I, like most Americans, live for HGTV. All of the tiny homes, flipping, fixing and decorating is absolutely binge-worthy. The one show I can’t get enough of is House Hunters. If an episode is on, I’m watching it. It certainly got me excited to go on our first house hunt as a family.
The house we’re in currently was purchased post-divorce when my son and I were just a small family of two. Since then, we’ve accumulated a dog, a new husband / dad and a baby brother. Our 1400 square feet feels like the walls are getting closer, even with constant decluttering. Also, with a husband who partially works from home, our master closet / office (cloffice if you will) wasn’t working. So it was on to something new.Currently we are in the contract part of purchasing our new home with a rapidly approaching closing date, and our current house is for sale. The one thing they don’t show you on House Hunters in the process of saying goodbye to the home where you became a family.
When I got divorced, I had a crash course in not being attached to material things, including homes. But when your house has seen you at your absolute happiest and worst, it is much harder to say goodbye.
Packing up board games reminds me of the intense battles we would have during the holidays when friends and family would gather in our cramped living room.
Scrubbing our bathroom mirror before a showing takes me back to snapping those “bump selfies” in anticipation of my long awaited baby boy.
The “For Sale” is feet away from where my little boy and I built our first snowman together.
Up until now, moving homes was never emotional just a necessary part of life. But so much life took place here so it’s going to be hard to let go.
When we purchased our house from the previous owners, the wife had tears in her eyes as they pleaded with us to take care of their first little house. It didn’t occur to me then that this was the little house where they brought their daughter home or that maybe major life decisions were made within these walls. I totally understand it now. I’m sure I’ll be saying the same thing when another little family chooses our house to make their own memories.
