Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
(Our 1st Home Sweet Home)Yesterday afternoon our final offer was accepted on the new house. We got the call at home and when Todd hung up we both just looked at each other. It finally felt real. I immediately got a sick, queasy, sinking feeling. We were really going to leave our house. Todd began to look around at our house and said, "I remember the first day..." and I said, "Stop it!" I just couldn't go there because I knew I'd start bawling. We both looked at each other again, this time with tears in our eyes. Yes, this is the right step for our family but it is hard to let go of our first home too.
I spent the rest of the afternoon taking pictures of our house and putting them on a website for homes for sale by owner. I cried and cried as I wrote the description of our house. Can you feel the love in what I wrote?
"LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
This beautiful Cape Cod home is situated in a most desired quiet northeast side location just a few blocks from the lake, schools, and shopping. The house boasts an updated kitchen with custom cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, and Brazilian hardwood floors. Built-in cabinetry in the dining room, crown molding throughout, lovely woodwork, open staircase, and a cheery sunroom add to this older home's charm.
The upstairs spa-like bath has beautiful tile, updated vanity and sink, and an antique Kohler clawfoot tub. Each bedroom is equipped with a walk in closet.
The lower level is fully finished with plenty of room for a pool table, a movie area, a playroom, or just extra storage. A brand new bathroom with Travertine tile, a pedestal sink, and a huge shower with a state of the art in-ceiling Kohler rainpanel completes the lower level making it a wonderful extra living space.
The partially fenced in backyard has a perennial garden, a beautiful flowering crab apple tree, and a tall hedge for privacy. A one car garage and a driveway offer off street parking.
This home is truly a must see!"
I had to force myself not to write, "Love our home. Won't you love our home? Please, just look how wonderful it is. Won't you love it for me?"
I remember the day we moved in to this house. The sellers, a young couple with two children, had left us a little card. In it they had written that this home held many special memories for them and that they hoped it would bring us as many warm, loving, fun times as it had for them. That card touched me when I first read it and it touches me even more now knowing the love they were talking about. I can only hope that a young couple finds this house and fills it up with love and warm memories too.
I'm feeling better today. I know we will take these wonderful memories with us and make so many more at the new house. I know this move will be more of a beginning than an end and I'm excited for our family. If we ever really get to move.
This whole moving process is much more complex than normal because we found out that a relocation company may buy this house out from under us at any moment. The company was hired to find the sellers a home in Texas and according to their contract as soon as they find them a suitable home they will buy the house up here and sell it. Since we have a contingency to sell our house in the offer to purchase the relocation company could buy it before we get a chance to sell our house. We could then buy it from the relocation company (at a higher price, I'm sure) but they do not accept offers with a contingency to sell. Egad. So basically we have to sell our home ASAP and CLOSE on it before the relocation company (or another buyer that does not have a contingency to sell) buys it first. Stressful enough?
Anyway, we are just gonna keep plodding along doing our thing. We are prettying up the yard, making minor fixes (the ceiling fan light the boys broke throwing toys, the shades the boys cut with scissors, the blinds Ben took a bite out of), getting rid of a bunch of stuff, and cleaning out the basement this weekend so that we can have an open house next weekend. If it all works out and we sell our home quickly then it was truly meant to be. If not and someone else buys the other house then at least we have a completely clean house, right? Right?
Let's just hope that by the end of all of this I am not locked away in a padded cell.
61 comments:
Congratulations and good luck! Clean houses sell and your house looks and sounds so charming that I'm sure you'll have no trouble!
A tip: if you don't have time to really "clean out," we rented a small storage unit and filled it with crappe until later--like holiday decorations and that sort of thing. It cost about $30 a month and we rented it for 3 months while we sold our old house and built our new. It also made moving easier for us because we saved the storage unit stuff for last--no great rush:)
Bittersweet times, moving, but you're right, it will work out!
Green Girl- That is a great idea! We definitely have tons of stuff we could store. We were planning on putting it in the garage but if we could find storage that cheap it would be worth it!
Your description is PERFECT. Makes me wish we were house hunting in your area right now.
Here's to the new house and making new memories. I'm certain you will. My best of luck with the move!
OMG, that description! WOW! Beautifully written.
Just think of the amazing memories you have yet to make.
