From One Owner to the Next

We love our house. It has been the perfect home for my husband and me and, for a few years, my stepson. We love the size, the location, the garden----well, everything. Okay, we do wish we had a two-car garage sometimes, but other than that it has been the best house for us. There’s one major reason this house is so special.

Many years ago we were lucky enough to have bought our home from a friend. We knew her when she lived in the house, witnessed her change in life-plans, bought her home when we realized we needed a bigger place, and now live here ourselves. In case you’re wondering, this amicable torch-passing is very good Feng Shui. We knew her reasons for leaving, what happened while she lived here, and knew the Feng Shui specifics of the space. Once we became the owners, we could shift the energy that needed to be transformed and keep what we wanted to build on.

It might be helpful for realtors to realize how important this was to us----not only buying from a friend, but also keeping her up-to-date with regard to the changes we made. I realize some previous owners would have a fit if their "perfect" home was altered by the new owners. But not in our case. Our dear friend rejoices in each and every change, no matter how big or small. And we’re always so excited to show her what we’ve done when she comes back to town. It’s as though we want her to approve and bless the changes. After all, she is an integral part of the legacy of our home.

It’s too bad old and new owners couldn’t become friends, help each other through the transitions of moving out and moving in, share the intricacies of the home, relate stories of what took place in the house. Instead the buyers and sellers often don’t even meet for fear some sort of fight will break out. I’m concerned when someone has bought a new/different house but in the process legal problems and animosity arose between the buyer and the seller. This is a predecessor issue which could plague the new owners for years to come.

Perhaps our story is unrealistic in today’s world. For the first few years we owned the house, we all referred to the house as "our" home. We’d tell her about something we’d changed or done, referring to it as "our" home----acknowledging her ownership and keeping her as part of the experience. She’d ask how "our" house was or "our" garden. I loved it. Recently I received an email from her when she referred to the house as a temple that had been handed from one owner to the next. We didn’t create that temple alone, I can assure you. In the work that she did and the infusion of Feng Shui energy she put in the structure, she had as much a part in how this house is functioning today as we do. For this we thank you, dear friend, and "our" temple continues to thank you.