We are still settling on the new house on Wednesday, April 24 but our actual moving/house prep plans have changed. Initially, we had been thinking we would schedule the movers for Friday and use that Thursday to have house painting done. We were planning on using this painter that came highly recommended by several of our neighbors who had their homes painted prior to move-in in a day at a really great price. Problem is, we can't get in touch with him. And as time as gone on, the more we've thought about it, the more we realize that we don't want to delay getting into the house for paint. I'd love to have all the rooms painted at move in, but I don't know if it's worth the stress at this point. However, I told Jason that this does not mean we will be putting off painting in any way. In fact, soon after we move in, I want to start getting estimates on painting the foyer/living/dining/upstairs hallway because I don't want to wait. We'll probably tackle the bedrooms ourselves though and I would be open to seeing how much it would cost additionally to get the family room and kitchen painted. We have several friends who have had painting done in their houses recently so we should have plenty of references. (Katie, I need to get Rusty's info!)
For the most part, I'm okay with it but I'm a little sad about not having the kids rooms painted when we move in. They're the ones I care about the most in trying to make the house feel like home. Plus, I bought them all those wall decals that I don't want to put up until we have a nice, non-flat paint on the walls. I think we'll stick with similar colors but using Behr instead of Sherwin-Williams for their rooms. We used Behr in all but one room in the old house and loved it. (The one room we didn't use it in was NOT good.) I will probably go for SW colors for our bedroom and the foyer/dining/living room since I like those colors so much and don't want anything but those colors.
Anyway, here's how we're going to roll for move in now.....
Wednesday: Settlement and getting everything in the front of the big storage unit out that is blocking the big furniture. (Thank goodness our storage unit is 5 minutes from the new house - that will speed things up significantly since it was 15 minutes away in the old house and going back and forth seemed to take forever.)
Thursday: Movers in the AM to get all the big furniture out of storage - Jason and I starting the process of getting everything else out of storage. Hanging blinds?!?!?
Friday: More back and forth to storage, getting all of our necessities out of my parents' house (girls' beds, clothes, etc) - Hoping to spend our first night in the new house!
Saturday: Verizon hook up and washer/dryer delivery in the AM (Jason and Bryce have opening day for baseball with a parade...guess I will miss it again this year.) More unpacking and storage runs...
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday....more of the same. Jason is going back to work on Tuesday and I will go back on Wednesday.
From there, it's anyone's guess. But it feels so good to actually start making plans now. Kind of scared about the fact that it took us 2 months to fill our storage unit and we'll be unloading it much faster. Just worried about not being able to find the most pressing items although I know the kids will be so excited to see some of their toys and belongings. I know I miss some of my clothes. Counting down...
Showing posts with label Moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moving. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Out and Onward
We are officially 100% out of the old house. Feeling a little sad about it but not as sad as I expected. The more things we packed, the easier it got. As we took our lives, fingerprints, and DNA out of the house, it just didn't feel like ours anymore. Although it was weird walking in the upstairs hallway, which didn't look any different and then to walk into one of the kids' rooms because you almost expected to see their stuff. Settlement is Thursday....yup, my birthday. Happy Birthday to me!
Bryce wouldn't let me take his picture and I think it was because he was really sad. I know the hardest part about moving with kids that are a little older is that they have friends they are leaving behind. And because we aren't going right into our new house where there will be kids to play with, we have this temporary time without friends right down the street. I know that Bryce is particularly sad about leaving Joey. Caroline is sad about Sophia too but Sophia was gone a lot so it's not that different but Joey and Bryce had really gotten close these past 6 months. And with Christmas just over a week away, there's just no time to have other kids over. I keep promising the kids we can reunite with their neighbor friends after Christmas.
But other than that, things are going okay living with my parents. Still trying to get the bedtime thing down but it's gotten considerably better. I just have so much to do this week before the holiday.
In new house news, the foundation forms are gone and we move onto readying for backfill:
No holdups yet....so we just keep hoping we can be under roof shortly after the new year! Cannot wait to drive down our road and see an actual house standing there.
Bryce wouldn't let me take his picture and I think it was because he was really sad. I know the hardest part about moving with kids that are a little older is that they have friends they are leaving behind. And because we aren't going right into our new house where there will be kids to play with, we have this temporary time without friends right down the street. I know that Bryce is particularly sad about leaving Joey. Caroline is sad about Sophia too but Sophia was gone a lot so it's not that different but Joey and Bryce had really gotten close these past 6 months. And with Christmas just over a week away, there's just no time to have other kids over. I keep promising the kids we can reunite with their neighbor friends after Christmas.
But other than that, things are going okay living with my parents. Still trying to get the bedtime thing down but it's gotten considerably better. I just have so much to do this week before the holiday.
In new house news, the foundation forms are gone and we move onto readying for backfill:
No holdups yet....so we just keep hoping we can be under roof shortly after the new year! Cannot wait to drive down our road and see an actual house standing there.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Getting There!
The light at the end of the tunnel is officially in sight!! In fact, it's getting rather bright!
Okay, I'm a poet and I didn't even know it.
Anyway, here I am back at work after taking Monday off and things are looking decidedly great. Last night, after another exhausting day, we received our official settlement date (12/20!) and then this morning we received official word that the buyer's loan is approved. WOOO HOO!! I honestly cried some tears of joy and relief. Not that we had any indication that things were problematic, you just don't know until it's official and it was just taking a few days longer than expected.
I am beyond thrilled and the fact that settlement is on my birthday is fine by me. I get to take the day off, which I normally never do since it's right before I get a week and a half off for winter break.
As for moving and adjusting, it was a long weekend where I broke down into stress tears a number of times but when all is said and done, it was a productive, good weekend.
Friday night was "business as usual" in the house and I didn't even bother packing anything since I knew packing a box or two wasn't going to make a difference the next day. Saturday morning I took the girls to gymnastics while Jason and his brother loaded up my FIL's truck with our big items that we are keeping at my mom's (grill, deck box, etc). Then Jeremy helped Jay load up the truck with the final pieces of the playground that didn't make it up last weekend. My MIL graciously offered to take the kids for Saturday and Sunday so we could fully focus on the move and I cannot thank her enough. Not only were the kids happy and got to bake all day with Nana, we accomplished a lot without them being around to worry about. We got all of their stuff settled into my parents' house and got their bedroom set up. After a little more packing at our house, Jason and I settled down for our last night in our old house. It was kind of sad but at the same time the more stuff we packed, the less it felt like our house which made it a lot easier.
We got moving early on Sunday and took all of our personal stuff over to my mom and dad's and then headed out to get a few storage items from Target and to buy more boxes. You always need WAY more boxes then you think you will need. Good grief. So we headed back to the house and my parents came over with lunch (YAY!) and to help with more packing. My mom packed up my kitchen and I cannot say how much I appreciated that huge task! We worked until 3pm and then I followed Jason in the truck up to my IL's to pick up the kids.
Our first night "sleeping" at my parents' was a little rough but I think to be expected. The kids were SOOO excited to be there and to see how we set up their room. The bunk beds were a huge source of fun too. Monday morning came and we were all exhausted, but we carried on. (And thanks to my mom and dad's patience with the kids....they know it will settle down we just have to figure out a new routine.)
The movers arrived at 10am and within an hour they had all the big furniture out. These guys were great and I think we will try and use the same mover and request the same "team" for the next job. They didn't have any problems carrying even the treadmill and were so gentle and efficient with our stuff. I'd trust them in a new house! They even told us how much they appreciated the fact that we had done what we were supposed to do in terms of taking apart furniture and clearing things off/out. I guess a lot of people don't do that - boggles my mind!
Jason took the task of going with the movers to storage and we got it allllll in! But, we still have a lot of boxes and small furniture to store so I think we're going to need an additional small unit to finish the job. But, that's okay because just getting all the big stuff in is a huge deal to me.
So what's next? The house is about 95% packed (mostly odds/ends that aren't) and I hope to get it all in storage on Saturday with Sunday to manage any last minute incidentals. We'll get there....from here it's all downhill! Just so grateful for the help and support from our family! So much to celebrate and be grateful for this Christmas!
Sunday, December 09, 2012
Packing/Moving...Kinda Sucks
No real problems to speak of but man, it sucks.
