Chris Gmyr

Almost everyone is familiar with buyer’s remorse. It can strike after any purchase, but is felt the strongest after big purchases, such as cars or expensive furniture sets. Buyer’s remorse can be felt the strongest after the purchase of a home, with the knowledge of the amount of money spent and debt incurred. But that is not the only kind of remorse associated with the buying and selling of homes.

Your house is now for sale, or maybe you have already sold it, and are now living in your new home. Either way, there is a very good chance you might be feeling a little remorse. After all, you spent a lot of time in your previous home, fixing it up and making it your own. Maybe it was your first home, or maybe it was where you raised your children. Letting go can be hard.

It’s called Seller’s Remorse, and it can begin long before your house is sold. The first step to avoiding it is to determine why you are selling in the first place. Is the house too big? Too small? Do you just want something better? There are hundreds of reasons why someone might choose to sell their home; it’s good to know what yours are. Decide if these reasons are enough for you to move. If they are, keep them in mind. Being committed to the move can be one of the best ways to avoid seller’s remorse.

One of the most common causes of seller’s remorse is the leaving behind of a house that holds a lot of memories. A lot happens in a home, and the longer you have lived there, the stronger those memories may be.  The best way around this is to acknowledge that these feelings are real, and that they are very common. It is hard to live in a place for several years and not get attached. Record your favorite memories, and take pictures of the places in the house that hold the most memories.

Seller’s remorse may also creep up in the current shaky economy. Maybe financial issues led to the need to sell your home for someplace less expensive, and you miss your old home, and the lifestyle that may have gone with it. Alternatively, maybe you had to move for other reasons, but you weren’t able to sell your home for what it should have been worth. Both situations can be difficult to get over.

If finances play into sellers remorse, remember that the economy is turning around, and that you may be able to move into a better home a few years from now, or that you may be able to make improvements in your new home until it fits your needs and wants.

It is easy for people to tell you that a house is just a house, and that anything that happened within the walls are memories that you can easily take with you. But the truth is, it’s hard to leave behind your old home, regardless of the reason you are moving. Take the time to think through your decision to relocate, and if it is the right time for you to sell, commit to it. If you have doubts, wait a little while, and take the time to really consider your options. It is easier to sell your home later than it is to deal with the regret of selling at the wrong time.