At some point in buying a house, you’ll come across this one property that’ll make you say, “This is the one!” The house-to-work location, beautiful neighborhood, elegant design, or price might be the reason that helped you decide.

Then, you contact the seller and strike a deal. The seller says, “Okay.” Afterward, the excitement sets in and you find yourself staying up at night fantasizing about living in that home. Fast forward days after, the deal is canceled.

Later you find out that the house was sold to another buyer. You’re stunned thinking about what just happened. It’s not something you would’ve expected. The shock isn’t just temporary, you go to work and come home upset for weeks or even months!

But, this is just a worst-case scenario. Whether you’re already in this now or want to know coping mechanisms in advance, then you’ve come to the right place.

1.  Don’t bottle up your feelings

Feel out your anger and disappointment on what happened. Everyone hates when their efforts amount to nothing. So show that irritation. Brood and cry if you have to. The first step to moving on is to recognize your emotions and let them out.

2.  Take a break from the world

Don’t want to talk to anyone? That’s okay, shut your doors out. Go on a vacation. Find a new hobby. Do anything to your heart’s desire on what makes you happy as long as it’s healthy for you and those around you.

3.  Avoid the bad memory

So you’ve been finding yourself “accidentally” driving by the home that got away. I would advise you to stop doing that now. Resist the urge to turn on the street with the sign of that house. Delete the photos of that abode on your phone as well as the conversation you had with the seller.

4.  Don’t let it drag you down and learn from experience

Whatever the reason is that threw the sale down the drain, don’t be ashamed of it. If it’s your fault, it’s okay to blame yourself as long as you do it healthily. And with that, I meant to blame yourself but learn from your mistakes as well. So that the next time you find a dream home, you already have a plan and means to secure the ownership of it.

5.  Celebrate your current dwelling

Just because you’ve found your dream house and let it slip away doesn’t mean that you should ditch and hate the one you’re in right now. You’ll only turn your current place into a memory of hate. Instead, distract yourself by beautifying your home or have fun in it. Redecorate, repaint, or even plant flowers to make it a place of bloom. Not a house of gloom.

6.  Catch up with your social circle

In the pursuit of getting your dream home, you might’ve forgotten to keep in touch with your family and friends. That’s why when you lost grip of your dream, you were left with nobody to help you and cheer you up.

Hang out and spend time with the people you care about. They could be worried why you suddenly went cold. Who knows? You might find the best coping mechanism or get presented with a better real estate offer once you reopen yourself again to them.

7.  Get out and get back to house hunting

By the time you’re ready, survey the market for listings again. There will be a lot of dream homes you can find only if you don't limit yourself to one listing platform. Some might be even better than the one you lost. You’ll also realize how absurd it was to be so fixated on one model.

Losing your dream home might be hard at first. But, always keep in mind that when one gate of a listed house closes, a lot of others open. Some of these newly opened gates might even have greener grass than the one you lost. And this time, you’ll have a higher chance of keeping the deal because you have the experience to secure it.