2 Mistakes to Avoid When Selling a Parent’s Home in Brevard County

Selling a parent’s home can involve far more decisions than families expect. Your parent may have passed away, may be moving to assisted living, or you may be helping manage a home because they can no longer do everything themselves.

And by the time you get to the actual real-estate decisions, you may already have spent weeks or months dealing with belongings, family decisions, repairs, paperwork, and everything else surrounding the home.

In my first video, I covered three common mistakes families can make when selling a parent’s home. In this video, I cover two more that can have a significant effect on the sale: pricing the home emotionally and waiting too long to get real-estate guidance.

Mistake #4: Overpricing the Home

A parent's home can carry decades of memories, and that can make pricing especially difficult.

You may also have spent considerable time and money cleaning out the property, making repairs, handling deferred maintenance, or preparing the home for sale. It's natural to want the selling price to reflect everything your family has put into the home.

But buyers don't determine value that way.

They are comparing the home with other properties they can buy. They're looking at its condition, location, features, recent comparable sales, current competition, and the market they're buying in today.

Emotional value and market value are not necessarily the same thing.

Starting too high can cause a home to sit on the market longer than it should. Eventually, price reductions may follow, and buyers can begin wondering why the property hasn't sold.

A Real Example From Beachside Brevard

I saw this happen with a beautiful beachside home.

The property received hundreds of saves and thousands of views online, but the original asking price wasn't producing an offer. Eventually another real-estate agent became involved, but the pricing strategy remained the same.

The home continued sitting on the market.

That's an important distinction: online attention isn't the same thing as buyer demand at a particular price.

The goal isn't to give away your parent's home. It's to understand what today's market supports and choose a pricing strategy that gives the home the best opportunity to compete.

Mistake #5: Waiting Too Long to Get Real-Estate Guidance

This is one I especially want families to understand.

You do not need to get your parent's house ready before calling me.

Families sometimes wait because they think they need to empty the home, decide what to do with everything, make repairs, update rooms, or settle every other decision before involving a Realtor.

But some of those decisions can directly affect the eventual sale.

If I can see the home earlier, we can talk about its condition, what buyers in that particular market are likely to care about, and what preparation—if any—may actually make sense.

That doesn't mean you're committing to putting the house on the market immediately.

It means you're getting information before spending time and money.

One Home That Required Months of Preparation

One family I worked with contacted me months before their mother's home was ready to go on the market.

It was a large, higher-end home, and the family had much more to work through than simply deciding on a listing price.

There were belongings to sort through and decisions about what the family wanted to keep. We ultimately coordinated an estate sale, donations, removal of remaining items, cleaning, staging, and professional photography.

The furnishings and finishes were dated for what buyers in that price range expected, but that didn't mean the family needed to undertake a major renovation.

Once the belongings were handled and we could really evaluate the property, we determined what that particular home needed to be positioned properly for the market.

And that's the point.

Another parent's home might need almost none of those things.

I've worked with homes that needed preparation, homes that needed repairs, homes that could be sold as-is, and homes where cleaning and thoughtful presentation were enough.

The strategy should fit the home and the family—not a generic checklist.

You Can Call Before You're Ready to Sell

Getting a Realtor involved early doesn't mean you need to sign a listing agreement or have the home on the market next week.

Sometimes the most valuable first step is simply having someone look at the home and help you understand your options.

Your parent may still be involved in the decisions. You may be coordinating with siblings. You may live outside Florida. You may have a house filled with belongings. Or you may already have someone interested in buying it.

You don't need to know what to do before you call me. That's what I help families navigate.

Download My Free Selling a Parent’s Home Guide

I created my Selling a Parent’s Home Guide to help you understand some of the decisions families may face—from legal authority and belongings to home condition, preparation, pricing, selling options, and closing.

Related Resources

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Selling a Parent’s Home in Brevard County
Start with the first video and article in this series, covering three additional mistakes families should think about before selling a parent's home.

Selling a Parent’s Home: What Families Need to Know
A broader look at the different situations families may encounter and why there isn't one selling strategy that works for every parent's home.

Do You Have the Legal Right to Sell Your Parent’s Home?
Learn why family agreement and legal authority to sell aren't necessarily the same thing and why it's important to understand this early.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I contact a Realtor about selling my parent's home?

You can reach out before the home is cleaned out or ready to sell. Seeing the property earlier can help determine what preparation may actually make sense before you spend money or take on unnecessary work.

Should we renovate our parent's home before selling it?

Not automatically. Some homes benefit from repairs or preparation, while others need very little. In some situations, selling as-is may make more sense. The decision should be based on the particular home, market, timeline, and family situation.

How should we determine the asking price for a parent's home?

Pricing should consider the home's current condition, comparable sales, competing properties, location, buyer expectations, and current market conditions. What the home means emotionally to the family is important, but buyers will still compare it with their other choices.

Do we have to completely empty the house before contacting you?

No. In fact, I would rather see the home before you assume everything needs to be removed. We can determine what makes sense after understanding the property and your situation.

Can you help if I don't live in Brevard County?

Yes. I work with families who are managing a parent's Brevard County home from another state and can help coordinate the real-estate side locally.

About Tina Veltri

I'm Tina Veltri, a Florida Space Coast REALTOR® serving Brevard County. I grew up here, moved away for many years, and eventually came back to raise my family.

Today, I help people understand the process, see their options clearly, and make smart real estate decisions—whether they're buying, building, selling, relocating, or navigating a more complex real estate situation. I also specialize in helping families navigate the sale of a parent's home.

My approach is straightforward: understand the decision first, then look at the options.

Tina Veltri
LPT Realty
312-498-8462
🌐 tinaveltri.com
📧 tina@tinaveltri.com

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