One of the hardest parts about selling your home is the memories you leave behind. For Meg Gannon, her house is much more than four walls and a roof, it is the home she and her husband prayed for, the place she raised her children, and where she tends to her beautiful garden.
When Trevor Pauling of John Greene Realtor came to me for this special project, I learned that Meg’s beautiful home in an unincorporated area of 836 S. Julien Street, Naperville had recently sold and would soon be demolished to make way for new construction.
Meg had been living on the property since 1969 when she and her late husband scraped together every bit of money they had to afford it. Meg prayed hard for the property, guided by the prayers of her favorite pastor.
During their walk through, she saw a book on the table. It happened to be of that same pastor. It was indeed a sign, and Meg felt certain that owning this home was part of her destiny.
She and her husband would go on to raise their family here, among the towering trees where the kids would play Tarzan, swinging from the branches. As their family expanded, their house grew with them. They added a basketball court and built additions to both the house and garage.
Meg’s favorite attribute of the house is a wall full of windows that looks out at the peaceful and expansive greenery. It’s upon gazing out that she recalls the story of how once, during a dinner party, a tree was struck by lightning. To everyone’s amazement, it continued to grow.
She also told the story of how a massive boulder ended up being the focal part of her yard after her husband, who worked for Pepper Construction at the time, brought it home. Selling a home you love is never easy, but one with over 50 years of memories is especially hard to say goodbye to.
Trevor wanted to ease the process as much as possible. In addition to bringing me out to capture Meg as she walked and reminisced about her property one last time, he also had another gift for her. Trevor took the liberty of commissioning a local watercolor artist to produce an aerial view of her property.
It was pure joy being able to document her expression as she unwrapped the special gift, knowing that she will now take a piece of her beloved home, and her family's beautiful memories, with her.
As we wrapped, her longtime neighbor stopped over to work on the garage that he is deconstructing. He will be rebuilding the garage on his property in Wisconsin, ensuring that a piece of the property lives on.
It was an honor to work with Trevor on this project, and to meet Meg and hear her story. I’m grateful for the opportunity I got to help document her beautiful property and sacred memories, which are now safely preserved for generations to come.
If you are in the process of saying goodbye to a beloved home, or are a real estate agent looking to gift a client with memories of their property that will last a lifetime, email me to schedule your session.
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