I know it's time to leave my house, but I don't feel ready. Is that normal?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
Yes. Completely normal — and it doesn't go away by waiting for it to. You can be ready and not ready at the same time. Most people are. We hold both.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
The stage is set.
Chris's video answer is on its way. Until then, the short answer above says the same thing.
The transcript posts with the video.
The longer answer
You raised a family in those rooms. Forty years of Thanksgivings, snow days, ordinary Tuesdays. Feeling grief about leaving isn't a sign you're making the wrong decision. It's a sign the house did its job. The people who make this move don't lose what happened there — they stop maintaining the rooms nobody's using, and they're often surprised by how much lighter the next place feels.
There's no deadline here, and nobody should hand you one. When you want to talk about what next looks like — even if it's a year away — let's just have coffee.
The next department over
What people in this spot usually ask next.
- Senior transitionsI lost my husband last year. Is it too soon to sell the house?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsI feel guilty selling the house our children grew up in. Is that normal?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsMy mother refuses to even discuss leaving her house. What do I do?Read the answer
- Senior transitionsWe're not ready for a senior community, but this house is too much. What's in between?Read the answer
- Inheritance & probateI can't bring myself to go inside my parents' house yet. Is that normal — and is the house okay sitting empty?Read the answer
- Inheritance & probateI feel like I'm betraying my parents by selling their house.Read the answer
From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.