By Living Room Realty, May 20, 2019
I’ve been ‘thinking’ about selling my own home for two years now. Mostly, because my children and I have started to outgrow our two bedroom house, but at some point, we will be a family of four (if we can find a wedding venue and find a house. Jeez. I hate this part.) The kicker is — that while I might be a REALTOR® and understand the state of the market plus the financial pay-offs of selling my home, my house is not ‘just a thing,’ to me. It often feels like an extension of my physical body and my sense of self that reflects who I was, am, and want to be. I am an artist as well as REALTOR®, so I am forever making changes to my humble abode. I have many ideas for my little home that I have not yet executed. Which makes my house feel like a half finished painting at times. How can I sell my casa when I still have visions to execute? And will that new buyer appreciate what I have done? Will I find that buyer “fit” someday…..?
Just like a long term relationship — love comes in many forms and one is the connection we create to that place called “home.”
I know that selling a home shouldn’t be a rash, spur of the moment decision. I’ve been doing the gut check every few months for a period of two years, plus, I have been looking at the numbers of what my house would sell for every time the market spikes and then dips again. Thinking about the numbers is supposed to help me emotionally detach from my home and view it as a business deal. (I know that… I help clients with that every day… that doesn’t make it easier for me when I have those projects I would like to get done on my house). Instead, I have been trying to focus on my end goal, which means turning my attention to what the future might look like. Re-framing the sale of my home as a good change rather than loss. I’m working to channel my emotions towards the opportunity and possibilities of what await.
I also know that if I continue to wait for “the one” to come around and hit the market, I might be waiting for years. Sometimes the home selling and buying process isn’t about finding “the one” that sticks around forever. It’s more about finding the home that fits your needs best based on your current situation.
I plan on loving my house and working on her this summer. The boxes of old vintage doorknobs I have been collecting will get added to the rock wall out front. I will paint the bathroom ceiling pink. Finish the love shack in the backyard for Olivia. These are things an artist does to see their vision come to fruition, they are not what one does to boost their resale. If I can do these things, it will be easier for me to let go. My stamp will be more complete.