You know that old saying "You don't know what you've got till it's gone?"
Well, it needs to be amended to "You don't know what you've got till it's gone or you move."
OMG. Amazing how much stuff a family of five can collect and that's even with me going through stuff and getting rid of a lot. I can't imagine what it's like in a hoarders house. Makes me want to violently purge a LOT more.
Another exhausting day ahead. Kids are at my IL's so we have to retrieve them. Piper may have an ear infection and the van needs to go in for service tomorrow as the check engine light has been on for a week and we're afraid of a breakdown. (Code reader says it's an emissions thing but it idles a little rough and we don't want to chance it.) We'll manage though. We always do. Just have to keep pressing on. We will get through this!
Kids bedroom is mostly set up at my mom's. I will have to post photos later. It's quite cozy but I think they will love the bunk/trundle set up.
You know that old saying "You don't know what you've got till it's gone?"
Well, it needs to be amended to "You don't know what you've got till it's gone or you move."
OMG. Amazing how much stuff a family of five can collect and that's even with me going through stuff and getting rid of a lot. I can't imagine what it's like in a hoarders house. Makes me want to violently purge a LOT more.
Another exhausting day ahead. Kids are at my IL's so we have to retrieve them. Piper may have an ear infection and the van needs to go in for service tomorrow as the check engine light has been on for a week and we're afraid of a breakdown. (Code reader says it's an emissions thing but it idles a little rough and we don't want to chance it.) We'll manage though. We always do. Just have to keep pressing on. We will get through this!
Kids bedroom is mostly set up at my mom's. I will have to post photos later. It's quite cozy but I think they will love the bunk/trundle set up.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
A Packing We Will Go
Our buyers received their commitment letter from their bank which means they are in the final steps of their loan being approved officially. (It went to underwriting yesterday.) So......we are in high gear packing now and full speed ahead to moving into my parents' house this weekend and the movers will come, as scheduled, on Monday morning to move out the big furniture. We should get word in the next few days of the settlement date but we are requesting 12/17 or 12/18.
Last night I packed up a bunch of the kitchen stuff up which felt good. It's weird though, if you look around my house you might think that it doesn't look like a lot is packed but so many drawers and cupboards are empty now. Tonight and tomorrow night I will be packing up clothes and all the stuff that is going to my mom's. I think they're ready for us...at least I hope so.
Bryce thinks it's funny that I'm moving back into the house I grew up in. And while that's true, my mom has changed so much since I moved out over 12 years ago it almost doesn't feel like the same house. But comforting nonetheless.
Here's hoping we are "homeless" by Christmas!!!!
Oh and they poured our footers yesterday on the new house!! They are hoping to get the walls poured before the weekend. That would be pretty outstanding to see that we have a basement very soon! (Here's the concrete "injector" pouring concrete into our footers yesterday afternoon.)
Last night I packed up a bunch of the kitchen stuff up which felt good. It's weird though, if you look around my house you might think that it doesn't look like a lot is packed but so many drawers and cupboards are empty now. Tonight and tomorrow night I will be packing up clothes and all the stuff that is going to my mom's. I think they're ready for us...at least I hope so.
Bryce thinks it's funny that I'm moving back into the house I grew up in. And while that's true, my mom has changed so much since I moved out over 12 years ago it almost doesn't feel like the same house. But comforting nonetheless.
Here's hoping we are "homeless" by Christmas!!!!
Oh and they poured our footers yesterday on the new house!! They are hoping to get the walls poured before the weekend. That would be pretty outstanding to see that we have a basement very soon! (Here's the concrete "injector" pouring concrete into our footers yesterday afternoon.)
Monday, December 03, 2012
Getting There
Late last week I was feeling pretty stressed. And yes, Jason was paying for it. I felt like I hadn't done enough packing and then not having an official settlement date yet, I was freaking. Thankfully, our wonderful realtor called me when he could sense in my emails that I was on the edge. He talked me down. Seriously, this guy has been worth every penny. Hopefully, by the end of this week we will know that the buyer's loan has been approved and then we move full steam ahead. Once we get that go-ahead, we will move all of our personal stuff into my mom's this weekend and then follow with all the big furniture to the storage by movers either on Monday or another day next week.
The interesting thing was that shortly after signing the contract, we received a mailing from the title company saying settlement would be on 12/13. When we talked to our realtor about it he knew nothing about that date and upon his further investigation NO ONE else knew about that date - not the buyer, not the mortgage company. He basically told us to forget that date because according to the more important parties, we have no date set yet. The contract says by 12/20 so he is thinking perhaps 12/17 or a day or two later. If that ends up being the case we will still move in with my parents this weekend but have more time to get all of our stuff out and the house cleaned up in the week that follows.
Whew. I feel so much better.
Plus, I think knowing our new house is underway and having our pre-construction meeting with the sales agent yesterday and going over the tentative building schedule helped. We also spent Saturday evening with my parents to decorate their Christmas tree (with our ornaments too) and that helped me get into the Christmas spirit which I think we all needed.
My mom is readying her house to accept us too and I am so grateful with how flexible she's been especially with all the Christmas gifts being delivered this week. I'm sure her UPS man loves her.
I had been feeling sad about leaving our house but after seeing our new house starting to really come to fruition, I'm feeling better about it. I will miss it but I am finally getting truly excited about the new house now that this selling/moving process is almost over.
We also had an "uncle invasion" on Saturday where my brother, Jason's brother and brother-in-law came over to help him and his dad move the playground. A big task that they seemed to handle with ease.
All the pieces that we've been placing so carefully over the past few months are finally starting to fall into place. It was a puzzle that looked extremely overwhelming when we started it but it's so nice to be able to start to see the final "picture" emerging.
The interesting thing was that shortly after signing the contract, we received a mailing from the title company saying settlement would be on 12/13. When we talked to our realtor about it he knew nothing about that date and upon his further investigation NO ONE else knew about that date - not the buyer, not the mortgage company. He basically told us to forget that date because according to the more important parties, we have no date set yet. The contract says by 12/20 so he is thinking perhaps 12/17 or a day or two later. If that ends up being the case we will still move in with my parents this weekend but have more time to get all of our stuff out and the house cleaned up in the week that follows.
Whew. I feel so much better.
Plus, I think knowing our new house is underway and having our pre-construction meeting with the sales agent yesterday and going over the tentative building schedule helped. We also spent Saturday evening with my parents to decorate their Christmas tree (with our ornaments too) and that helped me get into the Christmas spirit which I think we all needed.
My mom is readying her house to accept us too and I am so grateful with how flexible she's been especially with all the Christmas gifts being delivered this week. I'm sure her UPS man loves her.
I had been feeling sad about leaving our house but after seeing our new house starting to really come to fruition, I'm feeling better about it. I will miss it but I am finally getting truly excited about the new house now that this selling/moving process is almost over.
We also had an "uncle invasion" on Saturday where my brother, Jason's brother and brother-in-law came over to help him and his dad move the playground. A big task that they seemed to handle with ease.
All the pieces that we've been placing so carefully over the past few months are finally starting to fall into place. It was a puzzle that looked extremely overwhelming when we started it but it's so nice to be able to start to see the final "picture" emerging.
Monday, November 26, 2012
It Was a Good Thanksgiving!
I had hopes of updating some this weekend. That never happened. From the time I got off work on Tuesday evening, it was go go go!
