Overcoming the Emotional Side of Selling Your Family Home

In everyone’s life, the time comes for a new adventure. Maybe you’re expecting a baby and need to move from your starter property to a larger family home. Maybe your kids have flown the coop, and you’re looking for a home with less maintenance. Maybe you’re helping your parents, or perhaps you’ve been tasked with selling the family home after a loved one has passed away.

No matter what your reasons are for selling, it is always an emotional experience. You start thinking about everything you have to do to prepare for a sale. At the same time, you begin to relive all those memories you have about this home. That’s when the nostalgia really kicks in—having bought and sold many houses in my lifetime, trust me, I’ve been there!

Since I’ve experienced this phenomenon numerous times, both as a homeowner myself and a real estate agent helping my clients, I am uniquely equipped to help. For many people, the emotional side is the hardest part of all when it comes to selling a home. And since I’m never one to back down from a challenge, let’s talk about it.

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Mission Impossible: Letting Go of the Memories

The steps to selling your home are relatively straightforward, if not a little time-consuming. It starts with cleaning and decluttering. Easy, peasy – just begin putting everything in boxes labelled “keep,” “discard,” or “donate.”

However, the emotional side has a way of throwing a wrench into the most foolproof of plans and allowing yourself to be ruled by emotions can just lead to more stress and costly mistakes when selling your home.

You might begin to spiral and feel paralyzed with indecision. Do you really want to donate that antique salad bowl you haven’t used in ten years? What if you need it for a future dinner party? Should you really throw away your old tent and camping gear that you replaced a few seasons ago? What if you need a backup at some point?

As you can see, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with these types of decisions. Especially since everything you own has a memory attached. Once you start feeling overwhelmed, things can only get worse. The success of your home sale hinges on your ability to feel confident and surefooted in your decisions.

Many well-meaning people would tell you to “Put your emotions aside.” It’s logical advice, and it makes perfect sense. But we don’t live in a world where things are so black and white, and sometimes, putting your emotions aside is almost impossible.

Are you or a loved one planning to move to a more convenient home with less maintenance? Learn all about my “Rightsizing” services right here.

Your House Isn’t Just Things

A house that is well-lived in is full of memories and love. You couldn’t forget about all of those feelings even if you wanted to. Our lives would feel empty if we didn’t hang on to precious mementos. Whether it’s your child’s first lock of hair, a jar of seashells from a family vacation, or a priceless record collection inherited from your parents, our belongings are part of who we are.

The trick isn’t to stuff all your joys and sorrows deep down or to hide them behind a pretty smile, pretending you’re not affected by the emotional side of selling.

Instead of “letting go of your memories,” honor them by making the most of your sale.

With the emotional challenges behind you, a practical plan takes shape. Here are a few more things to keep in mind:

Take it slow and steady – Trying to clean and declutter a house all in one day is overwhelming. Tackling it a little bit at a time is much more manageable. Or better yet, call my team to help, and we can take this off your plate entirely.
You don’t have to decide on anything immediately – The value of sorting your belongings into labelled boxes is that it allows you to ruminate on things. You can put something in a “keep” box, then change your mind later. This flexibility allows you to keep moving without getting caught up in your emotions.
Don’t go it alone – Sure, you can ask some friends or family to help you, but they may feel just as sentimental about your belongings as you do. Instead, bring in a neutral third party. My team and I offer a comprehensive solution with cleaning, packing, haul-out services, and more.
Pay it forward – By donating or gifting your unused belongings, you’re giving them new life with a new person who will cherish them, ultimately allowing you to release those things without feeling sad.

Focus on Low-Cost, High-Value Repairs

Once you’ve cleaned and decluttered your home, you’re well on your way to being ready for the market. The next challenge is renovations and repairs. And it starts with deciding what needs to be upgraded and what is just fine as it is.

If you have some time and want to earn the highest dollar amount, you can focus on a few high-value upgrades.

Start by thinking about what a buyer would want. The good news is that you may not need as many renovations as you think. Your job is simply to give the buyer a blank slate so they can see themselves living in your house.

In all my years as a real estate agent, I’ve seen some amazing home transformations (and some that I’d rather forget!). However, in many cases, the smallest improvements often have the biggest impact.

For example:

Paint – Nothing modernizes and refreshes a house like a coat of fresh paint throughout. As a relatively inexpensive upgrade, this is the perfect way to add perceived value to your property.
Perform minor repairs — Little things like door knobs and drawer handles can wiggle loose over time. The silicone around the bathtub gets a little grungy. These things creep up, and the existing homeowner may not even notice them. However, a buyer will notice, even if just on an unconscious level. Now is the time to spruce up your home by fixing all of these minor details.
Stage your home – Once your home is clean and in great shape, staging is the final piece of the puzzle. This means decorating and arranging your house so that buyers imagine it as their own. It’s an art form in and of itself, and my staging team are masters at the craft.

When it comes to repairs and renovations, I always take a pragmatic approach, only recommending things that will truly add value to your sale. There’s no point spending a ton of money and stacking up renovations if it won’t improve your bottom line.

Do you need more practical tips on how to get a house ready to sell? The posts below are a good place to start:

The Value of Professional Support You Can Trust

You can do everything step-by-step and by the book. But no matter how hard you try, it’s almost impossible to remain logical and unemotional about selling your family home.

And yet, a successful sale relies on a systematic approach based on data and strategy. You can’t afford to let emotions get in the way as you’re preparing, pricing, and promoting your home. And you really can’t let your feelings show during negotiations. What can you do?

As a real estate agent, a mother, and a homeowner, I’ve navigated this process numerous times for myself and my clients, and one thing I’ve learned is that sometimes it takes a village.

We provide our clients access to an entire team of professionals ready to make the process of selling easier. In addition to having me by your side, advising you and negotiating on your behalf, there’s my entire extended team of experts who can handle everything from decluttering, packing, cleaning, repairs, and more.

In many cases, we can have your home show-worthy within a few days, even if your family has lived there for decades.

At the end of the day, we’re able to help you sell your home faster, for more money, with fewer hiccups and tears (unless you count happy tears from how easy the whole process was!)

A Real-Life Success Story

Recently, I had a client tasked with selling the family home after their mother had passed away. The house was so full of memories to sift through, and the thought of discarding these cherished items left the family devastated.

Even worse, they began getting calls from house flippers wanting to buy the home after the obituary ran in the local paper. They were low-balling in an attempt to scoop up the property at a steal. My clients were too overwhelmed by grief to understand the true value of their family’s home.

Fortunately, after an initial consultation, I could see the potential. We decided to sell the house as-is so the family could avoid the time and expense of renovations. With a deep cleaning and virtual staging, we were ready to go to the market. Soon, we had a cash offer 30% higher than anything they had received previously. All in all, the home sold and closed within 10 days, allowing the family to move on and heal.

If you’re facing an emotional transaction, professional advice and guidance are the key to getting through it. With my experience, expertise, resources, and tools, I can help make the process easy and successful so you can move forward with your life.

By alleviating emotional stressors and taking care of all the details, you’ll feel seen, and the results of your home sale will be the perfect way to start a new chapter in your life!

Do you need a high level of support and expertise when selling your family home? Get in touch with me today by calling 801-949-9878 or emailing Julia@JuliaSplan.com.