Avoid the $20K “Age Penalty”: Maximize Your Home Equity and Sell for Full Price

Statistics show that, all other things being equal, older homeowners tend to receive lower sale prices. Why?

And, more to the point, how can you—or a senior in your life—buck that trend?

How a Seller’s Age Can Affect Home Sale Prices in the Same Area

In 2026, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College published findings showing that older adults tend to receive lower prices when they sell their homes.

Starting at age 70, deed holders tend to receive lower prices than younger sellers.

Generally, this works out to about a 5% lower price for an 80-year-old who sells after living in a home for about 11 years. Baby boomers are getting up there in years. More and more buyers could be getting that 5% discount!

For a home worth $400K, that discount could lower the sale price by around $20K.

Study Shows Longer Ownership Can Mean a Lower Sale Price

The older the seller and the longer they’ve held the deed, the greater the share of value they tend to lose. Yes, deed holders who’ve “aged in place” risk giving up a big bite of their home equity when they do sell. Why? Because today’s buyers are looking for move-in-ready, fresh-looking spaces.

And why are older adults less likely to refresh their homes before selling? There are a few answers:

• Older adults may not have the time or energy to remodel and ensure the home looks spiffy online.

• Long-time deed holders accumulate a lot of stuff, making decluttering and refreshing a home extra challenging.

• Seniors might avoid making changes simply because they feel sentimental about the home’s current look.

• Retirees don’t always have the cash on hand to pay for renovations.

On the other hand, some senior deed holders are financially secure and less willing than younger sellers to make the effort required to secure the highest possible price.

To Get an Edge on the Market, Have a Pro on Your Side

Let’s be blunt here. Older deed holders may not always know which fixes to make and which to skip when marketing their homes to today’s buyers. And that’s OK. Help is out there! A real estate pro who regularly works with buyers of various generations knows which improvements are most likely to pay off and can guide an older seller.

Make no mistake. Professional support with touchups and staging can help raise a home’s sale price.

Some brokerages offer concierge services. The brokerage advances money for cleaning and strategic upgrades, then gets reimbursed from the sale proceeds.

What’s your marketing plan? Older adults are more likely to sell off-market. Be cautious: Private listings draw less competition—which often translates into lower sale prices.

Before Retirement, Planning for Your Later Years Matters

If you live in a home for many years, it’s a good idea to:

• Build a reserve fund to use for maintenance, repairs, and strategic upgrades.

• Avoid accumulating belongings that become clutter over time.

• Plan how an eventual home sale can help meet your overall financial goals.

Sure, maybe you’re OK with losing a bit of money for the sake of convenience when the time comes to sell. It’s still good to have a plan in place, right?

Home equity needs stewardship. If there are older adults in your life or you happen to be an older adult, protect the home’s value and equity.