Wednesday: Caroline and Bryce made the honor roll (yay!) so their award breakfast was that morning. My MIL graciously still came down to take Piper to school and stayed to help in class. I was able to get there by 10:15 to help and see Piper in action in class. It was freaking adorable. They had a very nice Thanksgiving meal too. Piper was just thrilled I could finally be there and I can understand why she likes her school so much. After that we ran home, saw the appraiser finishing up her job, and then scooted over to my mom's to help with Thanksgiving dinner prep. Finished up there in enough time to get the kids from school and take them to get allergy shots. Stopped by the model house on our way back to pick up another load of free boxes and got home in time to get ready to go to eat dinner at our usual Thanksgiving Eve place - Pizza John's. Bryce decided to spend the night at my mom's so it was a much quieter evening and next morning as a result. Here are some photos from the day on Wednesday:
Wednesday: Caroline and Bryce made the honor roll (yay!) so their award breakfast was that morning. My MIL graciously still came down to take Piper to school and stayed to help in class. I was able to get there by 10:15 to help and see Piper in action in class. It was freaking adorable. They had a very nice Thanksgiving meal too. Piper was just thrilled I could finally be there and I can understand why she likes her school so much. After that we ran home, saw the appraiser finishing up her job, and then scooted over to my mom's to help with Thanksgiving dinner prep. Finished up there in enough time to get the kids from school and take them to get allergy shots. Stopped by the model house on our way back to pick up another load of free boxes and got home in time to get ready to go to eat dinner at our usual Thanksgiving Eve place - Pizza John's. Bryce decided to spend the night at my mom's so it was a much quieter evening and next morning as a result. Here are some photos from the day on Wednesday:
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| Apparently there were cheese balls at the first Thanksgiving too. |
Thursday: The girls played so nicely and watched the parade while I made stuffing and got ready to go to my mom's. We arrived shortly after 11am and in time to see Santa arrive in the parade. In addition to part of my dad's family and my family, the daughter of one of my parents' good friends was there with her family. They have two kids, aged 5 and 2 who are wonderful. The kids had so much fun playing with them. It was a great day and we stayed LATE into the evening. My mom and I even went to Target at 9pm to try and get deal but after going in and experiencing the chaos we have been forever cured of any Black Friday shopping. We happily left empty handed after 10 minutes.
Friday: The kids played with neighbors while we ran back and forth to storage. The basement and garage are pretty much empty.
Saturday: Another busy day! Gymnastics at 9am followed by a holiday decorating party at the model house. We got to meet more of our neighbors and hear all kinds of interesting building/move-in stories from several other couples. I think we're going to really like our new neighborhood! Everyone that has kids was so happy to see other kids that are moving in too. By 2pm, we left and headed south to our friends in Columbia's house. The kids were thrilled to see Zoe and Taki and play with all the other kids that were there too. I love that the holidays always give us more opportunities to see one another!
Sunday: Jason tackled taking apart the kids' playground while I got groceries and started packing the family room, living room, and kitchen. We were all feeling a little sad that the long weekend was almost over though and the prospect of how much has to be done in the next two weeks.
Jason said for the first time last night he felt sad about leaving. I have moments myself here and there and it's easy not to think about it with having so much to do. I think it's normal especially when we've had a great 9 years here. All 3 kids were babies here - that's kind of hard to part with but thankfully I have thousands of photos to capture it. Plus, we know once we are in the new house and settled it will become ours in a matter of months. I think just having the few months of not having a house will be the tough part.
But there was much to be thankful for and I am done all of my Christmas shopping for the kids. Jay and I aren't exchanging gifts so now I have to tackle our parents, my siblings, and some other gifts. I'm really hoping that things are settled enough at my mom's the weekend after we move in to do some baking as I really like doing that for teachers and some other gifts.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Quick Weekend Update
Yes, it's Tuesday. Already. Good gracious. Another whirlwind weekend.
After gymnastics on Saturday morning, we switched from a 5x10 storage unit to a 15x30 unit and schlepped all of our stuff from one to the other. Bryce and Piper had a knack for standing in the exact wrong spot as we moved stuff in and out. Managed to get home in time and get gifts for the neighbor birthday party we attended that afternoon and evening. It was a beautiful day for November and the kids had a great time and we had a good time catching up with some neighbors. No one could believe how quickly we sold our house and that we are moving before Christmas. In fact, one of our neighbors who attempted to sell their house twice before with no luck is now considering trying again after our success. We even teased them that they should look at our new neighborhood!
We were up early on Sunday so I loaded up the van and made three trips to the storage unit before lunch with stuff from the basement. Then, once Caroline came home from her sleepover, we loaded the kids up, made one more trip to the storage unit and went and hung out at the model house for a bit. My parents came by (my dad had never been inside) and we met some more new neighbors. But the big news of the day for Caroline was she finally got to meet Rachel. Rachel lives next door to the model and is exactly one month older than Caroline. She will finish the year out in her current school but will be attending 4th grade at our neighborhood's school! Upon first meeting, I could tell the girls hit it off! She was friendly, silly and had a lot of energy - just like Caroline. She even seemed to really like Piper. And, the icing on the cake? Her brother plays for the Maryland football team - ha! Go Terps! Caroline was so cute when they told her she was outside with her dog and wanted to meet the kids. Caroline had been eating and quickly wiped off her face before going outside to meet her - clearly she wanted to make a good impression. We also met another guy whose in-laws live in my parents' neighborhood and my parents actually know worked together with in the community association. Small world! He and his wife live a few houses down from where our lot is and they have a little boy.
As for the building of our new house, sigh, we're still waiting for the permit from the county. Can't blame the builder on this one. Apparently there is some new energy code for 2012 and our builder exceeds all standards but Baltimore County is a bit behind and having issues. If we break ground before December 1, I will be shocked. Here's hoping we are underway before we settle on this house.
Then on Monday, Jason and I took the day off so we could spend the morning in Bryce and Caroline's classes for American Education Week. It was nice just to see what a normal morning was like in their classes and see the things they've been talking about the past few months. We left as Caroline's class went to lunch and headed home to gear up for more moving. We loaded up the van and SUV twice and made trips to storage. The basement is much emptier and we have all the deck furniture stored. We are still waiting to pack the rest of the house until we get official approval that the buyer's loan is approved although I did pack up our crystal and china since they were just up on high shelves and don't matter if for some reason we'd have to start showing the house again. (I certainly hope not.)
We also had an estimate on foggy window and it won't need a complete replacement, just a repair and that should happen right around Thanksgiving. Whew.
So it's three days in the office for me and then I will be off again on Friday to take my dad for an outpatient hernia surgery. Poor guy. Here's hoping it goes according to plan and he's on the mend quickly.
After gymnastics on Saturday morning, we switched from a 5x10 storage unit to a 15x30 unit and schlepped all of our stuff from one to the other. Bryce and Piper had a knack for standing in the exact wrong spot as we moved stuff in and out. Managed to get home in time and get gifts for the neighbor birthday party we attended that afternoon and evening. It was a beautiful day for November and the kids had a great time and we had a good time catching up with some neighbors. No one could believe how quickly we sold our house and that we are moving before Christmas. In fact, one of our neighbors who attempted to sell their house twice before with no luck is now considering trying again after our success. We even teased them that they should look at our new neighborhood!
We were up early on Sunday so I loaded up the van and made three trips to the storage unit before lunch with stuff from the basement. Then, once Caroline came home from her sleepover, we loaded the kids up, made one more trip to the storage unit and went and hung out at the model house for a bit. My parents came by (my dad had never been inside) and we met some more new neighbors. But the big news of the day for Caroline was she finally got to meet Rachel. Rachel lives next door to the model and is exactly one month older than Caroline. She will finish the year out in her current school but will be attending 4th grade at our neighborhood's school! Upon first meeting, I could tell the girls hit it off! She was friendly, silly and had a lot of energy - just like Caroline. She even seemed to really like Piper. And, the icing on the cake? Her brother plays for the Maryland football team - ha! Go Terps! Caroline was so cute when they told her she was outside with her dog and wanted to meet the kids. Caroline had been eating and quickly wiped off her face before going outside to meet her - clearly she wanted to make a good impression. We also met another guy whose in-laws live in my parents' neighborhood and my parents actually know worked together with in the community association. Small world! He and his wife live a few houses down from where our lot is and they have a little boy.
As for the building of our new house, sigh, we're still waiting for the permit from the county. Can't blame the builder on this one. Apparently there is some new energy code for 2012 and our builder exceeds all standards but Baltimore County is a bit behind and having issues. If we break ground before December 1, I will be shocked. Here's hoping we are underway before we settle on this house.
Then on Monday, Jason and I took the day off so we could spend the morning in Bryce and Caroline's classes for American Education Week. It was nice just to see what a normal morning was like in their classes and see the things they've been talking about the past few months. We left as Caroline's class went to lunch and headed home to gear up for more moving. We loaded up the van and SUV twice and made trips to storage. The basement is much emptier and we have all the deck furniture stored. We are still waiting to pack the rest of the house until we get official approval that the buyer's loan is approved although I did pack up our crystal and china since they were just up on high shelves and don't matter if for some reason we'd have to start showing the house again. (I certainly hope not.)
