Retiring can come with a lot of life changes and adjustments. While some retirees may look forward to investing more to be financially secure, others may do away with their current investments to live a simple life. One investment that people can let go upon retirement is an investment property. Should you sell an investment property before retirement? If so, why should you do that, and if not, what is to be considered?
Before making decisions, you need to learn about property investment basics, and sites, such as Instant Loan can help.Since we all hate regrets that come with making poor decisions, the earlier we learn to make wiser choices, the better. So, let’s discuss selling investment property before retirement.
When Is the Right Time to Sell Your Investment Property?
Several things come to play when determining the right time to sell an investment property. Some professionals suggest that the longer you hold onto it, the greater the capital gains will be when you finally decide to sell. On the flip side, though, retaining an investment property can be costly. If your circumstances change and need adjustment, it might be wise to sell the property.
Suppose you succeed in selling the asset when the market is at the peak. In that case, you can obtain enough money to invest elsewhere with more growth capability. Thus, if you’re contemplating whether or not to sell the investment property, here are some situations when it might be a good time to sell:
- Upon Retiring. Like we’re mentioning in this discussion, “should you sell the property before retirement?” One of the most common reasons for selling an investment property is retirement to free up capital for retirement. We’ll discuss more below why it’s not right to sell the property at this time.
- When Wanting to Invest Elsewhere. Sometimes finding a better investment opportunity that’s likely to provide a higher return on investment can lead to an investment property sale.
- When Wanting to Get a Capital Gains Tax Exemption. This happens for those living in countries with such provisions. For instance, in some states, if someone has lived in an investment property for at least one year in the last six years, he can sell it without having to pay capital gains tax.
- When the Return on Investment Isn’t Good. The investment property might have a potentially low capital growth potential and with fewer returns. If so, it might be time to use the funds elsewhere or sell the property to avoid further losses.
Why You Should Never Sell the Property Before Retirement
While it makes sense to sell a property before retirement to free up capital for that same purpose, you should consider other factors as well. Life after retirement might be challenging, thus the need to be vigilant before deciding to sell what might be the lifetime income source. Here are several reasons for never selling your investment before retirement:
Investment Property is Solid Performing Asset
Real estate is always considered one of the top-performing assets and a solid performer. That’s why if you have property, it’s good to hold it and benefit from spectacular growth. Especially if the property is obtaining decent rental returns and is positively geared, there won’t be a need to sell it.
Investment Property Provides Both Capital and Income Growth
After retirement, what next? While there are numerous investments to venture into, real estate will still prove to be worth it. The regular and constant income stream from the property, mostly in rent, isn’t worth letting go. Its capital and income growth are also reliable, unlike for other shares. You’ll need a source of income that is reliable and continuous, thus the need to retain your investment property if available. When you sell it, you eliminate an income stream.
It’s not Affected by Your Change of Residence.
Some retirees love moving from their current residence to a different one. Maybe you plan to relocate from a city to the countryside and think it’s best to sell your property. That’s not true as the property can remain and continue to generate money even if you move.
It Can Help Pay Your Mortgage
Likely before retiring, it’s advisable to clear off any debts you might have, including mortgages. How do you think that can happen if you decide to do away with a vital way of doing so? You can avoid bearing the financial burden of paying the mortgage while tenants can do it for you indefinitely. If there’s a high occupancy rate and tenants can help you hold onto the property for life, why would you sell it?
Investment Property Can Bring in More Investments
If the investment property return is high, you can raise funds for other investments or buy additional properties. That way, there won’t be any need to take a loan for such reasons, and even if you have to, the existing property can act as collateral. Once you pay off the mortgage, every income that’ll come in will be yours and can be channeled into other ventures.
Why You Might Want to Sell the Property Before Retirement
While some people know well valid reasons to retain their investment property, there are pressing reasons why they can do so, especially on retiring.
- Unlocking Equity. Among the significant reasons why people sell their property is to free up more money or unlock equity to pocket a lot of money from the sale. The funds can be used to boost retirement accounts or purchase a new property elsewhere with low taxes.
- Freedom. Being a landlord isn’t an easy responsibility. While after retiring, someone might have more time to deal with tenant issues, some people prefer to relieve the headache by selling their real estates. They want to enjoy that freedom and have more flexibility.
- Illness and Other Limiting Factors. Advanced age upon retirement and illnesses can move someone to sell an investment property, especially if they have to manage it independently. If people can help you manage properties like children or trusted relatives, it might not be wise to sell them off.
Conclusion
Investment property will continue to be a solid performer and reliable income-generating asset. Whether or not to sell it before or upon retirement is a matter of personal choice. Only ensure to calculate the costs/expenses of doing so before making a move.