What an adventure!
best wishes for a speedy sale!!!!!!
Congratulations!!!
Your house is beautiful - I'm sure it will sell quickly! People love kitchens and bathrooms - all of which sound fantastic!
The best part about moving will be the purging of crap. It may seem difficult, but you'll be starting fresh and many pounds lighter!
Now I want to buy your house.
Congratulations, take a deep breath, and hold on tight. It will be work, but it will be good in the end. I hope it sells quickly.
Yes, what Chrissy said!
And clean out closets, cabinets and countertops so it looks like way more space than if your closets (like mine) are bursting with clothes and miscellaneous junk. We boxed up a lot of stuff before we even put our house on the market.
(((Hugs))) I would totally buy your house. It sounds wonderful. Cross your finger, say a prayer and deep breaths. Hopefully something there will help. We were in a similar situation when we bought this house and our last house sold to the first person that looked at it. I've always lamented that we priced it too low, but at least we had a (fairly) smooth process. Good luck. Whatever's meant to be...
We did the storage thing too--that and a quick coat of paint I think sold our house. It was a lot cheaper than I thought it would be.
Congrats!
I hope you can sell quickly before the relocation company finds something.
Oh wow!!! I got all teary reading this. I remember these mixed feelings, and letting go. We had to sell our first home 2 years ago and that final day, closing the door on our first home as a family tore me apart :( But this is a new, fresh start for you all, and I wish you all the best in getting this whole ordeal settled and past you. It sounds like an intense time indeed. But your home description sounds absolutely lovely. Even I want to come over to see it!
I remember selling and moving from condo to cottage (hooray) and then moving from cottage to bigger cottage (hooray, hooray) but I am looking through hindsight and cheering. At the time it was STRESSFUL and full of mixed emotions. At times I felt so alone and confused. The blogdom has knit together hearts so you are daily encouraged and prayed for ALL OVER THE WORLD! Wow! Praise God.
I love following your domestic adventures. I sit in my large and lovely home-of-my-dreams, but wonder ... one chick has already flown to college ... hmmmmm ... will I one day move to a cozier cottage with smaller gardens (read: LESS WORK)? Well, I'm not ready to think about that just now. There's time.
So, that's my prayer for you. Think in the moment, relax each time you soak in that wonderful tub, smile each time you turn on the light in your gorgeous kitchen, for today it is home and that's enough joy for the moment. : )
I'm in love with your house already!! I bet you sell it in no time!
Your house looks BEAUTIFUL - I'm sure it will sell right away!
Congratulations!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog.
Oh Congratulations Kat. I am so happy and sad for you all in one mixed up emotion. It is hard to move on from so many wonderful memories, and so exciting to move into the new ones you'll make. Go ahead and cry, but you won't have long-- I was ready to put an offer on your house with that description (do you think my Hubby would mind the commute?).
Ooooh, I don't know where you live, but I'd love to have your house! The description is amazing!
I hope everything works out for you and your family. I can only imagine how stressful this all is. But as my friend the Realtor always tells me, "If it's meant to work out, it will."
Peace - D
the house is beautiful! Seriously, I am not just saying that you make you feel better. I would love to move into something as cute as that!
After reading that description I so want to buy your house! I am sure you will have no trouble selling it.
Oh your house is so pretty and sounds amazing!
Good luck with everything!
Well, you sold me! I would for sure buy it. And you are right- the memories come with you. Everything works together for good for those that love God.
Ah, yes, bittersweet indeed! I'm sure, in time, you will love house #2 just as much and you'll always have a place in your heart for this one. And WOW, this house looks JUST like the house in HAPPY DAYS! :)
Your house is lovely, Kathryn! The description is lovely too...and I'm sure someone will come in and make warm memories there just as you did.
Here's my tip. Get a video tape & have the boys give you a tour of the house. They'll love looking back on the house, and you'll love looking back on the house & the boys!
Congrats on the new house, BTW!
Your current house sounds wonderful, I can't imagine that you won't be able to sell it quickly! WOW!
Good luck with all of this and try not to stress about it too much...
Awwww! Your description is beautiful!!! :) Take it one day at a time and see where this adventure takes you!!! :))
Aww. Thanks everyone. We just put the For Sale sign up on our front lawn.