We also had an estimate on foggy window and it won't need a complete replacement, just a repair and that should happen right around Thanksgiving. Whew.
So it's three days in the office for me and then I will be off again on Friday to take my dad for an outpatient hernia surgery. Poor guy. Here's hoping it goes according to plan and he's on the mend quickly.
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Window Shopping
Home inspection done....the only issue is we have to replace a window in the master bedroom. Apparently the seal is broken on the top pane. I'm not surprised though as I noticed a year ago condensation on the inner glass. Sigh. So now to get that fixed but thankfully that was it and there aren't any other concessions. It could be a whole lot worse so I'm not going to let it get me down. Hopefully the estimate isn't ridiculous and we can get it fixed quickly.
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Saying Goodbye to the House
I know that I'm a sentimental person and I know that as we really get to packing this house up that I will get sad. I know I will probably cry when we walk out of the house for the last time. Not sad about what is before us, but strange knowing we will never walk into the place that has been the hub of our lives. The place I brought all three of our babies home to. The place we came into as 2 people and left as 5. The house that was a blank canvas upon walking in and has come alive with color and character as the years went by. Add that to the fact that when we move out, we won't be moving directly into our new house. (I think if we were, it would be different since I my excitement would take over.) Plus it will be right before Christmas.
But, I will be okay and any tears that I shed will only be because of how I'm feeling at that moment and not to express any kind of real sadness. We have almost sold our house (inspection is tomorrow!) and this is a an exciting time. I am grateful that we will be moving in with my parents - into the house that I grew up in (albeit a very different house from when I lived there - my mom and dad know how to keep a house updated!). I can't think of a better place to "wait it out." Truly.
I do believe though that once our new house gets underway, I will feel less tenuous because then there will physically be something there. They've told us the permit should be in "any day" and as soon as that happens the dominoes will start falling.....and quickly. I just need to feel like there is some progress! So with any luck, by the day we are settling, our new house should be under roof and we can feel like we're counting down the days.
With the inspection tomorrow, it means we're getting closer to the final loan approval of the buyers which means we are counting down to hard core packing. But before we do that, I want to take some photos. I want to take pictures of the kids in their rooms and doing things that we did in this house. I'm looking for some inspiration. Maybe even making a small photo book to take with us. Anyone want to inspire me? Clearly we'll need to take a family photo in front of the house before we leave but any other suggestions?
But, I will be okay and any tears that I shed will only be because of how I'm feeling at that moment and not to express any kind of real sadness. We have almost sold our house (inspection is tomorrow!) and this is a an exciting time. I am grateful that we will be moving in with my parents - into the house that I grew up in (albeit a very different house from when I lived there - my mom and dad know how to keep a house updated!). I can't think of a better place to "wait it out." Truly.
I do believe though that once our new house gets underway, I will feel less tenuous because then there will physically be something there. They've told us the permit should be in "any day" and as soon as that happens the dominoes will start falling.....and quickly. I just need to feel like there is some progress! So with any luck, by the day we are settling, our new house should be under roof and we can feel like we're counting down the days.
With the inspection tomorrow, it means we're getting closer to the final loan approval of the buyers which means we are counting down to hard core packing. But before we do that, I want to take some photos. I want to take pictures of the kids in their rooms and doing things that we did in this house. I'm looking for some inspiration. Maybe even making a small photo book to take with us. Anyone want to inspire me? Clearly we'll need to take a family photo in front of the house before we leave but any other suggestions?
Monday, November 05, 2012
(Almost) SOLD!!!
We are under contract! We are under contract!!!!!!
We had two showings on Friday, our first since the hurricane and our first since we'd turned down a crappy offer last week. We both were feeling anxious about it because we were second guessing ourselves about the first offer and wondering if it was the best we were going to get. It wasn't!
Friday evening, our realtor came by to put his weekend signs out and told us that we might be getting an offer later. After not getting an offer when we thought we were going to get one a few weeks ago and then getting a crappy one last week, I didn't get excited. But, when both of our phones buzzed indicating an email during dinner, Jason and I rushed to the computer to see the offer document.
And it was GOOD. Great, in fact. It seems these buyers are very prepared! And they don't want to settle until 12/20! Happy Birthday to me! A lot of people look at me when I tell them we are moving out before Christmas like they can't believe I'm happy about it, but in all honesty, I think it's better than having to move out right after Christmas. This way, we won't decorate for Christmas at all and can just have Christmas with my mom & dad. (She decorates her house so beautifully at Christmas, we certainly won't miss out on any holiday cheer.) In addition to all the other good things, it appears that the buyers don't want the playground - the one thing I was particularly sad about leaving. Waiting for official confirmation on that but they didn't check it off on their sheet as they did all our other disclosures so we're pretty sure we can take it with us. (We had included it to possibly entice a family with children.) So we'll take it semi-apart and install it in the new house. I was sad about leaving it because the kids do still play on it and I felt bad that Piper loves to swing so much. Now, I'm so happy!
So now we wait to find out when the inspection and appraisal are scheduled. The appraisal isn't a worry since it was appraised in 2011 for a refinance and it was close to what we we asked for. Hoping that the inspection goes well too although I know that the inspector will find something because it's almost like they HAVE to. Hoping for no surprises though. That will be the last time we have to make the house look nice and then once the final loan is approved, it's PACKING time.
However, in the meantime, we'll still go ahead with packing up the basement. Our realtor cautions against taking the house apart until the loan is approved just in case something were to fall through and then we'd have to re-show the house. Hopefully that won't happen though, but there's no issue with moving stuff out of the basement or packing up things you can't see. We'll actually go this weekend and move our stuff from our 5x10 storage unit into a bigger unit and start moving stuff out.
I cannot believe we got a contract in 17 days of being on the market. But I chalk it all up to a good realtor who advised us well on our asking price, how to get our house looking its best, great photos online, and a LOT of hard work on our parts in September and early October. We're definitely on the "downhill" now and hoping that things continue along on this path. I'm just so happy to be done with showings. I know, I know, 17 days of showing a house does not count for anything grueling, but it is stressful. A big thank you to my MIL who had to vacate the house with Piper for showings and put the last minute "polish" on the house before leaving. We couldn't have gotten to this point without the support of our parents....I know they'll continue to be there for us as we get closer to settling on the new house!
I feel like I'm finally getting truly excited about the new house because I'm not as stressed about selling. I'll probably feel even better once the buyer's loan is approved and we just count down to moving.
We'll probably officially move in with my parents the middle weekend of December. Hard to believe Christmas 2011 was our last Christmas in our current home and not knowing what 2012 would bring. Already looking forward to Christmas 2013 in our new house....cannot wait to completely reconfigure our Christmas decorations!
We had two showings on Friday, our first since the hurricane and our first since we'd turned down a crappy offer last week. We both were feeling anxious about it because we were second guessing ourselves about the first offer and wondering if it was the best we were going to get. It wasn't!
Friday evening, our realtor came by to put his weekend signs out and told us that we might be getting an offer later. After not getting an offer when we thought we were going to get one a few weeks ago and then getting a crappy one last week, I didn't get excited. But, when both of our phones buzzed indicating an email during dinner, Jason and I rushed to the computer to see the offer document.
And it was GOOD. Great, in fact. It seems these buyers are very prepared! And they don't want to settle until 12/20! Happy Birthday to me! A lot of people look at me when I tell them we are moving out before Christmas like they can't believe I'm happy about it, but in all honesty, I think it's better than having to move out right after Christmas. This way, we won't decorate for Christmas at all and can just have Christmas with my mom & dad. (She decorates her house so beautifully at Christmas, we certainly won't miss out on any holiday cheer.) In addition to all the other good things, it appears that the buyers don't want the playground - the one thing I was particularly sad about leaving. Waiting for official confirmation on that but they didn't check it off on their sheet as they did all our other disclosures so we're pretty sure we can take it with us. (We had included it to possibly entice a family with children.) So we'll take it semi-apart and install it in the new house. I was sad about leaving it because the kids do still play on it and I felt bad that Piper loves to swing so much. Now, I'm so happy!
