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Post by shevy on Sept 2, 2015 16:54:07 GMT
 My Grandma is 90 and moved into senior living this spring. It took a lot of talking to get her there and after she moved in, she tried to move back home a couple of times. My Mom would find her (she still drives short distances) at the house just sitting and crying. Over the summer she agreed to sell the house. It's sold and they close 9/18/15. Tomorrow night I have a photographer coming to the house for photos with my Grandma. I also invited any of the family who are in town (short notice) and interested in being there. Any suggestions on how to get some good photos? Any other photos you've seen, other than just standing in front of the home, that looked good? There is a patio to the side, no furniture though, because the house is empty. There is a deck out back with 5 or 6 stairs. I am pretty emotional about this myself. This is the one constant in my life. She's lived there for 50 years. So even when my parents moved or I moved, I always had that house to come back to. I've lived in the house for a while, I've taken care of the house when she and my Grandpa where gone. I've had holidays and birthdays and surprise parties there. SO many memories live in that house, good and bad. I want to write a letter to the new couple telling them about some of the funny things and that I hope they continue the memories as they take possession. But my Mom said that's weird.
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Post by redshoes on Sept 2, 2015 17:21:13 GMT
What a great idea!!
Would be nice to get her expressions while she looks at the house or in different rooms as she walks in...standing at the sink? looking out into the yard from the porch?
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The Birdhouse Lady
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Post by The Birdhouse Lady on Sept 2, 2015 17:25:36 GMT
I know how you feel. In my mind I can go room to room in my grandparents home. I remember all the nooks and cranny's where my sister and I would play when we were kids. I can remember how it smelled when she baked bread. I remember all the family get togethers we had there. All great memories.
I hope the photographer gets some great shots.
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Post by mellowyellow on Sept 2, 2015 17:26:50 GMT
I'm so sorry you all are going through this but I also think it's a really cool idea about the pictures. What about her standing at the sink looking out the kitchen window...if there is one. Or on the stairs. Her standing on the porch looking out front. I hope you will post some pictures because I would love to see them. Big hugs to you all!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2015 17:30:43 GMT
My grandmother lived in her house for 65 years. My grandfather built it. She passed away in January. Mom and uncles waited until after her memorial service in March to sell it. It sold in may. Each of them wrote a letter to the buyers about the house. The new owners got a copy of my grandma standing in front of the house with the three kids (my mom was a newborn in the picture). The new family is young and hopefully will be as kind to the house as my grandparents were.
We got a picture of all of the grandkids standing on the front porch.
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Post by papersilly on Sept 2, 2015 17:35:03 GMT
i know how you feel. I am selling my childhood home now that my mom has passed. I couldn't bring myself to do it the first few years after she was gone but now, i'm ready. when I first met my agent there so he could check out the place, I got a little sad even though I hadn't lived there in 30 years. I toured the whole house but felt too sad to go into my mom's room. I just sat outside, in front of her bedroom window, while my sister took my agent around for the rest of the tour.
I think I will get sad again when we remove the contents of the home and finally, when we hand over the keys. it had been in the family for almost 40 years and soon, it will be gone.
I'm glad your grandma gets to have some photos with the house. I think the photo session will be nostalgic but wonderful. |
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Post by lisacharlotte on Sept 2, 2015 17:45:38 GMT
I like the idea of the note to the new owners. My house was built in 1922. I would love to have a history of the various occupants through the years.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2015 17:51:09 GMT
Dang peas...I'm crying in my lunch.
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Mystie
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Post by Mystie on Sept 2, 2015 17:53:07 GMT
My grandparents lived in the same house almost their entire married life (60+ years), and when we cleared them out and had a big sale, I went through the house and took pictures of all the rooms, and also pictures of the flowerbeds, the outbuildings, the yard. Then I put together a small album with those pictures, plus pictures from the past. So, for instance, a picture of the kitchen, and then a picture of some of us grandkids in the kitchen with Grandma when we were little. And I journaled specific memories, too. I was able to match up a lot of old pictures to the pictures I took. Just a thought, if you have any old pictures of your family in the house. It's one of the most meaningful things I've scrapbooked.
It is such a momentous thing to let go of a home that has been in the family for years. So many memories. You'll never regret getting those pictures taken! Hugs to your grandma...this has to be hard for her, but I hope the pictures will comfort her in some small way.
