I am selling my house to people I know. Not only do I know them, but I also like them. This has made an extremely hard transition that much easier.

Anyone who has moved from the home where they raised their family will tell you how difficult it is. My children grew up in the house. It is the only home either of them can remember. While one of my daughters is handling it much better than the other, it isn’t easy for any of us.

The house also holds memories of their dad, who they tragically lost way too young. 

But this home sale has a silver lining.

The Best Neighbors

We bought our home 23 years ago and were the first “young family” in the immediate neighborhood. Most people around us were original owners and closer to our parents’ age than ours. 

That changed quickly. First, we were so lucky when the woman next door asked us if we knew anyone who would be interested in buying her house. We did! Our very close friends had been looking in the neighborhood and scooped it up. There has been nothing better than having them a few feet away. We have more memories together than you can possibly imagine.

A few short years later, we had a new family across the street. There was an immediate connection, especially between my husband and the dad. I can still hear them scream each other’s names whenever they would see each other outside. Their amazing daughters even babysat for mine when they were young.

Who could have imagined what is happening now?

Selling My House To The Girl Across The Street

A few years ago I was thrilled to watch the oldest girl across the street marry her high school sweetheart. They now have two adorable little boys.

The happy family bought a house of their own in town and lived there for a short while. It did not work out the way they had hoped so they moved back in with her parents. While I’m sure their house was crowded, I was happy to see them back in my neighborhood.

Then the unexpected happened. While walking my dog one day, she stopped me and asked if I was interested in selling my house to her and her husband.

I had been thinking of putting my house on the market for a while. With my own daughters living on their own, it was big and empty, not to mention the cost of living there and keeping it in decent shape on my own. 

But selling your home and looking for a new one is no easy task, so I kept putting it off. The thought of realtors and potential buyers constantly walking through did not seem fun, especially with my crazy little dog being there. 

My neighbor’s offer to buy my house seemed like the perfect solution. Without thinking for more than a minute, I said yes. 

An Easy Feeling After Selling My House

It took a while, but I think I found a great place to make my new home. 

As for my old one, it is very hard to leave. I keep walking through all the rooms while memories of times spent in them come flooding back. I am definitely going to miss it.

But it is time to move on and make memories in my new home. In a way, I am looking forward to it. A fresh start (but I made sure that each of my daughters has their own room for when they visit). 

I know most people sell to strangers and have no idea who will live in their house. I am very lucky to be selling to a wonderful family who I have known for years. It gives me comfort to pass my house on to people who will love and care for it just like we did. 

I can already imagine those two adorable boys running through the halls. It is being left in very good hands and I hope they will have a lifetime of happiness there. 

Stacy Feintuch

Stacy was a stay-at-home mom/part-time preschool teacher whose life was turned upside down in 2011 when her husband passed away suddenly of a heart attack.  She is raising her two fabulous daughters, who are turning into wonderful young women.  In 2016, she started a blog about her experience as a young widow, The Widow Wears Pink. This led her to write for other publications including Huffington Post, Today.com, Scary Mommy, Grown & Flown, Kveller, Modern Loss, Thought Catalog, and many more. In 2018 she started Living the Second Act with fellow writer Mimi Golub. Today, Stacy and her daughters  are happily living their “new normal” while always keeping her husband’s spirit alive.