So now we wait to find out when the inspection and appraisal are scheduled. The appraisal isn't a worry since it was appraised in 2011 for a refinance and it was close to what we we asked for. Hoping that the inspection goes well too although I know that the inspector will find something because it's almost like they HAVE to. Hoping for no surprises though. That will be the last time we have to make the house look nice and then once the final loan is approved, it's PACKING time.
However, in the meantime, we'll still go ahead with packing up the basement. Our realtor cautions against taking the house apart until the loan is approved just in case something were to fall through and then we'd have to re-show the house. Hopefully that won't happen though, but there's no issue with moving stuff out of the basement or packing up things you can't see. We'll actually go this weekend and move our stuff from our 5x10 storage unit into a bigger unit and start moving stuff out.
I cannot believe we got a contract in 17 days of being on the market. But I chalk it all up to a good realtor who advised us well on our asking price, how to get our house looking its best, great photos online, and a LOT of hard work on our parts in September and early October. We're definitely on the "downhill" now and hoping that things continue along on this path. I'm just so happy to be done with showings. I know, I know, 17 days of showing a house does not count for anything grueling, but it is stressful. A big thank you to my MIL who had to vacate the house with Piper for showings and put the last minute "polish" on the house before leaving. We couldn't have gotten to this point without the support of our parents....I know they'll continue to be there for us as we get closer to settling on the new house!
I feel like I'm finally getting truly excited about the new house because I'm not as stressed about selling. I'll probably feel even better once the buyer's loan is approved and we just count down to moving.
We'll probably officially move in with my parents the middle weekend of December. Hard to believe Christmas 2011 was our last Christmas in our current home and not knowing what 2012 would bring. Already looking forward to Christmas 2013 in our new house....cannot wait to completely reconfigure our Christmas decorations!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Showings A Go Go!
As of today, our house has been on the market for one week and in that week we've had 5 showings - well, our fifth is actually mid-morning today. We have one more scheduled on Sunday as of right now but I still haven't written off that we'll get another showing today, tomorrow or Saturday. They are coming in so fast - I was not expecting this but I am not complaining. Hoping that this continued momentum means we priced it right.
The other interesting thing was that the realtor who showed our house last night actually asked for the disclosure information from our realtor before she showed the house. Our realtor said that generally requesting disclosure information means that a contract might be in the works but odd that she asked for it BEFORE the showing. Not sure what that means if an offer is possibly coming or that's just how this particular realtor does things. Time will tell though. If not this set of buyers, we will find another one. I'm feeling a little more confident about it (but still have that nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach that I've had since we decided to move). I guess if we were to get an offer soon, being out by Christmas is certainly a possibility. Hope my mom is ready for us!!!
But in the meantime, we'll continue showing the hell out of our house. My MIL has been so helpful the past three days. She makes the beds that I can't get to before I leave and does a quick check on all the "big" things. I can't thank her enough. (My mom did the same on Monday but we didn't have a showing that day.) I know both of them want us to be able to sell almost as much as we do.
The other interesting thing was that the realtor who showed our house last night actually asked for the disclosure information from our realtor before she showed the house. Our realtor said that generally requesting disclosure information means that a contract might be in the works but odd that she asked for it BEFORE the showing. Not sure what that means if an offer is possibly coming or that's just how this particular realtor does things. Time will tell though. If not this set of buyers, we will find another one. I'm feeling a little more confident about it (but still have that nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach that I've had since we decided to move). I guess if we were to get an offer soon, being out by Christmas is certainly a possibility. Hope my mom is ready for us!!!
But in the meantime, we'll continue showing the hell out of our house. My MIL has been so helpful the past three days. She makes the beds that I can't get to before I leave and does a quick check on all the "big" things. I can't thank her enough. (My mom did the same on Monday but we didn't have a showing that day.) I know both of them want us to be able to sell almost as much as we do.
Monday, October 22, 2012
And We Wait
This is the part that I'm not good at. This is the part that I'm TERRIBLE at, in fact. Waiting. Not doing anything, just waiting. Very little is in our control now and when you're a "doer" this is hard. Back when we signed the contract in 9/9, I was nervous but I was able to temper that anxiety by doing something - decluttering, painting, cleaning, etc. And then when we were getting ready to list I was able to continue working by getting the house in tip top shape for photos and the first showings. But now that we've listed and had a couple showings I feel powerless. This is not what I do well. The uncertainty is unsettling. Being such a planner and control freak does not bode well for me. Jason's not much different.
The only thing that will keep me going are continued showings. Not having showings makes me nervous too. We had two this weekend which is great considering we just went on the market but not getting one yesterday has me worried again. Thankfully we have an open house scheduled for next Sunday so I'm thinking that perhaps it will keep some people from scheduling a showing if they can just wait for Sunday (which is a Ravens bye week - which I know may help - good timing!). Here's hoping that this so called possible "perfect" storm doesn't hit us...especially on Sunday. The only "Sandy" I want to see is my MIL. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, check some local forecasts regarding TS/Hurricane Sandy.)
Update: Woohoo, another showing tomorrow at 5:30. Jason will come home from work, get the kids and dinner food and go to my mom's (Caroline and I have hair appointments at 6pm and he has indoor soccer sign up for Bryce or otherwise we'd just wait until they were done.) Just taking it one day at a time - every showing has potential.
The only thing that will keep me going are continued showings. Not having showings makes me nervous too. We had two this weekend which is great considering we just went on the market but not getting one yesterday has me worried again. Thankfully we have an open house scheduled for next Sunday so I'm thinking that perhaps it will keep some people from scheduling a showing if they can just wait for Sunday (which is a Ravens bye week - which I know may help - good timing!). Here's hoping that this so called possible "perfect" storm doesn't hit us...especially on Sunday. The only "Sandy" I want to see is my MIL. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, check some local forecasts regarding TS/Hurricane Sandy.)
Update: Woohoo, another showing tomorrow at 5:30. Jason will come home from work, get the kids and dinner food and go to my mom's (Caroline and I have hair appointments at 6pm and he has indoor soccer sign up for Bryce or otherwise we'd just wait until they were done.) Just taking it one day at a time - every showing has potential.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
2 Days, 2 Showings
Our house wasn't officially on the market until Thursday at noon and we had our first showing Friday afternoon and then another one yesterday evening. The feedback from the first showing was just that they really liked the house but it was one of the first they looked at so they weren't ready to make an offer. The showing yesterday, well, that's a whole other story.....
We originally approved the showing for 6:30pm. (I love the new automated, texting/online showing approval, by the way!) We had been out all afternoon but the house was pretty much ready. We came back I made a quick dinner (cooked the smellier parts out on the grill) and we at at 5pm. We were going to be taking the kids to my sister's for the night around 6pm so at 5:30, Jason was upstairs packing bags and I was in the kitchen cleaning up.
Caroline was messing around in the living room and said, "THERE ARE PEOPLE OUTSIDE!!!"
Um, what? And sure enough, two cars - a family and a guy that looked like a realtor were outside. I told Jason to handle it since I was elbow deep in cleaning up. They were an HOUR early and knew it. However, this is where things kind of make me care a little less. The realtor himself had an accent and his name told me he was likely from Africa. His clients, a family with 2 young children, where also not native born Americans. This was easy to figure out and tells me why they didn't seem to think coming a whole hour early was an issue. They were very friendly and had no issues with looking at the house with us still there! (Jason politely turned them down and asked for 10 minutes for us to leave.) Apparently, they had been house hunting all day and had another appointment up in Joppa later (one they were probably VERY early for too) so it was obvious that if we said no, they wouldn't have come back. And while the likelihood that we would get an offer from them was low, it was still a better chance at an offer than if we'd said no.
I can only imagine our our realtor is going to react when he finds out. (He's away through the end of today due to a death in his family or I'm sure we would have already heard from him.) He is very much a "by the books" kind of guy and believes realtors who bring buyers by without much notice are doing their clients a disservice, so I can only imagine what he will say to this.
But all in all, we're no worse for the wear. The house was basically ready - we were just cleaning up and getting bags together. Seeing that they had young kids told me they were probably not too discerning. We'll see, we haven't gotten any feedback from them yet.
