Did you recently buy a new house in a new town or new neighborhood? We know that saying goodbye to your current family home isn’t an easy task. If you find yourself caught up in the hustle and bustle of moving into a new house and all the steps that come with that, you might also be feeling a sense of sadness about leaving your current home. There are so many things to do and there’s almost never enough time to do it, including the process of saying goodbye to the people you love and care about in your neighborhood.
Especially if the home you’re leaving has been your home for years, you’ve most likely filled it up with great memories. Maybe this was your first home with your spouse, or the house you took your first child home to. Perhaps you’re saying goodbye to a family house that generations have lived in. Whatever experience or memory makes you love this house, we know that change and transition are necessary in life.
Here are a few ways to say goodbye to your family home to help give you and your family some closure and excitement for new experiences.
Saying Goodbye To Your Family Home? Here’s How To Do It
We know that sometimes the idea of moving isn’t always what we want. If you or your children are less than thrilled above leaving behind your family home, we think that a proper goodbye can help make the transition easier. Keep reading as we describe a couple meaningful ways to say goodbye to the old house and make way for the new.
Take Lots of Pictures
The first thing we recommend is to spend a little bit of time taking some pictures to help you and your children remember your old home. Capture the moments of everyone in their favorite spaces. Anything that is special to you, take a picture of it. Even if it’s a special park in the neighborhood, or a trail you and your family walk everyday. Taking pictures of your family home can help encapsulate all the memories and make the transition easier.
Make sure you also remember to print those pictures out and create a scrapbook or photo album. This could be a fun and easy project to do with your children, and an opportunity to write down some of your favorite memories. Then, in a few years, you and your family can enjoy looking through the old photos and remembering the good times you had. You can make it a yearly memory!
Throw a House Cooling Party
Something that is becoming increasingly more popular is to throw a house cooling party. Before the big moving day, throw a party with your closest friends and family and neighbors as an opportunity to empty out your pantry and fridge. We think that a gathering is a great way to say goodbye to the house and help you and your family reflect on the memorable times you had in the house with all the people you care about.
Another idea that you can include the kids in is to create a crafty project for everyone to sign during your going away party – something that you’ll be able to display in the new house. Maybe it’s a scrapbook or frame that everyone can sign and you can add pictures to later, or maybe it’s a piece of decor with the family name.
Getting your children involved with this can be therapeutic and give them a fun distraction if they aren’t too fond of the idea of moving. We also think that you can use a house cooling party as a way to get rid of the stuff that you don’t want to take with you to the new place. Throw a yard sale or designate a room of stuff that people can browse through.
Leave Your Mark
A lot of times, we are sad about leaving our family homes because we hate the idea of other people moving in. One way to feel better is to make your mark somewhere on the property. Maybe carving your family initials into the tree in the backyard, or burying a secret letter in the flower garden. Maybe there is a spot in the attic or underneath a floorboard to leave your initials on. There are so many different ways to leave your mark so that even if you’re leaving, you’re still a part of the history.
However you decide to do this, making your home can help give your family some peace as you say goodbye.
Get Excited About Your New House
The last tip we’ll give you on ways to say goodbye to your family home is to actively say hello to your new home. Instead of focusing on the past and what you’re leaving behind, focus instead on what is to come. Maybe it’s a new job that is forcing you to move. Maybe your family is growing and the new neighborhood has more things to enjoy. Start to imagine all the new adventures you and your family get to experience. Even if you aren’t moving to a new city, a new neighborhood provides a lot of opportunity for fun and growth with your family.
Saying goodbye is important, but staying positive about the future is a great way to still pay respect to your old home.
Contact Harbor Realty When You’re Ready To Sell Your Family Home
Are you ready to sell because of a new opportunity? New job, new baby, new school? Let Harbor Realty help you make the transition a little easier. From selling your family home to finding you the home you never knew you wanted, we have the tools and experience to be your go-to real estate agency in Washington.
When it’s time to sell, you want a team you can trust to treat your home like they would theirs. You’ll want a team who is professional, has experience, and will listen to all of your needs. Give us a call at 360-875-5100 today and let us answer all of your real estate questions.
