There are several times when it makes sense for home sellers to do a pre-sale rental. One is when they must move, but want to delay a sale for a better market or until they can do major upgrades.

But real estate experts say many owners are unhappy at the thought of renting out their house, however temporarily.

“Some people feel emotionally sad about someone else living in the family home. They’re also afraid the house will be damaged by tenants,” says David Roberson, author of “How to Legally Rent Out Your House: A Practical Guide to Managing Rental Property Risks.”

Roberson, a real estate attorney, says many hazards of renting can be minimized through careful screening of tenants. He and his wife own 22 rental properties, and they limit rentals to those who earn a gross income of at least three times the monthly rent. They also insist on high credit scores.

“We want a FICO score of at least 700 -- unless the person has been through a recent divorce that caused their credit to take a temporary hit,” he says.

The couple also make sure their properties are videotaped to record their condition prior to rental. That way they can justify any charges for damages when the tenants vacate.

To avert complications, he says it’s wise to hire a professional property manager.

“Every time I hear of a landlord-tenant nightmare, it’s when the owners are managing the rental themselves -- without a pro involved,” he says.

Mark Nash, a longtime real estate broker and author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home,” says it’s an especially good idea for novice landlords to opt for professional management.

“Being a landlord is like being a parent: You’re faced with demands you can’t push off onto someone else -- unless you have a property manager,” says Nash, who’s owned rental units for more than two decades.

Here are a few pointers:

-- Check the strength of your local rental market.

You may think it’s smart to rent out your home until you’re ready to sell. But this may not be the case if the supply of rental properties in your area outstrips demand, depressing the rental income landlords can collect.

As Nash notes, most large realty firms have rental departments that can help you assess the relative strength of your local market. Agents who routinely list rentals on the Multiple Listing Service should be able to quickly estimate how much rental income you can expect to receive.

Print or online advertising can also give you clues. Survey the ads to gauge availability and price for your type of property.

“You might even want to run a test ad to see what response you get,” Nash says.

-- Crunch the numbers on the financial impact of renting out your place.

Most owners considering a rental want to make sure that their rental income would more than cover their monthly mortgage payments, along with property tax and insurance charges.

When assessing the financial impact of converting your place to a rental, even a temporary one, Nash says you should be sure to factor in upkeep expenses.

As Nash says, you’ll also want to consider the tax implications of a rental. To do so, he recommends you call or visit an accountant for advice.

-- Attempt to damage-proof your home before tenants move in.

When they sell their home, most people cut the emotional cord and move on psychologically, Nash says. Not so when the owners are merely renting out the property.

“So long as they continue to own a place, most people are still territorial about it,” he says.

There are no absolute guarantees your home won’t sustain serious damage while it’s rented. But Nash advises you to take several steps to minimize your risks. Repaint walls covered with flat latex paint with an easy-to-clean semi-gloss finish. Seal your hardwood floors with two or more coats of protective coating. And replace valuable light fixtures with inexpensive ones from a home center store.

-- Plan to empty your home of renters before you seek to sell.

As real estate agents will underscore, it can be tough to sell a home while tenants are living there.

“As a rule, tenants don’t care if you sell. They might even become annoyed” and cause trouble, Nash says.

To avoid this potential problem, he recommends you plan to have the property vacated of tenants for at least a month before it goes on the market. With the tenants gone, you can ensure that any remaining cosmetic or repair issues will be quickly resolved.

“That final interior painting and carpet cleaning can make a world of difference to your bottom line,” Nash says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

An engineer in her early 60s was shocked when her husband died suddenly from medical complications. The couple had long enjoyed living in a sprawling cedar contemporary overlooking a lake. But with her husband gone, maintenance on the house feels overwhelming -- as does the idea of selling.

More than a year later, the engineer is still grieving and pondering her real estate options. Should she sell her suburban property and move to a condo in an exciting part of the city, as several friends have done? Or should she stay put in the house that she and her husband so lovingly designed?

Arlen Olberding, a certified financial planner, doesn’t know the engineer in this true story. But he’s advised many clients grappling with tough housing choices after losing a spouse. In such cases, experience has taught him there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

“People in this position should avoid making any step too hurriedly if they can afford to wait,” says Olberding, a fee-only planner affiliated with the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (napfa.org).

Here are a few other pointers for newly widowed homeowners:

-- Face your financial realities first.

The engineer above owns her lakeside house free and clear. She can easily afford the taxes, insurance costs and maintenance fees for the property.

Still, for her and others who’ve lost a spouse, keeping a large family home indefinitely means serious financial trade-offs, says Mark Nash, a long-time real estate broker and author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.” In such cases, he suggests you consult a trusted financial planner or accountant before making any major real estate decisions.

“Crunching the numbers will tell you a lot about your options and help you face reality,” Nash says.

In advance of a visit to see your financial adviser, Nash suggests you determine how much your house is costing you in mortgage payments, taxes and maintenance outlays.

-- Make housing decisions in the context of your overall life plan.

All too often, people see their real estate choices in isolation from the broader issues of their lives, Nash says.

To whom should you turn to help chart your plans? Sometimes a real estate agent who’s willing to listen to your story (and who won’t push you to sell) is a better bet than a close friend or family member, according to Nash.

“Your family and friends aren’t always the most objective advisers. Besides an agent, you might want to talk to a therapist, counselor or life coach,” he says.

