{"id":7617,"date":"2026-07-19T23:40:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=7617"},"modified":"2026-07-19T23:40:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:40:47","slug":"avoid-the-20k-age-penalty-maximize-your-home-equity-and-sell-for-full-price","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/avoid-the-20k-age-penalty-maximize-your-home-equity-and-sell-for-full-price\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoid the $20K \u201cAge Penalty\u201d: Maximize Your Home Equity and Sell for Full Price"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-style-rounded is-style-rounded--1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"649\" src=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/avoid-the-20k-age-penalty.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/avoid-the-20k-age-penalty.webp 1400w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/avoid-the-20k-age-penalty-300x139.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/avoid-the-20k-age-penalty-1024x475.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/avoid-the-20k-age-penalty-768x356.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Statistics show that, all other things being equal, older homeowners tend to receive lower sale prices. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, more to the point, how can you\u2014or a senior in your life\u2014buck that trend?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How a Seller\u2019s Age Can Affect Home Sale Prices in the Same Area<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting at age 70, deed holders tend to receive lower prices than younger sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a home worth $400K, that discount could lower the sale price by around $20K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Study Shows Longer Ownership Can Mean a Lower Sale Price<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The older the seller and the longer they\u2019ve held the deed, the greater the share of value they tend to lose. Yes, deed holders who\u2019ve \u201caged in place\u201d risk giving up a big bite of their home equity when they do sell. Why? Because today\u2019s buyers are looking for move-in-ready, fresh-looking spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And why are older adults less likely to refresh their homes before selling? There are a few answers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Older adults may not have the time or energy to remodel and ensure <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/we-bought-our-home-years-ago-why-is-it-still-on-the-internet\/\">the home looks spiffy online<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Long-time deed holders accumulate a lot of stuff, making decluttering and refreshing a home extra challenging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Seniors might avoid making changes simply because they feel sentimental about the home\u2019s current look.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Retirees don\u2019t always have the cash on hand to pay for renovations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">To Get an Edge on the Market, Have a Pro on Your Side<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s be blunt here. Older deed holders may not always know which fixes to make and which to skip when marketing their homes to today\u2019s buyers. And that\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make no mistake. Professional support with touchups and staging can help raise a home\u2019s sale price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some brokerages offer concierge services. The brokerage advances money for cleaning and strategic upgrades, then gets reimbursed from the sale proceeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-accent-5-background-color has-background has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\"><strong><em>What\u2019s your marketing plan? Older adults are more likely to sell off-market. Be cautious: <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/do-private-listings-hurt-senior-home-sellers\/\"><strong><em>Private listings draw less competition<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>\u2014which often translates into lower sale prices<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before Retirement, Planning for Your Later Years Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you live in a home for many years, it\u2019s a good idea to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Build a reserve fund to use for maintenance, repairs, and strategic upgrades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Avoid accumulating belongings that become clutter over time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Plan how an eventual home sale can help meet your overall financial goals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sure, maybe you\u2019re OK with losing a bit of money for the sake of convenience when the time comes to sell. It\u2019s still good to have a plan in place, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Home equity needs stewardship. If there are older adults in your life or you happen to be an older adult, protect the home\u2019s value and equity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-accent-5-background-color has-background has-small-font-size is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Supporting References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maurie Backman for <em>U.S. News &amp; World Report<\/em>: <a href=\"https:\/\/money.usnews.com\/loans\/mortgages\/articles\/is-your-home-equity-safe-how-to-avoid-the-age-penalty-when-selling-your-home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Is Your Home Equity Safe? How to Avoid the \u201cAge Penalty\u201d When Selling Your Home<\/a> (May 27, 2026; citing the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and other sources).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sarah Agostino for <em>CNBC,<\/em> which is owned by Versant Media, LLC: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2026\/02\/14\/home-sellers-start-getting-lower-prices-at-70-research-shows.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Home Sellers Start Getting Lower Prices at 70, Research Shows \u2013 And the Gap Widens With Age<\/a> (published Feb. 14, 2026, and updated June 9, 2026; citing CoreLogic, the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, the Center for Retirement Research report, and other sources).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Deeds.com<\/em>:<a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/what-todays-senior-home-buyers-should-know\/\">What Today\u2019s Senior Home Buyers Should Know<\/a> (Aug. 26, 2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check out more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/elder\/\">tips for seniors on <em>Deeds.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/positive-aged-woman-sitting-at-table-with-laptop-near-friend-in-light-room-5257614\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Anna Shvets<\/a> via Pexels\/Canva.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2014or a senior in your life\u2014buck that trend?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7618,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[107],"tags":[3860,369,185,3859,3861,1160,590,1085,3168,3862],"class_list":["post-7617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-elder","tag-age-penalty","tag-aging-in-place","tag-home-equity","tag-home-staging","tag-off-market-listings","tag-real-estate-marketing","tag-retirement-planning","tag-selling-a-home","tag-senior-home-sellers","tag-strategic-home-improvements"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Age Penalty When Selling a Home: Protect Your Equity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to avoid the age penalty when selling a home. 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