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Post by ilikepink on Sept 2, 2015 18:04:43 GMT
I also had to see my grandparent's home--they had it built in 1939. I lived there two different times, and it was like cutting off my right arm. We also took pictures the last night. I have some in a scrapbook with before they moved in and after we moved out--looks great.
My suggestion is to ask Grandma where her favorite spots are in the house/yard, and get pictures of her in those spots, but also what she saw from that perspective. Her at the kitchen sink is normal, but what she sees from there could be priceless. Ask questions and write down (record?) everything she says to be included in the scrapbook (I'm assuming there's some kind of end-game with the pictures.....lol)
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Post by lbp on Sept 2, 2015 18:10:52 GMT
I think it's a great idea to write some memories for the new owners. I have had to sell and box up memories from my childhood house, my grandparents and my great aunt and uncle whom I lived with for a while. It is so hard.
I have taken some photos of our family and have slipped them down in the floor board molding in our house. I have also written little notes and hid them in the attic, under cabinets, etc.. with some of my memories of building the house. One day when I'm gone I hope the new owner will enjoy the notes.
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Post by LiLi on Sept 2, 2015 18:14:11 GMT
I wish I had thought about doing something like this when our family sold my grandparent's house.  Such a good idea. |
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Post by lancermom on Sept 2, 2015 18:14:09 GMT
I know how you feel about it being your only constant place. My grandparents purchased their home in1977 and sold it in 1998. It was so sad for me since my parents moved us every four years. I could always count on grandmas house as my foundation. I regret not building our house like theirs. We were building same time they sold. Once I moved out. My parents stopped bouncing around the country. I only lived there three years, so it is t home. As a senior living housing manager, I hope she finds peace in her new home.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2015 18:19:14 GMT
I think getting a lot of pictures inside and outside is a fabulous idea.
I still miss the home my Grandparents had for many years. (they were married 58 yrs before my Grandfather died...they only lived in two homes) I "visit" on Google maps often and it really brings me back. (and I'm finding myself even getting emotional now as I type)
In my Grandparents home, there was an area on the wall near the basement stairs where my Grandmother marked lines on the wall as her girls grew. It was never cleaned, papered over, or painted over. It was there when they left their home. Oh how I wish I had thought to be sure that was captured. Is there anything like that in your Grandma's house?
IDK about a letter to the new owners. I think welcoming them to the home and telling them that it contains years of great memories would about be enough. I don't know that I'd go into great detail.
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Post by pierkiss on Sept 2, 2015 19:38:07 GMT
I think you should write the letter. I think it's sweet. I would have loved to have gotten a note telling me about some of the wonderful memories of this house. It's nice to hear that your new house was very much loved.  |
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Post by underwatermama on Sept 2, 2015 20:08:21 GMT
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caangel
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Post by caangel on Sept 2, 2015 20:20:15 GMT
I think my great grandparents build the family farm house. I know that my grandpa was proud that he was born and would die/died on the same place. It was made a centennial farm about 20 or so years ago. My uncle lives in it now. His son lives down th street and I expect he will take over the farm at some point. I'm thankful that it will still be in the family. We never lived close by but my parents always set me and my brother there for summers. When I took my kids there a couple of years ago I took many photos of the house, especially small things like the molding, door handles, flooring, windows, light switches, barn, etc. I still haven't put together a photo book.
I can imagine it will be very emotional but I love that you are getting a professional photographer.
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Post by disneypal on Sept 2, 2015 20:42:17 GMT
I don't really have suggestions for photos, but I think that is a wonderful idea. I feel so sad for your grandma, must be hard to give up a home you've had for 50 years!
I think writing a letter to the new owners isn't weird at all - I would have liked to have received some info about the people that lived in the house that I currently own - it would be interesting to me. |
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CeeScraps
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~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
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Post by CeeScraps on Sept 2, 2015 21:54:07 GMT
Take a chair for your grandmother. She will need it. Besides, it could be used as a prop for her to sit or someone else to sit.
Does someone have a rocking chair she had? If so that would be sweet, or even a bench. How about a quilt? It too could be a backdrop or even sit on it on the grass. A car? Use her car for a background. Oh, flowers....
