Posted by Stephanie Barber on Thursday, May 8th, 2025 10:21am.
Saying goodbye to a home you love is deeply emotional—it's not just walls and a roof you're parting with, but years of memories, comfort, and identity. Here are a few meaningful ways to honor that goodbye:
Walk through each room and recall your favorite memories.
Take photos or videos, especially of spaces that hold sentimental meaning.
Write a letter to the home—thank it for sheltering you, for the laughter, for the quiet.
Save something small: a doorknob, a light switch plate, a floorboard (if possible), or even a clipping from the garden.
Make a scrapbook or memory box with photos, stories, and perhaps a drawing or floor plan of the house.
Invite close friends or family to share one last celebration.
Share stories about times spent there, maybe light a candle in each room as a symbolic farewell.
Some people ring a bell in each room, say a prayer, or do a symbolic gesture like closing each door one final time.
Others plant something at the new home using soil from the old, as a continuity of roots.
A letter to the new homeowners with your favorite memories or tips for loving the home.
A hidden message written somewhere discreet (like under a cabinet drawer or behind a switch plate).
It’s okay to grieve—it means the home mattered.
But also try to imagine the new stories to be written in your next space, carrying forward what you cherished.