So, October 2014-Mr. A2B and I decide it's time. It's time to start those last minute projects OR-finish those million projects so we can begin to consider, or at least look into putting our house on the market. **DISCLAIMER: IF you're thinking of doing this...get a storage unit or three. Just sayin.
First-We contacted a Realtor who ended up being the BEST Realtor we could have ever dreamed of. She came, she saw, she commented, and we shat ourselves. Just kidding...but she was a realist. We told her what we wanted to list the house for, she recommended against it, and my husband said, well, we aren't planning on listing it like this...we're planning on doing stuff first. (She probably shat herself thinking how are these people going to do everything I recommended in a couple of months?!?!) Nonetheless-if you've been here before or if you know me, you know I have issues... OCD (in multiple forms) one of those being Obsessive Christmas Disorder. We thought our best chance to sell the condo would be while she's decorated in her Christmas Glory! My father and mother in-laws said-put this house on the market when it's like this...(they said that in 2013)...so that's what we wanted to do. Thinking to ourselves...The market is down right now, so we'll have about 6-10 months to find something, so we'll do all of this stuff, list it, and start high-so eventually the price will fall, etc....Baaaahahahahaha-wishful thinking...
Anywho-we painted the entire house inside, replaced fixtures, shampooed carpets until the cows came home, and packed up about 75% of our belongings and hauled them to another storage unit. While we unloaded about 50% of the other unit so we could decorate for Christmas. Yes, this was the second storage unit...full-sized-as big as you can rent round here...packed to the ceiling! So, the day came...our Realtor came over, took pictures, put the sign in the yard and told us the house would officially be "live on the market" two days later. I will say-she was impressed by our Awesomeness (AKA-ability to bust A$$ and get everything here done...including renting scaffolding and painting 28' walls and the entire ceiling in the place).
The day it was live, we received 3 requests for showings, to be the following day...yes, all of them...and the next day, we had an offer...a cash one-naturally we took it. Luckily-they knew we had little ones and since it was December 13th-and we had about 2-3 feet of snow that winter beginning in November-and since we didn't have a place picked out yet, they offered us closing at the end of February.
WAIT-yes, you read that correctly...had a cash offer...3 days after our house was on the market...and we had no place to live. Talk about STRESS!!! Not to mention the fact that I bawled my eyes out the night she put that little Keller Williams sign in our little front yard. So before I get to the part about how we ended up here...let me take you through an emotional journey.
We poured so much $$, blood, sweat, and tears into this home. We spent our Wedding night in this home. I started my blog in this home, we brought our children home from the hospital to this home, the monsters said their first words in this home...now, it's time to just up and leave it?!?!? Over the course of 6 years there, virtually every single square inch of that place had our mark on it...and the kids' too. (thank God Sherwin Williams covers crayon). Even the tiny inches of that house didn't exist were created into something; whether that was a playhouse under the stairs, or a tiny space that couldn't be wasted for storage. It was small, but it was open and we were always together...even doing laundry, or while preparing dinner...it was cozy and it had grown on us. All of us. What was once a bachelor pad...actually THE Bachelor Pad had now become home. Our Neighbors were family, they house sat for us, knew our pets' names (all of them), gathered our UPS packages if we needed them to, called 911 for me because I was sure the "suspicious" vehicle that belonged to another neighbor's grandchild was a serial killer's. True story...more on that later. But, now we had to say bye?!? It was bittersweet to say the least. And of course-when you know you must relocate for more space, but also don't in your heart of hearts want to leave, house hunting is not as fun. So it began, we searched...and searched...and searched. Nothing. There was always something about the houses we went thru that just didn't do it for me. Which is shocking because I typically find the silver lining in everything, and can see the potential of houses. Not this time. I was very petulant. Looking back, I do feel sorry for everything I put our poor realtor and Mr. A2B through.
It was time to say good bye. Eventually-I settled. I was outnumbered. The realtor, by this time my closest friend, Mr. A2B, my parents, and in-laws all voted against me. I wanted a basement, cathedral ceiling (because of my Christmas tree of course), and some land...yadayadayada. I didn't even entertain the thought of this house until the last minute because it didn't have a basement...or cathedral ceiling down stairs. But I lost, and two years later with a whole lot left on my "To-Do-to make this my dream house without a basement" list-I couldn't be happier that I did. We have completed a lot of projects. There are even more than we've done to go, so why not get this blog going again? First I'll share the before pictures with you...and we'll journey together through all these projects like we did at the old house. Here she is in her real estate photo glory...
Front of the House
Back Yard and Patio
Woods
Office
Living Room
Kitchen (looking towards Laundry Room)
Kitchen (looking towards Living Room)
Laundry/Mudroom
Half Bath
Master Bedroom
Master Bath
Loft
Little Man's Room
Little Princess' Room
Kid's Bath
4th Room (Craft Room)
Don't go away yet...the journey is just beginning....I thought the same thing...she's just not me. But almost 2 years into it, and she's starting to become my dream home. So, grab some popcorn, maybe some tissues, check back tomorrow or the next day, and join me as she goes from A to Being!
