out of the house for photos, let alone actual viewings (of which I imagine there will need to be many given the current market).

I’ve looked to see if there’s any way they could move into somewhere new and then we could sell their house as vacant possession but the interest on bridging loans is eye watering and I don’t think they could afford it, ditto renting somewhere (and tbh I’m not sure dad could cope with the upheaval of 2 moves).

Has anyone done this before and have any tips or can offer some reassurance? I’ve bought and sold at profit 3 times in the last 10 years but that’s with staging etc and in a much better market.

OP posts:

GOODCAT · 07/08/2025 08:52

I would try it with him in place. You can make the rest of the home as smart as possible, so that people can see what it could be like.

Alternatively would he cope with going into respite care for a while.

JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch · 07/08/2025 08:54

I think one (bad) option is a “We buy any house” type of buyer. You will get less than on a conventional sale but it’ll be speedy.

JamDisaster · 07/08/2025 08:57

Have you discussed with an estate agent? They will be used to situations like this. I viewed a house where the owner was similarly disabled and it was fine- the EA explained the situation when we called. Most people will be able to see past it.

heldinadream · 07/08/2025 08:57

When we were house-hunting recently we saw a couple of houses where the elderly person was still in residence. In one instance they had been taken out for the viewing but the house was obviously still full of all the medical equipment and accoutrements. In another instance she could not be taken out and was there while we viewed, with a protective carer.
Neither instance stopped us from having a decent viewing and the estate agent, especially in the second one, prepared us with great sensitivity with what to expect. So it obviously can be done, @Cheepcheepcheep . Not ideal but I suggest you consult a couple of local agents and sound them out as to their experience and awareness of handling sales with elderly person still in situ. Best of luck.

AudiobookListener · 07/08/2025 08:59

Just get it done. House tidied. Pictures taken avoiding your Dad. Accompanied viewings only at times when your parents are up and dressed sitting in their chairs. Be firm with the agent that if a booked viewing happens to coincide with a carer visit, agent and viewers to wait in their cars until the carer has gone. Don't expect a top price.

Aout25 · 07/08/2025 09:00

It will limit your pool of buyers to those that can see beyond the 'clutter' & disability aids.

Has your Dad (& Mum) accepted they need to move?

it wouldn't bother me him/them being there, but I'd definitely be bothered if I felt they hadn't accepted the move.

the agent needs to be a very good one, one who screens potential buyers properly & doesn't just try to get as many people through the door as possible.

best of luck for a good & quick sale & of course both your parents health!

Advocodo · 07/08/2025 09:40

i presume you have done the finances as to whether it would be cheaper to rent than buy another property with all the cost of stamp duty. However if you live in a cheaper part of the country then this may not be an issue. I am currently thinking that I would consider renting when I am elderly and want to move as the South East stamp duty costs are horrendous.

housethatbuiltme · 07/08/2025 09:52

Is the house paid off?

Could you not release the equity, use that money to buy somewhere and then sell and pay back the equity release from the sale.

OttersAreMySpiritAnimal · 07/08/2025 16:15

You can still sell with them there, you just need a very good and empathetic agent. Though I would still consider renting them somewhere, even if you take a loan to do it you can pay yourself back from the sale of the house. Renting gives you time to find somewhere suitable without pressure.
Anyway, back to the selling question. Assuming they are fully on board, declutter as much a possible, even if it's into a temporary storage place. Look at the house and see if you can improve the storage in the home for all the stuff he needs, like maybe a cupboard or shelves for all the medicines and some of the equipment, just getting it tucked away in a cupboard if you can will make a difference.
Good luck. I'm facing the same at some point as my parents have point blank refused to move to somewhere more suited to their future needs rather than a three storey London terrace.

Moellen54 · 09/08/2025 10:15

It might work to have open house type veiwings as in several on a day rather than strung out over several days. Then maybe mum can sit with dad while the veiwings are on?

MyCoralHedgehog · 09/08/2025 10:17

Could they both move into sheltered accommodation then sell the bungalow after?

