I live out of state. How do I manage my mother's move from 1,200 miles away?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
It's done all the time, and done well — but not alone. Distance means you build a small local team and let them be your hands: an agent who'll go beyond the sale, a senior move manager for the sorting and packing, and a neighbor or friend with a key for the small stuff.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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The longer answer
What makes it work from your end: the legal paperwork sorted early (a POA that covers real estate saves you three emergencies later), over-communication as the default — weekly updates, photos and video of everything, no surprises — and one well-chosen trip saved for the decisions only family can make: the keepsakes, the goodbye, the day she walks out the door. Everything else can be handled by people you trust on the ground.
For my part: when I work with a long-distance family, you'll never wonder what's happening with the house. That's the whole arrangement. First call's just listening — and it works fine from 1,200 miles.
The next department over
What people in this spot usually ask next.
- Relocation to the Twin CitiesHow do I know which agent to trust from 1,500 miles away?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsWho actually helps with the sorting, packing, and moving for a senior?Read the answer
- Relocation to the Twin CitiesCity or suburb — how do we decide from 1,500 miles away?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsHow do I know when it's time for my mom to move out of her house?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsWhat if Dad has dementia and never signed a power of attorney?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsShould we sell the house before or after Mom moves to the community?Read the answer
From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.