The Emotional Side of Selling a Home

We get it. The decision to sell your home isn’t an easy one. In fact, research has ranked selling a home as second to relationship breakups for the most stressful experience in a person’s life. The same survey said people are more stressed out about selling their home than planning a wedding, getting fired or even becoming a parent.

Whether you’re getting flooded with nostalgia or feeling anxious just thinking about the process that lies ahead, it’s perfectly normal to be emotional during the home selling process.

The good news? Though the experience can feel overwhelming and inspire doubts, it doesn’t have to get in the way of a successful home sale. And there’s always a bright side. It may be a sentimental ending of one chapter, but it’s also the beautiful beginning of the next.

Here are 4 most common emotional pain points we’ve heard from homeowners, and how you can overcome them:

Perhaps the biggest emotional impact comes when you’re hit with nostalgia. Whether it was your childhood home, the first home you purchased on your own, or the one all of your kids grew up in, years of memories come flooding back as you walk through an empty home that was once so full of life. 

The living room where your baby took her first steps. The kitchen with stubborn stains from weekly spaghetti nights. 3’11”, 4’ 2”, 4’ 7” – Pencil marks on the kids’ walls that remind you just how much they’ve grown. 

As one homeowner said – it’s not hard to say good-bye to a house. It’s hard to say good-bye to special memories and to the end of an era. 

So how do you move on? – Embrace the emotions. It’s completely normal. Do you feel the tears coming? Let them fall. Do you find yourself reminiscing the special moments? Share them with your loved ones. But once you ride out the tidal wave of emotions, you get the strength to pick yourself back up and face forward once again.

And focus on the reason for the move. Is it relocating for a better job? Getting a fresh start? Moving closer to relatives? Growing a family? Retiring? Whatever it may be, there was a reason you initially decided to move. Remind yourself why this move is important, and look forward to starting that new chapter.

"It’s not hard to say good-bye to a house. It’s hard to say good-bye to special memories and to the end of an era."

If you’re like most homeowners, you’ve probably run through a million “what if” scenarios in your mind. What if my house doesn’t sell? What if I don’t get the price that I want? What if the buyer decides to back out? What if problems come up during escrow? One worry leads to another, and soon, you’re feeling overwhelmed before anything has even begun.

Selling your home can be a very draining experience, especially if there are many moving parts. You may feel like giving up because “it’s just too much.” We completely understand. But that’s why choosing the right agent with years of experience is so important! While every transaction will have its own fair share of ups and downs, the right agent will be able to guide you through the process from start to finish so that you don’t feel overwhelmed and stressed. Any questions you have, we’re here to answer, and any problems that may arise, we’re on your side to make sure they get solved.

Once the showings start and the feedback comes in, some sellers may get a bit emotional if buyers don’t see their home quite like they do. It may seem like buyers dislike the patterned kitchen backsplash you worked hard to install yourself, or maybe they don’t appreciate the unique character of the house that you absolutely fell in love with. 

Whatever it may be, we understand. But don’t take it personally. Everyone’s styles and preferences can be different. And remember, it only takes one. One buyer to see the beauty of your home and absolutely fall in love, then write that winning offer and cherish that home like you have for years.

When a sale of a home is linked to an emotionally-draining experience, such as a divorce or a death, it is completely normal for emotions to be running high. It’s a painful experience and one that may be extremely hard for you to go through. We promise to be there right by your side to minimize the stress as much as possible. Let us take the burden of selling the home off of your shoulders so that you can focus on what’s truly most important – you. 

Selling without the right agent is even harder. 

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