Major Thing #2: The Little House That Could (Sell?)
January 16, 2008
As some of you know, our house has been on and off the market since last August. Back in November we re-listed the house after firing our old real estate agent for being a pervert. Yes, really.
We went to Mexico a day or three after we listed the house, and let the real estate agents bring as many people through as they liked. As we were sipping mojitos in the pool bar, they held a few open houses and caravans, but there were no bites despite the house being listed a lot more reasonably dollar-wise than it had been with the previous agent. Yes, he was not only a pervert, he was a crappy real estate agent.
Christmas obviously put a dent in the number of people wanting to see the house (which really, was a relief), but come January, interest picked up again and finally we have interested buyers! There is currently a conditional offer on the house that is a solid one, but all hinges on if the buyers sell their house.
The home inspection is tonight and I’m having mild heart attacks all day worrying about it.
The thing about these buyers is that they want to move in the end of February. Their house has a 30 day close and subsequently they want our house FAST when theirs sells. Every day I pack a little more into boxes, and stack them neatly in the basement. Every day I panic about where we are going to live at the end of February which would be our closing date. Obviously we will have to rent a townhouse and we plan on doing that near Dylan’s school because the new house won’t be ready until summer (as long as everything with this house goes smoothly).
I really can’t set anything into motion because if their house doesn’t sell by February 8th (the deadline on the offer), we won’t have to move. Yet, anyway.
I’m also under the impression that this couple is quite um, meticulous. As they should be of course, it’s a huge investment. We’re provided full disclosure on everything so there are no surprises, but the age of the furnace is the biggest worry. Daren has prevented the death stabilized the health of the furnace 4-5 times with heavy petting and sweet talk the help of a friend in the business and we’re just hoping it holds out long enough for us to get the hell out of here.
We’ve picked the lot for the new house and we are looking at floor plans. I have dreams of main level laundry, a bigger kitchen and the dream neighbourhood. We also have enough in the budget to replace all our our furniture and buy me a used SUV. Hello Stepford, Goodbye Sickly Geriatric Furnace!
Honestly, we just want to get ON with our lives. We aren’t as stressed out as we were in the beginning - at least, we weren’t until this couple put an offer on the house. Now I keep imagining the home inspection going horribly wrong and they back out.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go scrub the inside of all my appliances for the 5th time and wipe down every surface in the house with pink glittery luck.
January 16th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I was wondering when you were going to post about it. LOL Since you’ve twittered all about the house and inspections. Ha!
I hope it goes well, and I’m quite sure it will.
sam’s last blog post..the day the sucking died
January 16th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
crossing my fingers your deal with go through.
i totally understand crappy real estate agents. when we last listed our house, our agent sent a trainee over for an open house - who proceeded to blow out a candle in our bedroom. candle blew all over our dresser, lamp and carpet. the idiot went into our kitchen and found the sharpest object (a melon corer/carver)and proceeded to dig huge craters into our newly refinished dresser, brushed steel lamp and trampled the rest of the candle wax into our carpet.
needless to say, he was lucky he was able to leave with his life spared.
January 16th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Ugh. I dread selling this house. It’s so hard to get everything timed right.
But … things happen for a reason so try not to freak out too badly.
J.’s last blog post..Germs Be Gone! YAY!
January 16th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
*hugs*
I am sending big time good Karma your way
I hope all goes well!
Chris’s last blog post..Kree! Alien 101
January 16th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
The house inspection is going to go famously and everything is going to work out. Trust me…I know these things.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
My gravatar isn’t showing up.
January 16th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Stay strong! I sold my house two years ago and it felt like sheer torture but I did survive.
Felicia’s last blog post..shop reopening & update
January 16th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I’m still in the same boat. My house is still on the market in AR and we have not had too many bites. I’m getting pretty frustrated.
I certainly hope that you sell the house. It has to be great knowing it could work out!
Christy’s last blog post..Slacker Sunday #9
January 16th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I’m sending you sparkling happy inspection thoughts!
Crazy Lady in Vegas’s last blog post..Brrrrr?
January 16th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
it’s going to go great! i can tell. (i’m channeling my inner Oda Mae Brown..)
ali’s last blog post..a cruel trick, a dog, and a blanket
January 17th, 2008 at 2:33 am
good luck! hope it all works out. house-selling is the most nerve-wracking thing ever!
janet’s last blog post..How I scored a half a doughnut this morning
January 17th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Best of luck. I really hate moving.
Dagny’s last blog post..Civic duty
January 17th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
[...] « Major Thing #2: The Little House That Could (Sell?) [...]
January 17th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Good luck! I hope everything works out in good favor!
Dana’s last blog post..59 of 86, How Funny is That?
January 19th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Unsolicited advice from one who has been there four times in the last 2 years. Moving is stressful. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bad move (like our move to Boca Raton) or a good move (our move back to NC)…it is stressful. It probably was a major factor in my two recent bouts with major depression…seriuosly (you can read about it in my blog).
Do I have advice? No, only Monday Morning Quarterbacking. Take anyone who offers to help seriously. They really want to help. Have three or four friends over for a packing party. You can even have them bring their own boxes!!! Serve wine (that always helps). Meticulously wrapping and packing your breakables will be so much more fun and fulfilling if you do it with friends.
Be extra solicitous of friends with pick-up trucks. You will need them frequently over the next several months to schlep stuff hither and yon.
Take time for yourself…insist on it. Tell your husband that having the family in the new Stepford house will not be very much fun if Mommy is in the loony bin (see my blog for my experiences with THAT!)
When it seems overwhelming, walk away. Go get a cup of coffee, read a book, write a blog…whatever gets your head out of that “OMG there’s so much to do!” funk!!!
If someone says, “What can I do to help?” respond with, “Next time you make a meal, make extra and freeze it for it…I’m sure we are going to need it when we are in the throes of moving twice!!!” or “Every time you go to the liquor store (and I KNOW you go often!) grab a few boxes. We are definitely going to need about twice the number of boxes we have!”
Di’s last blog post..Shocking news flash!