Dear Realtors,
Please don't forget - this is not just a house, this is my home.
I get it - you walk hundreds of clients through likely 1000+ homes each and every year. They all blend together and eventually start looking like the same driveway leading to the same front door. Inside you find a kitchen, living room, and a few bedrooms - again all the same.
And my house isn't any different. Except to me it is.
When we bought this house the driveway was crumbling; it had holes in the front door. The kitchen was not fit for food. The living room blackened from smoke and the bedrooms drafty and unwelcoming. To us it may have been another building - but it quickly became our future; our home.
We poured our hearts and souls into this house. That driveway was resurfaced and is where I have shoveled 150"+ of snow since moving in. It's where I've had snowball fights and made snow angels. That front door was replaced and is where I've greeted countless friends and family and the same spot I've hugged others good bye - maybe just for a day, or a year, but a few forever.
My kitchen was scrubbed and scrubbed some more. Items were upgraded and it became where I've taken care of my family and friends. Not only have I cooked there, but it's where I've discussed my days, reminisced about the past and shared laughs with my favorite people.
The living room is no longer black from smoke. It is full of colors. And it is where I unwind. Where bottles of wine are opened and life's worries melt away. It's where I catch up on the phone with far away loved ones. It's where I sit and cry when life just doesn't seem to be kind - and where I smile and take it all in when life is beautiful.
The bedrooms are now warm and cozy. One room is where I spend my days working and another where I spend my nights dreaming. I've made major life decisions laying in bed at night. I've planned my future in these bedrooms.
And now it is time for us to move on. To sell the home we thought we would raise our family in. To move away from where we are comfortable and familiar. And I understand that is not your fault.
So I listened - I took down all of my photos. I packed away my knick-knacks. I didn't put up holiday decorations. I took all my love and personality out of my home.
But somewhere along the line I think you forgot I did those things. You forgot that those buildings you keep walking into are someone's home. So when you do visit, I ask this of you - please try to remember.
For now, I will sit in my living room - which is void of guests, laugher, wine, photographs, knick knacks, and decorations - and I will wait to hear from you.
Sincerely,
A Home Owner
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Alexandra is a Chicago area blogger at www.myurbanfamily.com. Her writing includes life advice, random musings, and details about her family's journey into urban life in Chicago. Make sure to follow along HERE for helpful and witty post updates.
She can also be found on the following social media platforms: Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Bloglovin.
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