*sniff, sniff*
Lisa- That is such a great idea! I was going to do a videotaped tour of the house but having the boys give the tour is genius! Thank you!
Are you sure you want to move? Your house is darling. Cleaning out crap can make enough room.
I went through about a year ago and purged out everything that wasn't used. I reduced the amount of christmas decorations and when finished we had plenty of space and stuff. Tell us the pluses on the other house right away, again. What character does it have? What's your favorite room? Can you imagine yourselves living there?
Your place that your in sounds totally perfect to me. My favorite house that we loved and remodeled sold the first day we had it up for sale. So be as sure as you can that the new place has enough plusses to pull you from this one.
I'm not trying to sound like an idiot here, because of course you both think you have. I'm just suggesting look again because it sounds very painful, like maybe you don't really want to. I don't know, this is just bloogy land. I wish I could buy it, it looks lovely. It has craftsman details that I love and wowie zowie ya'll have fixed it up fine! Not to mention CLEAN. I never have seen such a clean toddler in a highchair as yours, eating with a fork no less.
Karen- You're KILLING me here! We already put an offer on the house! We have a For Sale sign in our yard! ACK!!!!
Yes, we love our house. But it really is small and we can't add on. I can't even imagine what it would be like as the boys got older (and bigger!).
The new house has SO MANY of the things we have always wanted. Lots of bedrooms (5), a natural fireplace (great for Wisconsin winters! and we have access to 120 acres of wood), a 3 car garage, a master suite with huge closets, a 2nd floor laundry, a huge basement we can finish, a giant backyard, a park right next to the house. It really is a great place. And we'll eventually make it our own like we did this one.
But it is still hard to leave our first home.
Aaack! I love your home! Can I counter offer and buy it?? just kidding. But really! I would have a hard time leaving it too!
Congratulations! Good luck selling your lovely home:)
Holy smokes....access to a park NEXT door and acreage behind your new house?! Deal Deal Deal! I know it'll be sad sad sad leaving your old house with lots of little baby memories....but you're have another baby and will have new baby memories in the new digs, PLUS big kid ADVENTURE IN THE WOODS memories at the new diggs as well. Ohhhhhh, that just sounds like my dream home. You MUST blog pics of before you moved in, and after you decorate. Must.
Lindsay- Oh shoot. I worded that wrong. I meant we have access to 120 acres up north at Todd's folks cabin so we have plenty of wood for the wood burning fireplace.
The yard at the new house is big, but not that big. About 3/4 acre. And then a massive park right by.
Sorry for the confusion! ;)
Congratulations...
on making me cry again. And on the contract as well. Like your other readers, I am considering buying your home--from ALABAMA.
Your home really is beautiful. I'm thinking it should sell quickly! I understand that feeling of wanting the next people who live there to love it as much as you have. I remember the last time I cleaned my old house for the new owners...it was emotional. I cleaned it so thoroughly, hoping to set a precedent for the next people to take care of it. ;)
You have a lovely house! What a great write up! I want to come to the open house!!!!
Good luck!
Corporate relocations usually have a nice incentive for the family to sell themselves, so I'll bet your sellers will do everything they can to make sure you remain the buyers. Trust me. I know from corporate relo.
I hope it all works out with the house! God is in control of the whole situation.
Aaaahhhh! (picture jumping up and down girl-style)
Congrats!
You wrote the blurb on your home beautifully. Showing a home is stressful, but totally do-able. One thing I did was always keep the dishwasher, clothes baskets, washing machine and dyer empty. Oh, and garbage cans too. I also highly recommend a spray polish for cabinets called Liquid Gold, it is AMAZING stuff. Our realtor thought we'd bought new cabinets.
I remember the feelings I had, just like yours, when we left our first home. I stood outside the front door and cried so hard I couldn't see a thing. I still miss certain things about the home (especially since it's put-of-state now), but you will learn to love your new place too - just as much. It certainly sounds like it will fit your needs so much better, and, you can a make it your own (again).
The best of luck to you all with the sell.
oh my!!! This is so exciting!!! :) Congrats!!!!!
Congrats on your offer being accepted! That is such wonderful news! :)
I loved Lisa's idea of the video tape with the boys tour. Perfect!
Your description of your home was awesome. You could just read the love. Hang in there, letting go of the first house is hard. I remember sitting on our porch swing crying.....