We also went yesterday and had a brief meeting with our sales agent at the new community. We are on track for breaking ground in the next few weeks! AHHH!! He gave us the MONSTER new home guide from the builder (really amazing!) and was so pleased to hear we'd already had 2 showings. He said in this market that is unusual so we are hoping that only means good things for us. He's the one that approves continued contingency on our new house so it's good to have his support.
Hoping we'll have another showing today to get the taste of that one out of our mouth today. We have an open house scheduled next Sunday. At least we proved to ourselves how important it is to keep the house ready at all times although Jason said he's now more anxious that other realtors will do that to us. We'll see - this has been quite an adventure already but if it leads to getting a good offer, I'll take it.
We originally approved the showing for 6:30pm. (I love the new automated, texting/online showing approval, by the way!) We had been out all afternoon but the house was pretty much ready. We came back I made a quick dinner (cooked the smellier parts out on the grill) and we at at 5pm. We were going to be taking the kids to my sister's for the night around 6pm so at 5:30, Jason was upstairs packing bags and I was in the kitchen cleaning up.
Caroline was messing around in the living room and said, "THERE ARE PEOPLE OUTSIDE!!!"
Um, what? And sure enough, two cars - a family and a guy that looked like a realtor were outside. I told Jason to handle it since I was elbow deep in cleaning up. They were an HOUR early and knew it. However, this is where things kind of make me care a little less. The realtor himself had an accent and his name told me he was likely from Africa. His clients, a family with 2 young children, where also not native born Americans. This was easy to figure out and tells me why they didn't seem to think coming a whole hour early was an issue. They were very friendly and had no issues with looking at the house with us still there! (Jason politely turned them down and asked for 10 minutes for us to leave.) Apparently, they had been house hunting all day and had another appointment up in Joppa later (one they were probably VERY early for too) so it was obvious that if we said no, they wouldn't have come back. And while the likelihood that we would get an offer from them was low, it was still a better chance at an offer than if we'd said no.
I can only imagine our our realtor is going to react when he finds out. (He's away through the end of today due to a death in his family or I'm sure we would have already heard from him.) He is very much a "by the books" kind of guy and believes realtors who bring buyers by without much notice are doing their clients a disservice, so I can only imagine what he will say to this.
But all in all, we're no worse for the wear. The house was basically ready - we were just cleaning up and getting bags together. Seeing that they had young kids told me they were probably not too discerning. We'll see, we haven't gotten any feedback from them yet.
We also went yesterday and had a brief meeting with our sales agent at the new community. We are on track for breaking ground in the next few weeks! AHHH!! He gave us the MONSTER new home guide from the builder (really amazing!) and was so pleased to hear we'd already had 2 showings. He said in this market that is unusual so we are hoping that only means good things for us. He's the one that approves continued contingency on our new house so it's good to have his support.
Hoping we'll have another showing today to get the taste of that one out of our mouth today. We have an open house scheduled next Sunday. At least we proved to ourselves how important it is to keep the house ready at all times although Jason said he's now more anxious that other realtors will do that to us. We'll see - this has been quite an adventure already but if it leads to getting a good offer, I'll take it.
Monday, October 15, 2012
And So We List....
The realtor was supposed to come today to take the official listing photos but because the weather is iffy and skies are gray, we're going to do them tomorrow since they will yield the best photos inside and out. So tonight will be spent touching up the bathrooms for cleanliness (not a big deal since we've been keeping them clean) and banishing the mild clutter that continually spawns as a result of having three kids who don't care.
I just want to get these photos over with since these are where the house has to look its most perfect. Yes, I will make sure it looks as good for any open houses (maybe next weekend??) and well planned showings, but I've resigned myself that for shorter notice showings there might be some stuff sitting out on a kid's desk or the best towels aren't out in the bathroom. (Not that we have any truly ratty towels - they are all in good shape just not the "best" ones.) I'm having a lot of anxiety about this and having the photos delayed by one day is stressing me more than it should. I think I just want the limbo to end, which of course, will NOT end until the house is sold. We're just entering a different limbo phase.
We also had to decide on our listing price which is no fun especially considering there was a very recent short sale in our neighborhood for the same model. Ugh. Granted, I think we have a nicer house (they hadn't painted a drop), and while our basement isn't finished, our lot is pretty damn awesome with a huge deck so I'm hoping that makes the asking price more reasonable. So we're going in the middle of the asking price window the realtor recommended which I think based on other comparable properties listed right now, it's the right one. I also know that our realtor likes to pick a price and stick with it so he's not going to recommend something that's too high - he tends to sell his properties for what they are originally listed. Here's hoping!
We're also getting very close to the time frame in which if we are lucky enough to sell quickly would we need to be out before Christmas. You never know. I would survive either scenario although decorating the house for Christmas would be quite subdued if it is still on the market at that point. I've read different perspectives on each - some say to decorate and make the house all Christmas-beautiful whereas others say to scale back as much as possible.
The other point of angst we're having right now is about the fridge. The new house comes with a fridge (and we're going to upgrade it to have the same amount of cubic feet as we currently have) but it will be a side by side rather than a French door model like we're used to. We could upgrade to a French door model but it would be $2K and I don't want that much rolled into my mortgage and without any real choice in the matter (one kind offered). I think the reason I'm so irritated too is because our current fridge is only 2 years old and we got a deal on it because the company replaced it with a better model when our first model went bad less than a year after getting it. It's a $2200 fridge we got for less than $1400 and I love it. Love it. But the realtor truly believes it will help to sell the house because we're also including our high efficiency, front load washer/dryer set. (I'm okay with leaving them because they are 9 years old and I think, in some ways, you are playing roulette with older appliances - we could take them and then have them fail in a year.) It would be nice just to take them all though and not have to worry about it but I do think it gives our house an edge and when you want to sell relatively quickly, you'll do what you have to do. But oh, the fridge. We'll be stuck with the side by side until it fails. Unless someone wants to take it off our hands in a few years and we can put the money toward another French door model. Sigh. (And truly, I KNOW this is not a real "problem" it's just a point of angst that I need to get over and reconcile myself to - the new kitchen will be beautiful and wonderful and the side by side fridge will have ice/water in the door and that is even more important.)
I'll email anyone who wants it, the link to our listing when it's up. I keep looking at all the video listings our realtor has on his website and how many of them have a "sold" banner across the bottom with the asking price being achieved. Hoping ours will be up there like that very soon!!
I just want to get these photos over with since these are where the house has to look its most perfect. Yes, I will make sure it looks as good for any open houses (maybe next weekend??) and well planned showings, but I've resigned myself that for shorter notice showings there might be some stuff sitting out on a kid's desk or the best towels aren't out in the bathroom. (Not that we have any truly ratty towels - they are all in good shape just not the "best" ones.) I'm having a lot of anxiety about this and having the photos delayed by one day is stressing me more than it should. I think I just want the limbo to end, which of course, will NOT end until the house is sold. We're just entering a different limbo phase.
We also had to decide on our listing price which is no fun especially considering there was a very recent short sale in our neighborhood for the same model. Ugh. Granted, I think we have a nicer house (they hadn't painted a drop), and while our basement isn't finished, our lot is pretty damn awesome with a huge deck so I'm hoping that makes the asking price more reasonable. So we're going in the middle of the asking price window the realtor recommended which I think based on other comparable properties listed right now, it's the right one. I also know that our realtor likes to pick a price and stick with it so he's not going to recommend something that's too high - he tends to sell his properties for what they are originally listed. Here's hoping!
We're also getting very close to the time frame in which if we are lucky enough to sell quickly would we need to be out before Christmas. You never know. I would survive either scenario although decorating the house for Christmas would be quite subdued if it is still on the market at that point. I've read different perspectives on each - some say to decorate and make the house all Christmas-beautiful whereas others say to scale back as much as possible.