MyDenimBee · 09/08/2025 10:19

Would your parents consider moving to a retirement complex I know someone who moved to a lovely flat in an excellent complex offering so much the company who owns it bought there home at market price they then moved out to the new flat while there original home was then sold with vacant possession was a very easy transaction compared to buying from open market

hattie43 · 09/08/2025 10:21

If just move him around the house so the EA can take photos . Clutter in the garage or rent a storage space with only the essentials at home . Most people can visualise a property without the owners things around .

SheReallyLikes · 09/08/2025 10:23

MyDenimBee · 09/08/2025 10:19

Lots of things on the news, about these being unsellable later, don’t do it .

TheStateofRoads · 09/08/2025 10:25

Speak to local agents and explain the issue. They will have advice that might be useful.

Don't borrow money to make anything happen.

Pinkelephantridesagain · 09/08/2025 10:30

Look at new houses ,they buy the house of you ,to save using estate agents

Pinkelephantridesagain · 09/08/2025 10:33

MyDenimBee · 09/08/2025 10:19

These are a nightmare to sell after the owners die
I know of someone who bought one for a pound , because it wouldn't sell,they bought it to do up and rent out ,or sell and no one is interested and they are left paying council tax and ground rent and other costs that came with it ,with the fiat left empty

Welshmonster · 09/08/2025 10:34

Can they move into sheltered accommodation as how will they look after the bungalow if your mum is still doing it all.
they would need to live somewhere while work is done to adapt tribe bungalow.

my grandparents moved into sheltered accommodation and they rented it as buying it comes with problems
later on. Everything has already been thought of and improved their quality of life until they passed

Uptightmum · 09/08/2025 10:43

Is there any way you can buy with a mortgage/savings. Pay the additional stamp duty and then claim the stamp duty back once the house is sold. And clear the mortgage/put money back in to savings?

Starlight7080 · 09/08/2025 10:45

Could you rent a bungalow. Sell the house and they keep the money for rent and the possibility of needing care homes in the future?

Flopsythebunny · 09/08/2025 10:47

Had your dad actually said that he wants to sell up and move? Just because you have lpa, doesn't mean you can take over and move them while they still have capacity

lljkk · 09/08/2025 10:54

The place is full to the brim with disability aids

Is it compulsory for the buyer to take possession of them & live with them?

yeah yeah, I know MNers say a house sells better without "clutter" ... but some of us look beyond clutter for things like "structural soundness", "maintenance or repair issues", "price", " onward chain", "potential for natural light", "location", "location", "location", "parking spaces" and many other things that have nothing to do with clutter.

I am puzzled if that perspective (seller's clutter will leave with the seller so I don't care about seller's clutter) puts me in a very small minority.

What would put me off is he wasn't really going to move out, or would only when he found the "perfect property" which never exists so basically not actually planning to sell or move at all. I am so keen to avoid onward chains. I've never bought with a chain behind me, too. You could via particulars or estate agent provide reassurances about timely sale as soon as lawyers are satisfied, no barriers to him moving out as soon as conveyancers say can complete.

My curent home was packed with (renting) student's clutter and excess furniture when I offered on it. Seller was lovely & left behind only useful furniture, students were long gone by time purchase completed.

BoundaryGirl3939 · 09/08/2025 10:55

You can put photos into chat gpt, ask it to remove the clutter, and edit the photo to show what it would really look like.

Then post on the add...this is what it looks like now...and edited to show what it could look like.

Mirabai · 09/08/2025 10:56

I’ve been round houses like this - either still inhabited or recently left - you just factor that into the asking price.

Photograph as is, at least your dad is confined to one room during the day - your mum can sit with him there during viewings.

It will need complete renovation anyway. Interested buyers will be those un-phased by the junk - they’re looking at the bones and potential.

Christmasbear1 · 09/08/2025 10:59

Put him in respite care
if he is having carers 4 times a day it's probably better for him to be in a care home. He'll only get worse

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