How to Emotionally Let go of Your House When Selling

For homeowners, selling a house is more than just a transaction. It’s also an emotional experience that can be hard to overcome. Rest assured, there are ways to let go of your house and still cherish your memories there.

Selling your house can be hard on an emotional level. No matter how long you’ve owned your home, it’s a place of safety, comfort and memories. When it’s time to move on, know that it’s normal to feel sad or overwhelmed about selling your house. After all, moving is one of the top five most stressful events in a person’s life.

Read on for advice on how to emotionally let go of your house and to learn more about the emotional stages of selling a house.

Celebrate your memories

Just because you’re selling a memory-filled home doesn’t mean that you’ll lose the memories. Whether you’re selling due to a change in your own circumstances or due to a loved one’s death, being sad about selling a house filled with history is expected.

Try expressing gratitude for all of the good times that the home provided you. Go room to room and gather things that you can bring with you that hold the memories — think family photos and items with sentimental value. Another way to emotionally let go of your house? Take pictures and videos that show the space.

Lean on your support system

In times of stress, it may be tempting to isolate yourself and ruminate on how things aren’t working out how you imagined. Instead of separating yourself from your friends and family, lean into them for support. After all, being social has real benefits: it can help you deal with stress and improve your mental health, among other benefits.

Identify the friends or family members who you can lean on for support. Talking with someone and sharing your feelings can help ease the pain of moving. If you’re feeling down, schedule a coffee date or do an activity with a loved one. It could be anything from fishing to playing cards to watching a movie. This quality time will help put you at ease and appreciate the most important people in your life.

Understand the selling process

Most people fear what they don’t know. Uncertainty around the very idea of selling your home can be overwhelming.

One of the best ways to knock down stress is to know exactly what happens in each step of the process. When there’s no uncertainty, you’ll feel much more calm and in control. With Sundae, you’ll be guided through every step of the home selling process:

1. We prepare your Property Profile. This showcases your property and includes everything from pictures to a floor plan.

2. Review disclosures. At this juncture, you’ll sign some paperwork regarding the property’s condition. If you have questions, you can always contact our team for more information.

3. Go live on Sundae’s Marketplace. The fun really gets started at this point. Investors will place offers on your house over the span of a few days. You can accept an offer at any time throughout this process if it stands out to you.

4. Review your offers and accept (if you want to). Once the window has closed for offers, it’s up to you if you’d like to accept one. There is no obligation to do so, however. You’re in the driver’s seat.

5. Start the closing process. Assuming that you accepted an offer, you’ll begin the closing process based on your timeline.

From the initial home assessment to choosing the closing date that works for you, Sundae accommodates your needs and walks you through the process.  That way, you can focus on yourself without any added stress.

Find the right buyer

Over time, you can build a strong connection with your home and all of the memories you’ve made. Since it gives you so much joy to think back on those times, it can be hard to let go.

We work with investors who renovate houses and then sell them to families looking to create their own memories. By finding the right investor to purchase your home, you can rest assured that another family will get the same joy that you did.

Here’s how it works.

Embrace change

As much as we may try to fight it, change is inevitable. And, in fact, the average homeowner in the U.S. sells after about 13 years, so you’re not alone. Instead of dwelling on the sad parts, think about the positives.

  • You’ll reap a financial benefit
  • You’ll be embarking on a new chapter in your life
  • You’ll have the chance to make new memories

By focusing on what’s next, you’ll be able to see the sale of your old home as one more step in life’s journey and learn how to emotionally let go of your house. Selling a home full of memories isn’t easy. That’s why you should choose to sell it with a company that makes selling easy. With Sundae there’s no need to update or renovate,  prepare for open houses, or to handle many of the complexities that come with selling.

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Erin B

Erin Behan is a writer and editor covering real estate investor strategy for Sundae. She's lived in L.A., New York, and Atlanta and currently resides in Portland, Oregon, where she writes and edits for a number of outlets, including WebMD, Farmers Insurance, and Vox Creative. She spends her free time hiking with her two boys, snuggling with her cat, and enjoying the best of the Pacific Northwest.