I find that much of the work I do at Ruby Assembly Consultants comes from helping first home owners negotiate their way into a home – and also in assisting more mature home buyers make a safe transition into a smaller residence.

So much is written about first home owners, but increasingly ‘mature’ home owners have been left out of the news. It is so difficult for a family to try and safely work this issue out, making sure that all parties are happy with the outcome. This is a great place for an advisor to come in, sit down and help you sort out a strategy to move on.

Many older people are fiercely independent. My Grandmother for example has been living life proudly on her own terms, alone, for nearly 40 years! She has a darling little house which every year she cleans the gutters of, she regularly potters around in the garden and she is still keeping a veggie patch alive. Go nana! What has been so frustrating for her however, is that (although she is currently still very good at it) she feels her body is giving up on her a little. She can’t clean the gutters and do the mowing as easily. She can’t get a big shop done and walk home cos it’s a bit far to carry those items.

Not now, but in the foreseeable future my Nana will probably need to find more practical accommodation. Whether that be in the form of a smaller, easier to care for unit, or in community living – I don’t know. But I do know that many of  my clients in the past year (and their families) have been in a tricky predicament, working out the most sensitive and fair way to handle the situation.

Having a property advisor like myself to hand can really assist a family needing to help an elderly relative move. Often, there are several children and involved in the process of moving their mother/father/aunt. Everyone will have different ideas on what to do. And likewise – everyone will have different ideas on which agent to use – how much the agent should be paid – what method of sale should be used. Having an arbitrator help clarify these tough decisions has been very helpful for lots of families. We can furthermore suggest top-tier agents in the area of the residence to interview and then we can negotiate a fair fee and practical marketing package on your behalf.

Having a Ruby Assembly Consultant assist your family through the process of selling an elderly person’s family home is a great help. We always endeavour to hear the important stories of the home, and to let the home’s owner truly express their concerns (as well as their excitement!) about moving on to their next stage in life.

e) iolanthegabrie@mac.com

m) 0403 475 919