Selling a house you’ve lived in for a long time can be an emotional experience. As you pack and empty out rooms, lots of memories come to mind—of big occasions like holiday celebrations, Fourth of July barbecues and birthday parties, along with everyday moments like family dinners.
As a parting gesture to the place you’ve called home, consider passing along some goodwill to the house’s new owners. There are lots of ways to wish them a wonderful life in the home while letting them know what a special place it is.
Write a Letter
Leaving a simple letter to the new owners is a nice way to spread some cheer. Tell them how the house was the perfect place to raise your family, include some favorite memories, and then wish them good luck as they start making their own.
It’s also a good idea to leave them some useful information, such as the garbage pickup schedule, the school year calendar and emergency numbers for the local police and fire department.
Leave a Gift
It doesn’t have to be a big gift, but something that fits the house. If your yard has a flower garden, leave the new owners a vase that they can put flowers in. Picture frames are always a good idea and you can even include a pretty picture of your house in the frame. Or perhaps leave them a cake or pie from a local bakery or a bottle of champagne to toast their new home.
Tell Them About Your Town
After moving into a new neighborhood, people are often looking for suggestions on things to do. Leave them a packet with menus from your favorite restaurants, and let them know your favorite dishes from each place. Also leave them information on local libraries, parks, museums, sports teams and other things to do in the area.
Leaving behind the place you’ve called home for a while can be difficult, but instead of feeling sad about leaving it behind, think about the great times the new owners will have there. And help them get off to a fine start with a generous gesture.
