Sometimes, it’s too hard to keep living in a home with memories of your loved one. It can be difficult to put distance between yourself and the memories while finding the closure you need. While it’s typically inadvisable to sell your home when you’re processing grief, it’s natural to need a break and a clean slate. If you need a change of scenery to help you through this difficult period, moving may be right for you.
Find a new home
When searching for a new home, give careful consideration to where you want to live and what you can afford. You may be comfortable living closer to friends and family during this time. Find a realtor with expertise in your target area and start shopping for mortgages. Many eligible home buyers choose conventional mortgages because of their flexible and customizable term options, and you may be able to avoid having to pay mortgage insurance if you put 20 percent down.
Pack and update
When you move to a new home, you’ll need to pack up your belongings. This will be emotionally challenging, so give yourself more time than you think you’ll need. When you pack, make sure you have extra supplies on hand. If you need help, you can hire a professional packer for $35 – $40 an hour. But you may want to invite a friend or loved one to help because going through your loved one’s possessions will be difficult.
You’ll need to decide which of your loved one’s items you can’t live without and what you need to let go. Once you decide what to keep, invite family and close friends over so they can choose something of your deceased loved one as a way to remember them. Then you or a friend can take the remaining goods to a charity to donate. This way, you’ll give someone else the opportunity to treasure your loved one’s possessions.
You’re also going to have to transfer utilities to your new home and update the address for any subscriptions. Make sure to let them know in advance so you don’t incur any additional charges at your former address.
Measure and clean
You will want to ensure that you are prepared for your new home. If you’re taking your appliances with you, it’s important to measure them to make sure they will fit in your new kitchen. Will your washer and dryer fit in the laundry room, or will they go in the garage? You’ll also want to know if your mattress and larger furniture like sofas and armchairs will fit through the front (or rear) doorway. If not, you may need to sell these items or include them with your old home in case you’re renting it out or putting it on the market.
Then, once you have everything moved that is going with you, you’re going to need to clean your old home. One of your goals should be making your life as easy and stress-free as possible, so let others help you during your grieving period. You can hire a cleaning service to take that burden off your shoulders. According to HomeAdvisor, the cost of a one-time cleaning in Greenville ranges from $107 to $214.
Grief can make even the most mundane aspects of life difficult, so something challenging like moving is going to take extra energy. However, finding that change of scenery may be exactly what you need to start on the path of healing. With a little help from friends or family, you can make the process of moving as smooth as possible.