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IAmUnoriginal
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Sept 2, 2015 22:03:51 GMT
Don't forget to have pictures taken of any special trees, flower beds or landscaping items. When my great-grandparents' house was sold, someone thought to take a picture of great-grandpa's plum tree. My grandpa still has that picture on the wall in his house. All of Great-Grandpa's grandkids and great-grandkids have strong memories of that tree. As soon as you were old enough to walk and reach up, he'd take you out and teach you how to find the ripe plums. We'd all return to the house with sticky chins, including the teacher.
Also, any unique features that you love. My parents' house had those old antique crystal door knobs. I'd take photos of those. And, I'd probably take pictures of the stair case that I fell down about 100 times before they carpeted it.
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FurryP
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Post by FurryP on Sept 3, 2015 2:01:41 GMT
I am so heartbroken for your grandma. I can't even imagine what she is feeling.  I didn't read all the posts, but how about recreating some photos of the past? Like for instance if you have an old photo of her standing at the mailbox, take another in the same position. ETA: I have to add my experience.....regarding the letter. I would not do it. Figuratively speaking, if the people are not really into that kind of stuff, you'd be handing over your grandma's memories to them, and they would likely be trashed. My first house had a painted mural on the wall that was painted by the previous owner's daughter. I know they had attachment to it. They proudly told us about it when we spoke to them once. To me it just did have the same meaning. I felt bad when we painted over it, but I surely was not going to keep it. |
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Post by txdancermom on Sept 3, 2015 2:04:49 GMT
It is hard to leave a house that has been such a big part of your life. when I left the house I grew up in (my dad had sold it), we took pictures of every room, from different angles, to get the views that I was used to seeing, and also around the outside. I love going back and looking at those pictures, fond memories of the house.
the memories will always be with you
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Post by Skellinton on Sept 3, 2015 3:49:47 GMT
ETA: I have to add my experience.....regarding the letter. I would not do it. Figuratively speaking, if the people are not really into that kind of stuff, you'd be handing over your grandma's memories to them, and they would likely be trashed. My first house had a painted mural on the wall that was painted by the previous owner's daughter. I know they had attachment to it. They proudly told us about it when we spoke to them once. To me it just did have the same meaning. I felt bad when we painted over it, but I surely was not going to keep it. She likely wouldn't be giving the new owners the letter personally, so even if they were completely lacking tact and decorum and made snide comments about the letter the op wouldn't know. There is a chance they will love the letter and info included. If they don't, so what? It isn't like they are going to find the op to tell her they thought it was silly. They might just treasure it. |
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Post by AussieMeg on Sept 3, 2015 4:03:00 GMT
Oh, I totally understand the emotion!! I felt the same way when we sold my grandparents' house, although they had both passed away before we sold it. It was the very first house I lived in when I was born before mum and dad bought our house. Just before it went on the market I went there and took a ton of photos in each room but they were really weird and sad because the rooms were so empty. I ended up doing some scrapbook pages..... each photo had journaling along the lines of "The loungeroom, empty now, holds memories of the family gathered around the Christmas Tree each year with Auntie Bev dressed as Santa's Helper and Uncle Darryl telling really bad jokes from the bon bons". So even though the photos themselves were a bit sad, the memories attached to each room were fun. When dad sold the house that I grew up in (and actually lived in until I was 29 years old  ), I took my kids there and had a photo of all of us sitting on the front steps. |
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Post by maryland on Sept 3, 2015 10:55:05 GMT
What a great idea!
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Julie W
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Post by Julie W on Sept 3, 2015 11:39:05 GMT
You are really sweet to go through all these efforts. I don't have any suggestions for the photos but the discussion about the letters to the new owners reminded me of a pin I saw on Pinterest that I thought was pretty cool. Light switch time capsule |
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Post by ilikepink on Sept 3, 2015 16:39:22 GMT
I love that light switch time capsule!! After the trials and trauma of buying my house last year, I will never buy again and may just die in my house, but I'd so love to do that!! Can you imagine finding that and you are painting your new house? cool!
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My Grandma is 90 and moved into senior living this spring. It took a lot of talking to get her there and after she moved in, she tried to move back home a couple of times. My Mom would find her (she still drives short distances) at the house just sitting and crying. Over the summer she agreed to sell the house. It's sold and they close 9/18/15.
), I took my kids there and had a photo of all of us sitting on the front steps. 
