If you, your partner or a loved one becomes ill, you may decide to move house as a way of coping with your change in circumstances. This is often a challenging decision to come to because there are a lot of emotions and memories tied up in a house. You may be looking at a significant change in lifestyle as you adjust your living situation to meet the needs of you or the person who is ill.
In these circumstances, life can be challenging enough without the added stress of moving house and perhaps it’s a decision you have been trying to make for a while. There are, of course, benefits to selling a home due to ill health and we look at them in this article.
Hopefully we can help you to make the right decision for you and your loved ones, and even make the whole process of selling a home much easier for you to cope with.
Is Selling the Right Thing to do?
Many people who have developed ill health find themselves needing to move to a different property, although it is rarely a decision that comes easily. Sometimes a house becomes unsuitable for a person’s needs, particularly if it has a lot of stairs or inaccessible facilities. In other cases, a home becomes impossible to finance due to all the cost implications of ill health.
Admitting that you or a loved one need special facilities or extra support is hard – it’s usually tempting to keep trying to make your current living situation work. After all, selling a family home that you may have lived in for many years is emotionally challenging and we all hope that we will never face this tough choice.
There are practicalities to consider too; won’t selling a home due to ill health make life even more demanding? Most people ask this question since moving house is nearly always a big upheaval causing months of stress and uncertainty.
It’s important to remember that selling a home due to ill health might make life easier in the long term, especially if it allows you to live more comfortably, release equity to cover costs and reduce outgoings.
It’s always a good idea to seek the advice of a health professional, particularly occupational health therapists, to help you make the best decision.
Taking Care of Finances
If you or your partner have become ill, amongst everything else, you may be worrying about your finances. Illness could have a significant impact on your ability to afford things like mortgage repayments and household bills, particularly if you can no longer work or if you are having to pay for care costs.
Selling your house is sometimes the best way to avoid the added stress of dealing with household finances at what is already a challenging time. By releasing the capital you have tied up in your house, you will no longer need to worry about paying bills or the risk of getting into debt.
Paying for Medical Care
In the UK, we are incredibly lucky to have the NHS, and through this we can access much of the treatment and care we need. Unfortunately, if you or a loved one has developed a life-changing or sudden illness, you may find yourself having to pay for extra care, therapies or equipment to help you go about your daily life.
If you don’t have the money to afford these things, or if you or a member of your household can no longer work due to ill health, selling your house could help you access much-needed funds.
If you or a loved one needs to go into residential care, selling a property is often the only way to cover these costs. In the case of one partner needing to access part or full-time care, moving house and releasing equity can make the cost of living much easier to manage for the partner remaining at home, whilst also helping to cover care costs.
Moving to a More Suitable House
Selling a home due to ill health may be the best thing to do if it will help you or your loved one experience a better quality of life. Your current property may not be set up to meet your needs, perhaps due to it being too large and inaccessible or not having the specialist equipment you need. Moving to a more suitable home will take away some of the pressure and stress you feel, and it may be easier to cope with in terms of maintenance and upkeep.
If you decide that a smaller house would be more suitable, you will likely release equity when you move. Besides the fact that your new home will be better suited for your needs, it could allow you to access vital funds and reduce financial strain.
A Stress-Free Way to Sell Your House Fast
Selling a house can be an upheaval, and understandably, you may wish to avoid adding even more stress to your life.
If you would rather sell your house fast and avoid the uncertainty of the open market, call 0333 880 436 and speak to a member of Zoom’s friendly and experienced team. We are fast property buyers who can give you a cash offer for your house in a matter of days, allowing you to focus on the things that really matter.
