Guest Author Lucille Rosetti
You’ve said your goodbye and went through your grieving process. Now, it’s time to move on. But how do you move on when there are remnants of them everywhere you turn? To end that chapter, sometimes you have to let go of the things that remind you of the person you lost. For those who have lost a loved one and are having trouble letting go, consider moving to a new home for a change of scenery and a fresh start. The loss is hard enough. Having to be reminded of it in your home makes it even harder.
Consider Moving Out
Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, moving out of your current place could help you get past the loss and rid your life of the space that may hold sad feelings. Like with any move, you have to go through the steps of listing, showing selling, packing, cleaning, moving, and looking for a new place. Unlike other moves, you have to do all of this while processing feelings of grief. You might need time to get to this point, but you might also grieve faster if you go through it right away and allow yourself to move on sooner. Delaying the move could be delaying the goodbye instead of confronting it.
Ask a friend to help you manage all the steps needed to sell your home and move. Once you find a real estate professional, they’ll be able to guide you through the process so it’s not as overwhelming. You can have your home assessed for its property value, but an agent will be able to help you choose a sales price. Be willing to spend money to hire help. There are services to help you pack, move, and clean your home for the new owners.
Do Some Research
When you’re looking for a new place, research homes in that area within (or just above) your price range. You can also research homes before you sell your own house to get an idea of what the market rates are. For example, homes in Indianapolis, Indiana, have sold on average of $153,000 in the last month. You might not need as large of a space in your next place, so consider downsizing to a smaller home. It’ll save you money, and you won’t have to maintain a large space on your own. Sometimes, downsizing is the only option if your loved one was the primary income earner.
Use the search criteria on all of the popular listing sites to see what other homes similar to yours sold for, and conduct another search on smaller places to move into. Subtract the average prices to find out what your profit will be when you sell your home and buy a new, smaller one. You might even decide to rent instead of buy if you’re not ready to commit to owning another home.
Learn How to Let Go
Everyone deals with loss differently. Some people keep everything that was owned by the deceased because they’re not ready to fully say goodbye. They become attached to those belongings and find comfort in having those things around. Others, meanwhile, prefer to close the door and let new air through, opting to relish the memories instead of the objects that once belonged to someone they love. Every move involves tossing things out, but moving after someone’s death means getting rid of their relics.
Discarding your departed loved one’s items takes strength, and doing so doesn’t erase their existence or their impact on your life. Instead, it simply clears up space for living and helps you remove painful and distressing reminders. If an item isn’t useful, irreplaceable, or a special token of that person’s memory, then consider selling or donating it. You don’t need to keep your lost loved one’s entire wardrobe, but you might want to keep their favorite sweater.
Losing a loved one is difficult for anyone, but it’s especially tough for those who shared a home with them. Anyone who has lost a loved one should have bereavement. Take the time that you need to grieve, and do what you need to let that person go -- even if it means moving on.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Lucille Rosetti can be reached at info@thebeareaved.org and The Bereaved