Becoming responsible for a family member’s home can happen quickly.
Maybe you’ve been appointed the personal representative of an estate after the death of a parent or relative. Maybe you’ve inherited a home or camp in Maine. Or perhaps a family member has moved into assisted living or long-term care and you’re now trying to decide what to do with a property they can no longer maintain.
Whatever brought you here, you may suddenly find yourself asking questions you never expected to have to answer:
What is the property worth? Should we sell it or keep it? Do we need to clean everything out? Should we make repairs first? Can we sell it as-is? What if I live hours away—or outside Maine? Where do I even begin?
The good news is that you don’t need to have all of those answers before asking for help.
I’m a Maine Realtor, and my role isn’t to pressure you into putting the property on the market. It’s to help you understand the real estate side of your options so you and your family can make a decision that makes sense.
Sometimes that means preparing the property and selling it on the open market. Sometimes selling it in its present condition makes more sense. And sometimes the best decision may be to hold onto it for now.
Before you spend thousands of dollars cleaning, repairing or updating the property, it may be worth finding out what the home could sell for exactly as it sits today.
One of the biggest mistakes families can make is assuming they need to completely clean out, repair or update a property before finding out what it may be worth.
Depending on the home, camp or land — and the local market — some improvements may help. Others may cost more than they add to the eventual sale price.
Before spending thousands of dollars or weeks cleaning out a property, it can be helpful to first understand what the property could sell for in its current condition.
From there, you can make a more informed decision about what is worth doing, what can be left alone, and whether selling the property as-is may make sense.
There isn’t one right answer for every family. What makes sense depends on the property, its condition, the estate or family’s circumstances, and what you ultimately want to accomplish.
Sell the Property As-Is
For some families, selling the home, camp or land in its current condition may be the simplest option — especially when the property needs work or family members live far away.
Prepare It and Sell on the Open Market
In other situations, cleaning, repairs or a few strategic improvements may help the property appeal to more buyers. The key is knowing which improvements may be worthwhile before spending the money.
Keep the Property
Selling isn’t always the right answer. A family may decide to keep a home, camp or piece of land for personal use, rental income or simply because they aren’t ready to make a decision yet.
Not Sure Yet?
That’s okay. Learning what the property could realistically sell for in its current condition can give you useful information before deciding what comes next.
You don’t have to live nearby to begin figuring out what to do with a family member’s Maine property.
If you live elsewhere in Maine — or in another state — dealing with a home, camp or piece of land from a distance can feel especially complicated. You may be wondering about the property’s condition, what it is worth, whether it needs to be cleaned out, who can handle repairs, or how you would manage a sale without being here.
I can help you understand the real estate side of the situation locally, starting with the property itself and what similar properties are selling for in the area.
You may not need to make repeated trips to Maine just to figure out what your options are. We can start with a conversation and take it one step at a time.
Not Sure What to Do With the Property? Start Here.
You don't have to decide today whether to sell, keep the property or make repairs.
A good first step is simply understanding what the property may be worth in its current condition and what your options might look like.
Tell me a little about the Maine home, camp or land you're responsible for. I'll personally take a look at the property and the local market and help you understand the real estate side of your options.
No automated estimate. No pressure. No obligation. Just a conversation about the property and what makes sense for your situation.
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