Helping Jennifer’s Nan sell her much-loved family home.

For many, helping an elderly relative sell their cherished family home can be an emotional and overwhelming experience. The property can often hold decades of memories and treasured possessions, so managing the practicalities of selling a property, while prioritising the well-being of an older loved one, can feel daunting.

This is the situation Jennifer faced when helping her 88-year-old nan move into an Anchor retirement community to get the help and the support she needed. Helping her nan move, while reducing stress and shortening timelines, was key to Jennifer, so she could focus on what truly mattered: ensuring her nan’s move was safe and comfortable as she entered the next chapter of her life.

Emotional ties

“Nan had lived in her 3-bed semi for over 50 years with my grandad, but he sadly passed away five years ago,” explains Jennifer. “Nan’s house was full of memories as my mum and her sisters grew up there. It was my Nan and Grandad’s pride and joy, but after my Grandad passed away, Nan was on her own, and it was getting a lot for her to manage.”

With so many milestones and moments shared there, the decision to sell was not taken lightly. But Jennifer's Nan knew the time was right after visiting a local Anchor retirement community in Kings Hill, Kent, and fell in love with what she saw. “As soon as Nan walked into Kings Hill, she knew this could be home,” said Jennifer. “The apartment we saw was stunning; it had everything Nan wanted and offered her the support and lifestyle she now needed.”

The Motivation to Move

Now that Jennifer’s Nan had found the perfect retirement apartment, the goal became clear: secure a quick, hassle-free sale so the move could happen as quickly as possible. “We wanted and needed a quick sale so that my nan could move into her new apartment as soon as possible to start benefiting from all the facilities and amenities on offer,” said Jennifer.

The family did not list the property with an estate agent; they had it valued elsewhere, but never took it any further. “We wanted to avoid the uncertainty of the open market and potential delays—especially given Nan’s age and the importance of moving quickly yet safely”, explains Jennifer.

After being told about Spring’s Part-Exchange service during their visit to Kings Hill, Jennifer began researching Spring’s service online and reading customer stories. “Nan and I found reading about other Spring customers in similar situations was helpful and also very reassuring,” said Jennifer. “It was clear to us that using Spring would allow us to sell Nan’s home quickly and easily, giving us the ideal way to get Nan moved into Kings Hill in the shortest amount of time.”

Once the Anchor team at Kings Hill had sent a referral to Spring, Jennifer Nan’s Part-Exchange journey began. “Once we decided to go ahead, the Spring team supported us throughout,” said Jennifer. “Communication was very good, and all information provided in their property valuation report was very helpful and clearly laid out.”

Making the Move: Licence to Occupy

With her Nan’s home sale now guaranteed with Spring, Jennifer could focus on getting her Nan ready for the move. “We needed to sort a lot of Nan’s belongings; we had 50 years of memories, collectables and possessions to go through, so not having to worry about her sale made everything so much easier to deal with.”

Included as standard in Spring’s Part-Exchange is a ‘license to occupy’. This feature allowed Jennifer’s nan to access her old home and the new Anchor apartment simultaneously. “My nan lived there for a further week and then another few days whilst we moved all of her belongings,” said Jennifer. “It was so good to have this feature as it really helped reduce the stress of moving and support my 88-year-old nan.”

A new chapter begins

Jennifer is delighted that her Nan has now fully settled into Kings Hill. “Nan is loving it and very happy,” said Jennifer. “She loves her new apartment and the views from her balcony are stunning. Nan plans on taking up some new hobbies and activities once she’s fully settled in. It's fantastic.”

Now Jennifer and the family see the difference the move has made to Nan; they are so happy and relieved that it all went so smoothly. “The process of selling was made so much easier thanks to Spring. Nan is thrilled, and my advice to other families considering this option would be, just to do it. I’d 100% recommend Spring, it was so quick, easy and smooth, which was exactly what we needed for Nan.”

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