Tag Archives: MOVING

Admitting Defeat, or Plan B

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So about 18 months ago,  I wrote about moving at least 1/2 of our worldly possessions into a POD container.

The idea was, if I do say so myself, BRILLIANT.

We moved everything we didn’t want around while our house was on the market into this container, and then, when we sold our house, we could have the container delivered to our new home.

Flashforward 18 MONTHS and untold dollars later (I know how many dollars we’ve spent on this container, but I don’t really want to admit it, so I’m omitting this fact):

We’ve yet to get one offer on this house of ours.

I miss my blender.

The kids have outgrown half the toys we’ve stored.

We’ve paid the value of the items in the unit, along with what movers would have cost and have nothing to show for it, except that we don’t have access to the stuff.

And we just got a notice in the mail stating that the rental fee is going up in September.

So here’s Plan B:

The unit has been delivered to our home, and we’re going to unpack it. (eek!)

We’re selling a bunch of it.

We’re keeping a bit of it (Christmas decorations, love seat, limited number of toys).

We’re donating the rest of it.

This means one of two things- either our house will remain on the market indefinitely, and we will be satisfied with our savings OR we’ll sell this sucker next week and then be faced with moving all this stuff AGAIN.

Sometimes, being a grown up isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Go ahead– tell me some of your worst packing/moving/waiting to move/storage stories. It’s not like I have any moving to do myself!

Staged

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I started this post TWO MONTHS AGO, but it’s only going live now because I am lazy. I was waiting on this post because I wanted new photos to show you the handiwork that’s been done. But then we got busy, and we didn’t get anymore showings and we put the punch list aside…and it never happened. Then Tuesday we got the text message that we had a showing Wednesday. We kicked into the high gear, and then documented it.

Here’s the part I wrote as the summer was just starting:

Happy June, Everyone! (how is that even possible?)

We are into hour 4 of summer vacation, and so far, so good. Actually, if I’m really, really, quiet, I think maybe both kids could fall asleep at any moment. Shhh…

This week, I called in a professional for something.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a repair, it was an enhancement.

It turns out, a friend  of a friend (whom I met through blogging four years ago) does house staging, and she graciously offered to help me out.

After looking at my house for nine years, I’ve stopped seeing it. After having the whole thing painted last winter, we didn’t put any wall hangings back up. I couldn’t picture our furniture being positioned in anyway that would change the visuals of the room.

I stole the before pictures from our MLS listing, and while it was clean in the pictures, in hindsight it was stark.

Living room, empty mantel

Kitchen, with one big table and one little table.

Dining room, with a side table and a large, black, trash can.

 

With a vision, talent and some furniture moving, my home was warmed up and rearranged, all with things I had either stashed in a closet or out somewhere already. The only thing I need to go find are two pairs of table lamps and matching nightstands.

July 28, 2011: The showing went well, but they’ve opted for another property (we think). Want to see what they saw? Here you go:

The kitchen, minus an odd table.

New living room set up, little visuals on the mantel, console table behind the couch with a new lamp....

Dining room has the side table at an angle, with a new lamp, and a print on the wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still need to get night stands, and I ended up only getting one set of matching lamps. But it’s an improvement, right? Anyone interested in a townhouse in a nice neighborhood? You know where to find me.

Pieces of the Puzzle

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I’m getting used to things being up in the air. To having our house on the market (it’s been a year, basically), and therefore not having answers to a lot of other things, like, “what school system will MaM be enrolled in in the Fall?” It’s taken some time, but I’ve become pretty OK with it.

It feels good to be moving forward, even if the whole “when will the house sell” is the great unknown. I know when it won’t be selling — it won’t be selling today. I went for a long (1/2 marathon) training walk, and noticed there was a text from BgK.

“Did you know there was a showing today?”
Crap. No. No, no I didn’t.

Then I looked at my voicemail. The listing service called 45 minutes before said showing and had left a message. The agent and the people walked right in, throwing BgK and the kids for loop. They didn’t stay. Oops.

Moving forward and fitting the puzzle pieces together:

We’re pursuing the public school district in which we live right now, and the way the district is set up actually works in our favor should we sell our house after the school year starts. Our local district has split into the East side and the West side, and there’s school choice within each side. So if she starts school, and then we move within our side of the district, she can stay where she’s started.

I also think we’ve found the right preschool (!!!) for the Fox (usually, I call him Junior here, but on FB we call him the Fox and it’s really cute). We’ll know in a few weeks if he’s been accepted, and if he has been, then we’ll officially have more a of plan than we have had for months.

This is the first summer in awhile (2007, to be exact), that we’ve had to have summer daycare for the kids, and we’re making headway on that too. The Fox can stay at his current daycare until preschool starts. MaM can attend a local daycamp between kindergarten graduation and first grade (!!) starting.

Now if we can just unload this house……..

He looks ready for preschool, doesn't he?