The other point of angst we're having right now is about the fridge. The new house comes with a fridge (and we're going to upgrade it to have the same amount of cubic feet as we currently have) but it will be a side by side rather than a French door model like we're used to. We could upgrade to a French door model but it would be $2K and I don't want that much rolled into my mortgage and without any real choice in the matter (one kind offered). I think the reason I'm so irritated too is because our current fridge is only 2 years old and we got a deal on it because the company replaced it with a better model when our first model went bad less than a year after getting it. It's a $2200 fridge we got for less than $1400 and I love it. Love it. But the realtor truly believes it will help to sell the house because we're also including our high efficiency, front load washer/dryer set. (I'm okay with leaving them because they are 9 years old and I think, in some ways, you are playing roulette with older appliances - we could take them and then have them fail in a year.) It would be nice just to take them all though and not have to worry about it but I do think it gives our house an edge and when you want to sell relatively quickly, you'll do what you have to do. But oh, the fridge. We'll be stuck with the side by side until it fails. Unless someone wants to take it off our hands in a few years and we can put the money toward another French door model. Sigh. (And truly, I KNOW this is not a real "problem" it's just a point of angst that I need to get over and reconcile myself to - the new kitchen will be beautiful and wonderful and the side by side fridge will have ice/water in the door and that is even more important.)
I'll email anyone who wants it, the link to our listing when it's up. I keep looking at all the video listings our realtor has on his website and how many of them have a "sold" banner across the bottom with the asking price being achieved. Hoping ours will be up there like that very soon!!
Monday, October 08, 2012
Rolling Along
Our realtor came over on Saturday for the final walk through. (My parents generously took the kids with them to visit my grandmother who is in rehab for a broken pelvis and vertebrae - she just got out of the hospital last week.)
I was very nervous about what he would say. Was what I had worked tirelessly the past 4 weeks enough? I felt like I was trying to pass some test. I know Jason thought I was borderline certifiable at times. But you know what? It was ALLLLL worth it! We "passed" with flying colors. In almost every single room, he said that "we had it right" and that there was nothing we needed to do. He liked how well organized and thinned out the closets were. He liked how there were still photos up but only some - he liked that I changed out some artwork for photos. He noticed how clean/clear the walls were - no scuffs.
The only suggestions he had were very minor and we were able to take care of most of them with a quick trip to the store and a few minutes of "work." (I put it in quotes because compared to what I had been doing, this was nothing!) The only big thing he wants us to do is a little power washing out front but even that he said is not something that HAS to be done before he takes photos next week since the things he noticed won't show up in any photos - basically just exterior dirt on a white house.
So with any luck, our house will be on the market by next weekend. And then the next phase of insanity begins. I actually think though, we'll be okay. We had the house in near perfect shape on Saturday and it really hasn't deteriorated much since then. We'll have to get into certain habits of putting everything away but I think we can swing it. Having a little bit of notice for most showings should be plenty but there is the worry of the random, last minute showing which hopefully we won't have too many of - if any.
He seemed optimistic but I realize he can't say a whole lot given that anything could happen. All we can do is cross our fingers and breathe.
In other house news, we stopped by the model on our way out to run errands and they asked if we wanted to see the house next door again before the people settle on it. I never turn down an opportunity to walk through "our" model! I was so happy. It was like falling in love all over again. I love the porch. I love the kitchen. I just love the space. I love how even though it's a little bigger than our current house, it still feels cozy. I can't wait to sit on the front porch or to outfit the kitchen. I can't wait to get the kids settled into their new rooms or to send them down to the basement to blow off some steam where they aren't underfoot.
I was very nervous about what he would say. Was what I had worked tirelessly the past 4 weeks enough? I felt like I was trying to pass some test. I know Jason thought I was borderline certifiable at times. But you know what? It was ALLLLL worth it! We "passed" with flying colors. In almost every single room, he said that "we had it right" and that there was nothing we needed to do. He liked how well organized and thinned out the closets were. He liked how there were still photos up but only some - he liked that I changed out some artwork for photos. He noticed how clean/clear the walls were - no scuffs.
The only suggestions he had were very minor and we were able to take care of most of them with a quick trip to the store and a few minutes of "work." (I put it in quotes because compared to what I had been doing, this was nothing!) The only big thing he wants us to do is a little power washing out front but even that he said is not something that HAS to be done before he takes photos next week since the things he noticed won't show up in any photos - basically just exterior dirt on a white house.
So with any luck, our house will be on the market by next weekend. And then the next phase of insanity begins. I actually think though, we'll be okay. We had the house in near perfect shape on Saturday and it really hasn't deteriorated much since then. We'll have to get into certain habits of putting everything away but I think we can swing it. Having a little bit of notice for most showings should be plenty but there is the worry of the random, last minute showing which hopefully we won't have too many of - if any.
He seemed optimistic but I realize he can't say a whole lot given that anything could happen. All we can do is cross our fingers and breathe.
In other house news, we stopped by the model on our way out to run errands and they asked if we wanted to see the house next door again before the people settle on it. I never turn down an opportunity to walk through "our" model! I was so happy. It was like falling in love all over again. I love the porch. I love the kitchen. I just love the space. I love how even though it's a little bigger than our current house, it still feels cozy. I can't wait to sit on the front porch or to outfit the kitchen. I can't wait to get the kids settled into their new rooms or to send them down to the basement to blow off some steam where they aren't underfoot.
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Neglected
So we've been officially working like beasts for the past 4 weeks to get the house ready to sell. Basically, any waking moment that I am home, I am working on something (packing, cleaning, painting, reorganizing, etc). I come home from work, make dinner, and then start on the task for the night. I'm getting a bit burnt out but with the realtor coming over this weekend, hopefully we are nearing the end and then my only task will be to keep the house clean for showings.
(BTW, any of you have any tips for me in terms of keeping the house neat and clean during this period? I have read some RIDICULOUS things online in that regards. Seriously, one website suggested that you not cook dinner until very late in the evening - like 8pm - or only do take out so that you don't "smell your house up" with cooking fumes. That makes sense, I guess, for the short term but if this could drag on, yeah, that's NOT a plan. Any real life, previous experience advice would be appreciated. I already know about getting into a morning routine of making beds, emptying trash and putting certain personal items away.)
Anyway, with all this going on, I feel as though we've certainly "neglected" the kids. I put that in quotes because it's not true neglect (they are eating and having all their needs attended to) but I feel like the amount of attention I've been able to give each of them has been quite low. I feel terrible about it, frankly. But there just aren't enough hours in the day.
Last night as I was on the floor painting the trim in Caroline's room (I HATE painting trim!!!!), Caroline did her spelling homework of tracing words on my back. It was all the attention I could give her at the moment. I try to let the kids kind of hang out around me while I'm doing whatever task it is I'm doing to talk to them but sometimes they just make things more difficult. Piper + wet trim is NOT a good combination.
I keep reminding myself that this is a finite period of time and that all will be forgotten but I can't help feeling bad about it. Caroline has been acting out a bit (third grade transition continues coupled with the fact that she's not getting as much attention as she needs) and our patience with her has been quite short as a result of her behavior. She got herself in VERY hot water on Sunday evening as a result of some behavior and I'm still a bit miffed at her.
I just want this part to be over and have the stress behind me. I'm nervous about our realtor coming this weekend and what he will see and say needs to be done. I'm trying to prevent as many negative comments as possible but it seems the closer I look at things, the more I see our house turning to crap. I realize it's because I'm putting everything under the microscope but if I see a ding on the wall or trim that we missed fixing, I get closer to having a nervous break down.
This too shall pass and this time next year all will be well and we'll be settled into the new house and be dealing with the "stress" of decorating and painting. I have to keep my eye on the prize....our new house and neighborhood.
(BTW, any of you have any tips for me in terms of keeping the house neat and clean during this period? I have read some RIDICULOUS things online in that regards. Seriously, one website suggested that you not cook dinner until very late in the evening - like 8pm - or only do take out so that you don't "smell your house up" with cooking fumes. That makes sense, I guess, for the short term but if this could drag on, yeah, that's NOT a plan. Any real life, previous experience advice would be appreciated. I already know about getting into a morning routine of making beds, emptying trash and putting certain personal items away.)
Anyway, with all this going on, I feel as though we've certainly "neglected" the kids. I put that in quotes because it's not true neglect (they are eating and having all their needs attended to) but I feel like the amount of attention I've been able to give each of them has been quite low. I feel terrible about it, frankly. But there just aren't enough hours in the day.
Last night as I was on the floor painting the trim in Caroline's room (I HATE painting trim!!!!), Caroline did her spelling homework of tracing words on my back. It was all the attention I could give her at the moment. I try to let the kids kind of hang out around me while I'm doing whatever task it is I'm doing to talk to them but sometimes they just make things more difficult. Piper + wet trim is NOT a good combination.
