There’s no doubt that our homes and our neighborhoods are an enormous part of our lives. I don’t think it’s unusual for the awareness of this fact to sometimes erode over time to the point you’re barely aware of it. Until you start thinking about living somewhere else. Some people are always aware of it and it sneaks up on others. I ended up closer to the latter than I was initially ready to admit when I decided to sell my home of twenty years. It hit differently than I had imagined it would, and was more intense.
Come to find out, the “nuts and bolts” of the transaction (prepping the home, getting pictures taken, etc.) is only part of the story - the easier part, I think. What you sometimes don’t know until you come close to selling is how difficult leaving a place you’ve called home for years or decades can be. It wasn’t until I made the photography appointment that it hit me that I’m leaving. I was always aware of the things that made the condo a home but buried deeper was all of the life and memories that has happened there in twenty years. So I slowed down for a few weeks, gave myself time to get used to the idea and then I felt ready to move forward. This helped immensely and had me finally feeling ready.
There are a few points here. I’ve gained much more appreciation for what many of our clients go through - very valuable (and humbling) when your job is helping people. If you do end up with some anxiety or uncertainty around a move, remember that this is normal and you are far from alone. Finally, when it is time to sell, it’s important to have people around you that respect the entire process including the less tangible aspects of moving. Your friends, family and even your real estate agents should be willing to help keep you on your path but also allow time and space to see to figure out the things that are often less apparent. This move is a project with lots of moving parts, most are, and I will share more as it moves along.
