Should I Sell My Home? Considerations for Recent Widows
For many widows and widowers, deciding whether to sell the family home is a big choice. Learn how to balance the emotional and financial aspects to move forward confidently.
When a client recently shared his story about losing his father, it resonated with our team. He said, “I remember sitting at the dinner table a few weeks after my dad passed. My mom looked at the empty chair and decided right then that she couldn’t stay in that house any longer. She listed it within the month.”
For his mother, the decision to sell the family home was deeply emotional—a way to turn the page on a chapter that had suddenly ended. What she didn’t realize at the time was that it also turned out to be a strategic financial decision.
When emotion and finances intersect
The loss of a spouse changes everything, not just emotionally, but practically. The routines that once defined daily life shift overnight.
There’s the garden that once needed two sets of hands, the extra bedrooms that sit untouched, the memories waiting around every corner. Selling may feel like a way to begin a new chapter. Staying may feel like holding on to what’s familiar.
Neither choice is right nor wrong. What matters is taking time to separate emotional impulse from long-term financial reality and making a decision that honors both your heart and your future.
Practical considerations before you decide
When the emotional fog begins to clear, several practical factors often shape the conversation:
Lifestyle and upkeep: Maintaining a large home can be overwhelming for one person. Downsizing can free up both time and mental space.
Proximity to family: Many widows and widowers move closer to adult children or grandchildren for support, a decision that can strengthen social and caregiving networks.
Financial flexibility: Selling may unlock liquidity to strengthen retirement income, pay down debt or reduce monthly expenses.
Housing market timing: Local demand, interest rates and the condition of your home can all influence whether it’s wise to sell now or later.
A Corient Wealth Advisor can help you view these considerations not as isolated choices, but as pieces of a broader life plan that balances immediate needs with long-term security.
A brief word on taxes
While emotion often drives the initial decision, timing can have real tax implications.
Under Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code, homeowners can exclude up to $250,000 of gain when selling a primary residence if filing singly, or $500,000 if filing jointly.
What’s important for recent widows and widowers to know is that, for up to two years after a spouse’s death, you may still qualify for the higher $500,000 exclusion provided that you meet certain ownership and residency requirements and have not remarried.1
That window can make a meaningful difference, but it’s just one factor in a larger decision. We recommend discussing Section 121 implications with your tax advisor and/or Corient wealth advisor.
More than a financial transaction
At Corient, we help clients navigate these moments holistically. Your advisor can model the financial implications of selling or staying, help you assess your readiness, and coordinate with your tax and estate professionals so no detail is overlooked.
The question “Should I sell my home?” rarely has a quick answer. When you’re ready, a Corient Wealth Advisor can help you look at your options, understand the timing and financial considerations, and move forward with confidence on your own terms.
1 Topic no. 701, Sale of your home | Internal Revenue Service
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abby Wiggin
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4915013 – October 2025