I keep reminding myself that this is a finite period of time and that all will be forgotten but I can't help feeling bad about it. Caroline has been acting out a bit (third grade transition continues coupled with the fact that she's not getting as much attention as she needs) and our patience with her has been quite short as a result of her behavior. She got herself in VERY hot water on Sunday evening as a result of some behavior and I'm still a bit miffed at her.
I just want this part to be over and have the stress behind me. I'm nervous about our realtor coming this weekend and what he will see and say needs to be done. I'm trying to prevent as many negative comments as possible but it seems the closer I look at things, the more I see our house turning to crap. I realize it's because I'm putting everything under the microscope but if I see a ding on the wall or trim that we missed fixing, I get closer to having a nervous break down.
This too shall pass and this time next year all will be well and we'll be settled into the new house and be dealing with the "stress" of decorating and painting. I have to keep my eye on the prize....our new house and neighborhood.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Progress
I finally feel like progress is being made even though Jason will attest that I've made a lot of progress already. And even though I managed to get the first and second floors decluttered and unloaded before the weekend, I still was having the dread involved because of the basement. But today, oh joy of joys, we rented a storage unit AND I made a HUMONGOUS donation to Goodwill. Like loaded up the whole back of the van with the seats down huge. It felt.so.good.
And tomorrow, my lovely SIL is coming over to go through all the baby gear. She'll wait on the clothes since she won't find out what she's having until mid-October but they are so neatly in tubs it's not a big deal to leave them here for the short term - the baby gear is a little crazy. Plus, thanks to being allowed to put stuff in the community building dumpsters, we are purging like mad. Woooohooo!
Jason is even working on fixing the piece of laminate at the bottom of the steps that never looked very good as I type this. I feel like I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel even though there is still a bunch of stuff left to do.
When I talked to my dad about all that we're doing to prepare the house he laughed and said, "I didn't have to do all that thirty years ago when we were selling our house in Baltimore City." And he's totally right - things have changed drastically in that time. But, in a way, I'm glad for it because we are getting rid of so much clutter and junk that I don't want to take to the new house.
Whew.
And tomorrow, my lovely SIL is coming over to go through all the baby gear. She'll wait on the clothes since she won't find out what she's having until mid-October but they are so neatly in tubs it's not a big deal to leave them here for the short term - the baby gear is a little crazy. Plus, thanks to being allowed to put stuff in the community building dumpsters, we are purging like mad. Woooohooo!
Jason is even working on fixing the piece of laminate at the bottom of the steps that never looked very good as I type this. I feel like I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel even though there is still a bunch of stuff left to do.
When I talked to my dad about all that we're doing to prepare the house he laughed and said, "I didn't have to do all that thirty years ago when we were selling our house in Baltimore City." And he's totally right - things have changed drastically in that time. But, in a way, I'm glad for it because we are getting rid of so much clutter and junk that I don't want to take to the new house.
Whew.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Weekend Accomplishments
While I was actually accomplishing things this weekend I felt good about the things I was doing but now that the weekend is over, I feel like I didn't do enough. Except for Jason cleaning out his part of the closet and his stuff sitting out in the bedroom, the second floor is decluttered. I managed to get all the carpets upstairs shampooed on Saturday and cleaned out our closet yesterday. It was such a beautiful weekend that it was a perfect time to shampoo carpets and clean the oven - both of which can make the house smell bad if you have it all closed up. But thanks to the dry, breezy weather, neither presented a problem and for the most part, the carpets upstairs look good. The steps have a little "wear and tear" look to them but they don't look truly dirty. What do you expect after 9 years? Jason spent the better part of Sunday afternoon taking out the caulk around the tub and shower in our master bath and then recaulking. And then after a small fit of rage with the kids making a colossal mess in the playroom, I went to town in there. I wouldn't say I'm completely done but I'm about 2/3 so I should be able to finish in there tonight along with getting the living room looking good (although the computer desk might have to wait). I think that I am on target for completing the decluttering project on the main floor of the house well before the weekend but then that leaves the, gulp, basement. To say I'm freaking out about the basement is an understatement.
I knew it was going to get messier before it got cleaned up since we're putting all the storage stuff down there at the moment until we get our storage unit (next weekend??). My SIL is supposed to come next weekend too and get all the baby gear stuff too which will clear up a big spot of floor right when you come down the steps. Since she doesn't know the twin genders yet, I told her to leave the bins of clothing since they are neatly and easily stacked against the wall. I didn't want to make her take any gendered baby clothes until she knows what she's having. (It seems everyone thinks she's either having two girls or a boy & girl. She's 15 weeks and she might know soon since she gets frequent ultrasounds. Cannot wait for them to find out!)
I will probably make a trip down to Goodwill soon and do a major drop off, but getting that storage unit will be a big deal for me because then things can start leaving the house instead of just being relocated.
I can't take any time off this week but I'm hoping to take a day off next week.
Overall though, the weekend was very good. The kids had plenty of play time with their friends and on Saturday evening, they spent the night with my brother and his wife for the first time. They'd been wanting to have them over and offered so we decided to go out. We went to Salt in Fells Point with Kelly and Jesse and loved it! Really good food! I had an octopus salad to start and coriander/black pepper encrusted tuna. Really delicious and fun spending time with K & J!
I feel kind of bad though because I feel like I'm not spending much quality time with the kids right now because I'm so occupied with house tasks. I keep telling myself that once the house is all set to sell that I will be able to just concentrate on them as opposed to seeing them as little minions that are thwarting my efforts. (I hate that I even think that.) Deep breaths....this too shall pass.
I knew it was going to get messier before it got cleaned up since we're putting all the storage stuff down there at the moment until we get our storage unit (next weekend??). My SIL is supposed to come next weekend too and get all the baby gear stuff too which will clear up a big spot of floor right when you come down the steps. Since she doesn't know the twin genders yet, I told her to leave the bins of clothing since they are neatly and easily stacked against the wall. I didn't want to make her take any gendered baby clothes until she knows what she's having. (It seems everyone thinks she's either having two girls or a boy & girl. She's 15 weeks and she might know soon since she gets frequent ultrasounds. Cannot wait for them to find out!)
I will probably make a trip down to Goodwill soon and do a major drop off, but getting that storage unit will be a big deal for me because then things can start leaving the house instead of just being relocated.
I can't take any time off this week but I'm hoping to take a day off next week.
Overall though, the weekend was very good. The kids had plenty of play time with their friends and on Saturday evening, they spent the night with my brother and his wife for the first time. They'd been wanting to have them over and offered so we decided to go out. We went to Salt in Fells Point with Kelly and Jesse and loved it! Really good food! I had an octopus salad to start and coriander/black pepper encrusted tuna. Really delicious and fun spending time with K & J!
I feel kind of bad though because I feel like I'm not spending much quality time with the kids right now because I'm so occupied with house tasks. I keep telling myself that once the house is all set to sell that I will be able to just concentrate on them as opposed to seeing them as little minions that are thwarting my efforts. (I hate that I even think that.) Deep breaths....this too shall pass.
Monday, September 10, 2012
1 Room Down
I just spent over 2 hours cleaning out and decluttering Piper's room. OMG. I hated taking all that stuff to the basement (donations, give to Kelly/mom/Sandy, new house storage). Jason is in the process of figuring out our storage situation so I will feel better when we are actually removing things from the house rather than just adding the the deluge in the basement. Thank goodness AmVets comes on Wednesday. They are going to get a bunch of stuff!!
Tomorrow night I'm thinking of doing Caroline's room. I really should be scared. Although I didn't have nearly as much stuff in her closet as I did in Piper's but Caroline is the packrat of the family. She's also the most attached to stuff.
Oh and I don't have boxes yet. Crap. Need to do that.
At least I was able to get my list made of room by room things that need to be accomplished. That made me feel a little better. Doesn't help either that Jason was out tonight with Bryce's uniform pickup and Costco and then has games on Tuesday and Wednesday so he won't be here in the evenings to assist. He couldn't believe all the stuff in Piper's room. Neither could I, frankly. But, her room does look pretty good now. Gotta keep up the momentum!
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