Two years ago, I wrote a love letter to our sellers; the kind empty nesters who sold us their home in the woods. The sprawling craftsman that sat nestled between two streams on seven acres. I just read it for the first time since selling that sweet piece of our hearts, and I cried. I cherish so deeply every memory that house holds for us. But then I thought about our buyers, and felt an instant surge of gratitude, and love, for the people who own her now. Here’s what I’d say to them:

Dear Buyers,

I knew you were the ones before you walked through the front door. I felt like we instantly connected as we took the long, winding path toward the house. But I was still reserved. Feeling so protective of the home we had made, the renovations that had literally taken so much of our blood, sweat, and tears. We changed (almost) every inch with our bare hands. We hosted family dinners for family we no longer had, and could still hear their laughs echoing in the dining room. We said goodbye to our first love, and our fur baby of fourteen years here. We named pet snakes in the yard, and wrote our names in the sidewalk we poured. We l o v e d this home.

I think you could feel our quiet hesitation. We hadn’t yet found our next house, and we were struggling to leave this piece of us. You were gentle, and patient, and kind. Not every buyer is that way, you know. You are one of the good guys. Please know how grateful we were for all of that. And how wonderful it is now, to hear from you months later with such warmth and love. We are so blessed to be able to see a glimpse of your life in those walls, and your babies playing in the woods the same way ours did.

You made us want to be better buyers ourselves. To remember the hardships on both ends. To show the other side compassion, support, friendship even. Having moved so many times, and having helped so many buyers and sellers; we can sometimes revert back to what we know – focus on the transaction side of things. The human side is even more important. We can’t wait to see how you make it your own, how you grow and change in that home, and the new life you bring to the gardens. Thank you for making it a little easier to say goodbye; with the promise of an open door to stop in and visit.