-- Take into account your emotional attachment to a property.

Nash says that in their 50s or 60s, more men than women are open to selling a family property and recasting their lives. He contends that more women are strongly attached to the home where they raised their children and want to keep a place with extra space for their extended families to visit -- a concept called the “mecca house.”

Nash says he’s worked with many older women who live to regret the sale of the spacious family home. Many of those who stay wish to slightly alter the place, perhaps with the help of an interior designer.

“This way a woman can put her imprint on the property for the next stage of her life,” Nash says.

-- Allow yourself ample time to make a solid decision.

Like others who’ve sold real estate for many years, Nash knows it can be a mistake to rush into a home sale right after a traumatic life event -- such as a spouse’s death. He says becoming an empty nester can also represent a surprisingly tough transition.

“The departure of the last kid from home can create an identity crisis that lasts until you find a new sense of purpose. This can throw into question the future of the family home,” Nash says.

Whether you’re still reeling from widowhood, a marital breakup or the departure of your grown children, you may be flooded with conflicting feelings about how to proceed with your real estate. In this state of mind, mistakes can happen.

Take the case of a medical researcher who lost her husband, a prominent doctor, after his brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Under pressure from her two grown daughters, the woman immediately sold her large Tudor and moved to a three-level townhouse nearby.

But the hasty sale netted the widow less than the market value of her property, and the new townhouse -- with tall ceilings and steep stairs -- was a poor choice for a woman in her late 50s already experiencing knee problems.

That’s why Nash urges you to take your time during any late-in-life housing transition.

“If you’re in doubt about whether to sell that big house, step back for a while and give yourself as much processing time as you need and can afford to take,” he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

A psychiatrist in his 60s is itching for the sale of his family’s architect-designed contemporary house. But his wife, already retired, is resisting his wish to downsize to an apartment.

As this true tale illustrates, it can be tough for empty nesters to finalize their future housing plans.

“Many older couples just fly by the seat of their pants on the selling decision,” says Eric Tyson, co-author of “Personal Finance After 50 for Dummies.”

Housing analysts say the argument for letting go of a property at this point in the economic cycle is bolstered by statistics.

On average, sellers are now obtaining a 29.7 percent return on investment compared with their original purchase price, says Daren Blomquist, a senior vice president at Attom Data Solutions, (attomdata.com), which tracks housing markets throughout the country.

But Blomquist says the data show that many longtime homeowners, including empty nesters, are resistant to selling.

Cary Carbonaro, a certified financial planner in the field for more than 20 years, says it’s not up to those in her profession to go beyond their role as advisers to clients struggling to reach the right housing choices.

“Where they live is really a personal decision,” says Carbonaro, author of “The Money Queen’s Guide: For Women Who Want to Build Wealth and Banish Fear.”

Here are a few pointers for homeowners torn about selling:

-- Factor lifestyle plans into your decision-making.

As Carbonaro notes, some parents of grown children relish the idea of downscaling to a smaller place that imposes fewer upkeep demands.

But other empty nesters wish to hang on to the large family property where they’ve raised kids because they want to take advantage of the extra space in new ways.

“They turn their kids’ rooms into fun rooms for themselves -- media rooms, hobby rooms or exercise rooms,” she says.

Still, Tyson cautions empty nesters against clinging to the big house with the uncertain hope it will become the hub for many extended family gatherings.

“It’s so hard to project ahead about where your grown children will be living or how much time they’ll have to spend with you once they get busy with their own lives,” he says.

-- Seek outside advice to gain perspective.

By going through a professional group, such as the National Association of Personal Financial Planners (napfa.org), you can locate a planner you can hire for just a few hours to discuss your empty-nest housing issues.

In addition, Tyson recommends that you consider seeking out advice through a certified public accountant who has also been trained as a “Personal Financial Specialist” (PFS). The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants awards this designation. You can locate a PFS in your area by visiting the organization’s website, aicpa.org.

-- Include financial factors in your decision-making.

Obviously, many people reach the kids-are-gone stage with years left in their careers and a strong desire to continue working. But that doesn’t mean they can afford to be oblivious to their future needs for retirement income.

“A fair number of boomers have under-saved for retirement,” Tyson says.

If you’re in this category -- and your home has appreciated substantially -- selling could open the way for investments that are potentially more lucrative.

“I’m talking about freeing up money from your current house by moving to a property that has a smaller mortgage and is less expensive to maintain,” he says.

If your offspring are still in college or grad school, you may have pledged that you’ll cover the full cost of their tuition payments. Still, there could be alternatives open to you.

Maybe you’ll want to meet with financial aid officers at your students’ schools to discuss alternative ways to help offset their tuition costs. For example, maybe they’d be eligible for scholarships, fellowships or work-study programs you didn’t know about previously.

-- Don’t delay charting your housing plans.

Some people appreciate the expanded freedom that comes with an empty-nest life. But others are depressed after the last child leaves.

“A lot of times people are in denial. They run away from making hard choices, such as whether to sell the big house and move,” Tyson says.

He says those in a funk about their new status as empty nesters can squander several years failing to explore and consider alternatives to staying put in their current home.

“It’s a huge mistake to rush into a decision about selling your home. But postponing your plans is also a really bad idea,” Tyson says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)