Managing emotions when selling a property

From a child’s first step, to walls carefully painted and a thriving garden, we pour our hearts and souls into the four walls we call home. So it’s no wonder that making the decision to move on can be hard.

But when you know you’re saying goodbye for all the right reasons, there are ways to make things a little easier. Over the years we have helped many owners sell their cherished homes, and there’s a few tips and tricks we’ve picked up.

Accept your feelings

Be okay with however you’re feeling, and to sit with it from time to time, rather than trying to sweep it under the rug. Bottling up your emotions about leaving a much-loved home will make it harder in the long run, as opposed to accepting that it is actually really sad to say goodbye.

Once you acknowledge those feelings, focus on your well being and make space to do things you enjoy, rather than focusing all of your efforts on house moving activities.

Take care of the practical stuff

Here are a few practical ways you can begin the process of detaching from your home.

• Decluttering and beginning to pack can help you begin this journey, as you’ll likely feel a lot more fresh and organised after knowing you have a few things ticked off the to-do list. Certainly don’t leave this till the last minute, as it will result in a lot more stress at an already pressurised time.
• There will be plenty of open homes and visits from potential buyers, so this is probably not a good time to change jobs or make any other big commitments.
• If the thought of clearing out your home fills you with dread, secure some extra help. Whether that’s assigning certain tasks to the kids, or bringing in cleaners, you don’t have to do it all yourself. Book these things in advance so you can stay in control of the process.
• Steer clear of open homes, and try not to take comments/feedback from buyers personally. Remember, they have no attachment to the home and are purely looking at it from an unemotional viewpoint (as well as something they may spend a significant amount of money on!)

Communicate with your agent

Staying in regular contact with your agent should help to alleviate some of your feelings throughout the selling process. Draw on our expertise and ask as many questions as you need to – it’s our job to help you feel at ease at every stage and guide you as offers come in.

Focus on the future

One of the best ways to manage any apprehension of selling your home is to reconnect with your ‘why’, and what positive things are just ahead of you because of the move. Will downsizing from the family home give you more freedom to travel or allow you to retire? Will moving towns or cities put you closer to friends and family? Is a new job on the horizon, or perhaps an overseas adventure?

While selling it is often bittersweet, you simply cannot have all those exciting future possibilities without handing your home over to someone new. So focus on your reason for going to market, to help you get through the goodbye.

Capture memories to move with you

Take lots of photos, recreate memories to capture on camera and have a ‘house cooling’ party to say your final farewell. All of these things are a really good way to get closure and will also give you memories to take with you.

Be kind to yourself

Selling a house is not something you do every day, and it’s bound to cause a variety of emotions and feelings.The best thing you can do is try to remain open and as flexible as possible, focusing on the things you can control (like getting prepared) and letting go of what you can’t.

Thinking of selling this spring? Talk to us!

We have guided many sellers in Neutral Bay through their sales and we can help you find your perfect buyers and move on to your next adventure – give us a call today.