Memories Stay With You, Not The Home!

My parents have put my childhood home up for sale. Greeks tend to be a bit emotional, so a friend asked me how I held up during the move. Truth is, I was fine outside of putting up the For Sale sign – for some reason, that single act really got to me.

It can be hard to make the decision to sell your house. Sometimes it’s because you have taken care to add all your own personal touches. Other times it’s because all you have experienced within those four walls. I had a client who was in her 70s selling the house she had bought in her 20s with her husband – the first and only home she had ever known. She’d get a bit weepy every time I called her, but she’d find the courage to move forward when I’d reminder of this fundamental truth – the memories stay with you, not the house.

It wasn’t easy to convince my parents to move. It wasn’t because of the emotions but because Greeks can also be a bit stubborn. My dad has Parkinson’s Disease and can no longer climb stairs, so making his way around their 4-level split home was impossible. He was confined to one storey – basically the kitchen and living room. Now in a bungalow, he has access to so many rooms and can find more to do. Although he’s getting older, his quality of life is better.

As for my mom, she’s going to miss her old garden, but the new location in the southwest gives her better access to her family’s homes and the places she likes to go. She still has a garden; it’s just smaller. And she’s welcome to have at my own garden any time she likes. Smile

Emotional attachment should never be a reason to stay in your home – you need a place that works for you. Remember the memories are yours to access whenever you want.