How to Remember Your Old Home (Before You Move)

As exciting as it is to move to a new house, there’s a bit of sadness in letting the old house go. There were a lot of good memories there. Maybe it was the first house you’ve ever bought. Or the first house you bought with your spouse. Maybe you or the kids grew up there. There were the backyard barbecues. The good times and good food that came from the kitchen. On and on.

It maybe true, as George Carlin said, that a house is a place for your stuff, but it’s also where we make and keep a lot of memories.

Before the move happens, before all of the packing and breaking down of the house happens, think about how you want to remember your old home.

1. Do a walk-thru

Pull out the nearest video camera: smartphone, DSLR, Go Pro, whatever and film the house from the front yard to the back yard with the whole house in-between. As you film, tell stories about good memories. If you have kids, get them in on the action. Have them tell their favorite memories about the house.

2. Take Pictures

Pictures are another great way to remember the old place. Take a lot. You can either keep them in their own album or you can upload them to a program like Microsoft Photosynth to get a 3D photo version of your house.

3. Say Goodbye

One day, you’ll be standing in your former kitchen for the last time. It’s the bittersweet moment between the past and the future. Take it, hold on to it for a moment. Smell the air. Feel the empty space now that all of your things are out of the space. Thank the space for the years. It sounds silly but humans are creatures of ritual. And then walk out of the home without looking back. It’s now history. And the future is now.