But home is where the heart is. It is where dinners are shared, and bed time stories are read. Think of all the fun times ahead in this new chapter. :)
sounds like things are moving right along. i hope you find just the right folks to sell to in the right amount of time.
I remember our first home, the one we bright Jay home in. We had so many memories. And then our second home, the one we brought Lola home. We had so many memories. And then this home, the one we brought Fifi home. So many memories.
We. Are. Never. Moving again. For we re-produce in every home.
Hope you make new memories in your new home.
Ha to Ohmommy's comment ;)!
Congrats on the new home, it sounds just lovely.
There's always something bittersweet about moving. This is our second house, but our first with the kids in it (our previous one had TONS of character but very little space ie. not enough for rugrats and their toys etc). I know that we'll be here for a little while longer now that the kids are settled in the school and neighbourhood.
Maybe you'll take the cue from Ohmommy and have the next baby in the new house?
Hope you get a quick sale, sounds and looks gorgeous!
Hi there! I found you through LaskiGal.
That's a well-written tribute to your house, and I'm sure the previous owners would be happy you made so many good memories there.
We're vaguely househunting for a place an hour or so outside of Chicago (currently in the near suburbs), and your house looks and sounds very nice-- my wife would love it. How many bedrooms does it have, and how much are you asking, if you don't mind saying?
it's a lovely home, filled with love, which people will feel when they enter. how could they not?
can't wait to see the new house! which i'm sure is also lovely, and you will also fill with love.
Good luck. I'm sure the house will look great when you are done. I hope it sells quickly.
I can't imagine...we have discussed selling our house & moving on, but this is the house my husband started working on about 6 months before we got married. This is the house we brought both of our children home from the hospital.
Your house looks so cute!! I am sure you will find just the right family for it. GOOD LUCK!!
Congratulations on the new house!! I hope your house sells soon so you can keep the new one! :)
Oh, K. I think you are doing the right thing. Change is always difficult. And, there are always positives and negatives with every decision. Keep you head up. It will certainly all work out well for you guys. I really believe that.
How bittersweet! First of all, congratulations! You will make many warm memories in your new home as well.
I know how it feels to say good-bye to your first home. I felt the same way when we left ours nearly three years ago. Big Sis took it the hardest. She was not anxious to leave the only house she'd ever known. As our new house was built and we made plans for her new room, she got a little more excited about the new place. The day we sold our old house, we took her to say her last good-bye. She'd drawn a good-bye picture for the house of her and her baby brother that we left on the mantle. I later sneaked back in to get it for her scrapbook. I hope she's much older before she realizes I took it from the house.
Hey girl, New memories to make!
Sounds like a great place for active boys that are growing up. And room
to spare, you'll love it. Nerve wrecking yes, but when your settled
it will all be worth it! :)
Awwww... I miss our first house, too. It was too tiny, but had an enormous yard. I remember the piles and piles of leaves I raked for Justin when he was so tiny...
From the sound of it you should have no problems selling(fingers crossed for you) It has to be mixed emotions I'm sure.
How exciting for you! I know it's hard, though. Taking plenty of pictures might help--of just the rooms, no people necessary. I know it sounds weird, but if I have photos, it feels like I haven't really lost it.
I still love looking back at the pictures of our first home--the place we brought each of our three babies home from the hospital to. It's comforting to see them somehow.
Becky
Aw, so bittersweet, isn't it? I love that those before you loved your current home and that you did, too. I do hope that whoever buys it next also will love it for you.
Good luck with all of the other complicated real estate buying/selling stuff that I kind of understood but that also kind of sailed over my head once it got complex sounding. ;) Happy packing, too. Ugh. Packing.
Good luck with it all, Kathryn! Your description was beautifully written.
I found a house that I LOVE last week and now I'm on pins & needles...
Your house looks adorable and I hope it sells quickly for you. I know you will be happy in your new house. Once all your belongings are inside...it will feel like home!
Kimmy
Oh Kathryn, I'll certainly keep you in my prayers that it's meant to be and the house will sell. (and that your stress will be minimal.)
You house looks and sounds beautiful! Wish we could buy it!
Oh Kathryn! I can just feel the love in your words. I would feel the same way... But Congratulations and you will be in my thoughts and prayers!
Post a Comment