Moving On. . . (Finer Things Friday)
I really haven’t talked much about our decision to put our house up for sale. I have mentioned it a time or two but never really explained. Mostly because there hasn’t been much time. It has been C.R.A.Z.Y.
See we have been talking about the possibility for some time now. We originally were going to try and put it on the market early last spring when the gold rush of house buying was taking place with the tax credit. BUT Tessa was a newborn and I knew the list of things that needed done to the house far outweighed my capacity (mostly de-clutter, nothing major). So we put the notion aside and decided we would revisit the possibility again in Spring of 2011.
Then at the end of the summer something was sparked again. Through a series of circumstances I decided perhaps we should at least look into the financial pros and cons of moving and make a to-do list of things that needed to be completed before the Spring of 2011, after all, it really isn’t that far away compared to our to-do list. So we made a 6 month plan of attack for our list in preparation.
After reviewing the list, the finances and the circumstances I felt a strong prompting to talk to my husband again about the potential of trying to sell sooner rather than later. To my surprise, (he HATES house projects) he agreed that it would be in our best interest to attack our to-do list with a vengeance and attempt to get it on the market by November 1st.
This meant our month plan became a 1.5 month plan. And that month? October! October, by far, the busiest scheduled month in our 2010 calendar! I usually don’t travel much for Once A Month Mom but in the month of October I had Blogher Food, a Kellogg’s Love Your Cereal Trip and the Atlanta Once A Month Mom Tweet-Up. In addition, my husband had several huge business projects and a conference of his own to attend starting on the 1st of November. Not to mention every day life and all that entails with two children two and under! Yes folks, we are crazy. It can be confirmed with this post.
I am happy to report that as of Tuesday, November 9th we close the chapter on getting the house ready to go on the market and open the chapter on trying to get it sold. Oh I wish my house could stay this clean everyday! I am not sure how I am going to maintain it with the kids. It seems like they undo things as fast as we do them. Any suggestions from those of you that have sold your house before and have little ones? I could use plenty of tips and tricks.
All this to say, it really is a bittersweet feeling. When I started researching what to do to get your house ready to sell, one of the first pieces of advice I read was “go through each room in the house and mentally detach yourself from it.” Easy enough, I wasn’t attached! I was ready to move on.
However, as we have put the last touches on each room (something that should have been done YEARS ago) and thought through some of the moments we have had in this home, I have come to be more attached than I was before we began our journey to sell it. Oops, I have done the opposite of the advice!
This was my first home purchase. I got engaged in this house. Came home to this house when we got married. Had my first two children in this home. Started a blog in this kitchen. Lost my first pet ever, my dog Boo. And many, many more memories. It is truly bittersweet to think of leaving it, even though I feel it is time.
And don’t worry, I don’t plan on boring you daily with the details. I just wanted you to know what crazy looks like around here and that I am ready to get back to the normal postings and recipes! We have some fun things in store the next few weeks.
And if you live in the Dayton, Ohio area and want to buy a home, let me know. 
This post is linked at Finer Things Friday at Amy’s Finer Things.
Hi Tricia,
I’m trying to find a bakery in Dayton area that sells Brioche. So many interesting recipes use this bread, but every bakery I have contacted does not carry it. Any insight?
Thanks! Pam
KUDOS on getting all of your work done even though you were soo busy! I hope that things go smoothly for you guys as you transition. I have never been on the side of selling, but trying to buy a place was crazy! [we ended up renting for the moment since the hubs and I aren't your fixer-upper type people
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Another blog I follow – Young House Love – recently sold their house and have some tips up on their site with more to follow… thought I’d pass them along! [http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/11/how-we-sold-our-house-by-owner/] Hope your house selling goes well!
Thanks, I’ll check out the blog!
I had similar feelings when we were down-to-the-wire when moving earlier this year. The house we sold was where I had rocked each of my 3 babies from their first days. I had pangs of sadness right up until the last second while cleaning the empty house. It was a local move, so while we moved on to a newer house, our friends and routines didn’t change much. Now, six months after the move, I don’t give our old house a second thought. We’re making happy memories in our new one and love every minute!! Good luck! I know how stressful life can be in your situation!
I was pregnant alone with a two year old when we sold our house due to my husband taking another job within the same company. So, while it was sad that we were leaving our first home, it was exciting that we were going to a new city and getting a new home.
The Clorox/Lysol wipes can be your best friend!! They are great for quick clean ups in the bathroom and the kitchen. I also started cleaning up as I made the mess, versus waiting until later to wash the dishes, put away the laundry, etc.
Hopefully your phone will soon be ringing off the hook with people wanting to come see your home! Good luck!
I can so relate to your trying to get the house ready to sell. We’ve been flirting with the idea of selling for over a year. Like you, my husband HATES house projects, especially painting, which is what needs to be done the most. He keeps saying that we are going to get it done and get the house sold, but I think we’ll be here for another few years. It’s a good thing I like this house!
Wow, sounds crazy! Best of luck getting it sold (and more importantly at this point, keeping it clean in hopes of selling it, hehe).
i feel the same way about my house. everyone thinks we should move but i cant, not yet. it means to much to move out of your starter home.
Judging from the picture of your kitchen, your house is very similar to mine…small cape cod (in Columbus area), roughly 1100 sq ft. There are days that it irritates me to no end that I dont have a separate dining room, and our kitchen is the size of a shoebox. The (original) hardwood floors squeak, the HVAC system is 20 years older than I am, and the bedroom windows are of the type that need a stick to prop them open. But, it is the first home my husband and I have owned, the house where I gave birth to my son, and have raised him to 1 year. It is the house where my husband is finishing his PhD, and when he graduates, it is the house we may have to leave so we can follow his career, wherever that takes us. As exciting as it will be when we are ready to move on, it will be sad too. Good luck with the sale, and may you find a new house that will quickly become home.
[...] all remember we are trying to sell our house, right? Yes, that is still going on. We are headed to our third month on the market and no, there [...]