How to Manage the Emotional “Side Effects” of Selling Your Home (2024)

Selling a home brings about a wave of different emotions. There is excitement in a fresh start, but there may also be sadness in leaving a home you’ve loved for years. There is anticipation as offers roll in, but there can be stress if the transaction hits a roadblock. There is pride in the work you’ve done over the years, but you may be offended when a buyer doesn’t see the value.

Feeling the roller coaster of emotions is normal, but if you let your feelings cloud your judgement, it could negatively impact a sale. Here are some of the most common seller emotions and some tips for keeping them in check.

Nostalgia

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, buyers who purchased between July 2019 and June 2020, expect to live in their homes for a median of 15 years. That’s a lot of time to make memories and grow attached to a home.

“Selling a home is more than just a business transaction…there is often nostalgia and sentimentality involved that can affect decisions,” said REALTOR® Christina Rademacher with Coldwell Banker Hubbell BriarWood. “I went through those emotions when we sold our first home, so I understand what sellers are going through. As a REALTOR®, I want to be a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on, but I also need to keep my clients working towards the end goal.”

So, how can you manage these emotions? First, make sure you’re truly ready to sell. Talk through any concerns with your REALTOR® and listen to their input. If you don’t feel confident about your decision, it may be best to wait.

If you are ready to move forward, be honest with your agent about how difficult the process may be for you. They’ll be able to provide guidance when you’re feeling overwhelmed and help keep you on track.

As hard as it may be, it can also help to start packing early. By boxing up some of your family mementos and personal items you can accomplish two goals: you’ll prepare the home for sale by decluttering, and you’ll start the detachment process.

Lastly, try to direct your emotions towards the future. It’s much easier to focus on the positives of a new start versus dwelling on the loss of your current home.

Pride

Once you’ve made the decision to sell, determining the listing price can be another hurdle. Some sellers have an emotional bias that causes them to value their home more than its true market value.

Rademacher says the pricing phase is a crucial time in which homeowners must try to push emotions aside and think of their home as a product on the market.

“While there are some arbitrary aspects of home valuation, there are also concrete, data-driven factors that come into play,” she said. “It’s much harder to be emotional when you are armed with the facts, so it’s important that sellers are educated on the market and given as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision.”

When determining price, a REALTOR® will first create a comparative market analysis (CMA) by looking at comparable properties—recently sold properties that are similar to yours. They will review this data along with other factors, including interest rates, the current economy, seller needs, buyer demand, time of year, etc., to determine a value range for your home.

And because the market can change from day to day, sellers really need a REALTOR® on their team who can provide up-to-date, local market knowledge—a key factor in setting the right price.

“There can be caveats when it comes to pricing,” said Rademacher. “For instance, in the spring, bidding wars were common, and homes were selling over list price. While it’s definitely still a seller’s market, there is a bit of course correction happening and we are seeing some price adjustments and longer days on market on the MLS. While this correction may not yet be reflected in the comps, it should be considered when developing a pricing strategy.”

Stress

Stress produces an array of emotions including anxiety, irritability, frustration, and a general feeling of being overwhelmed. Selling a home and moving are stressful life events for anyone. But in today’s market, there is an extra layer of stress for sellers. Low inventory and high buyer demand means it may take time to find their next home, and this leaves many sellers wondering where they’ll go if their current home sells quickly.

Even without that extra pressure, the typical home selling process can be stressful enough—evaluating offers, handling negotiations, waiting for the inspection report and the appraisal results, etc. Again, this is where a professional real estate agent can help. They are problem-solvers, taking care of any issues that pop up and alleviating some of that stress. Remember, a REALTOR®’s fiduciary responsibility is to you, and they are ethically bound to look out for your best interests.

“It can sometimes be hard for sellers to balance reason and emotion, but an experienced agent should help you through the process,” said Rademacher. “We want to ensure our sellers are making sound financial decisions based on facts, but we’re also understanding of the emotions involved and we’re here to support our clients in whatever way we can.”

For a list of local REALTORS® visit the Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® website at www.lansing-realestate.com.