Warning. This post will probably be filled with some whiny woe-is-me stuff, so please do skip over it if you’re not in the mood for some good ol’ fashioned bitching.
This is my house. Isn’t she pretty?
Jason and I built this house in 2004. Well, we didn’t build it with our OWN HANDS, but we paid for it and oversaw all the design choices and watched it grow from a grassy half acre lot, to a hole in the ground, to a two story colonial with a pretty bay window and a brick front.
There are things we’ve done with our own hands in this house… like these hardwood floors. Jason and I put those in while I was pregnant with Aiden. I remember that I flinched at every loud bang of the nail gun, wondering if I was traumatizing my baby-to-be.
Oh, and we installed this vinyl picket fence, too. We worked on that fence every weekend for MONTHS, measuring and digging each post hole, setting the posts with Quickrete, and installing the panels. Then we landscaped the whole she-bang, too.
It’s been a labor of love, and we’ve cared well for this place for seven years. We love this house, but we need to move. Jason’s commute to his new job in Maryland is loooooong and I don’t even want to think about the money we spend on gas right now. It makes me sad to think about leaving the place where we brought our babies home, but I’m also excited and impatient to start over in a new place and really put our mark on it.
The house has been on the market since early April, and in the beginning we had quite a few showings. But things have stalled in the last few weeks. No traffic whatsoever, which is pretty stressful for a somewhat, er, controlling person such as myself. There’s nothing I can do, really. Sure, I’ve repainted everything. The house is cleaned to within an inch of its life. I planted flowers. I staged each room and got rid of clutter. My closets and cabinets have never looked so organized. But really, that doesn’t matter if we don’t have people WALKING THROUGH to actually SEE all these good things. Type A personality, you ask? Why yes. How did you guess??
That’s where we stand. Playing the waiting game. Trying to determine the right price for this place and some other incentives to make it as appealing as possible. I’m really hoping to sell by the end of summer because I’m guessing this house is perfect for families with kids, most of whom are looking to be settled by the start of school in the fall. But who knows… we could be here this time next year, for all I can tell.
But I really, really hope not.
(So, do you have a couple hundred thousand dollars sitting around? Come buy my house!)
(Please?!)
Oh lady. First of all: Beautiful house!! I remember how stressful it was having our house on the market, and that was only for 4 weeks! But we had a contract on a house and it was all contingent upon us selling ours… so it was a race and a waiting game and argh. Mercifully, TWO DAYS before our contract expired on the new house, we sold ours. I was a ball of stress and anxiety the entire time (Fellow Type A, nice to meet you! LOL)
Try to hang in there, hopefully you’ll get some foot traffic through soon. It only takes ONE!!! Right?? :) And I hope you don’t go insane keeping the place clean, we only had Maggie and no pets and ZOMG IT WAS RIDICULOUS. heh
I remember that crazy time when you sold your place. I was so glad it worked out so perfectly for you.
I’m hoping and praying for some luck, but it is so hard waiting. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! (OK, I feel better now).
Your house is shining! I can tell you’ve cleaned it within an inch of everyone’s life. I really really hope it sells, and soon!
Thanks Janet! Some people almost lost their lives in my attempt to keep it all clean! :)
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Kel, it’s so beautiful. I wish a) I could relocate and b) I could get the mortgage. I would in a MINUTE! Sending good house selling vibes your way. Those that have looked at it and not put in an offer? Morons!
Thanks Kel. I need all the good vibes I can get!
If I showed Ezra that wall of Space Fabulousness, he would sell Iris to be able to afford your house.
Your home is absolutely beautiful and anyone would be lucky to have it. I hope someone realizes that soon. : )
Thanks, K. :) Tell Ezra he can get a set of space wall decals of his very own for about 50 smackers (google and you’ll get a bunch of options).
Holy crap that house is GORGEOUS!!!! and a couple hundred thousand? That house where I live would be closer to a million! I absolutely LOVE IT and I can’t believe anyone who has seen it has not wanted it immediately!
NOw I want to move :) Wish you lots of luck, seriously!
Thanks. :) Where do you live? Housing prices aren’t the cheapest here, but they are definitely lower than they used to be!
California – in a small town on the coast (near Pismo Beach) exactly between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Cost of living here is outrageous, but it’s a small town so wages aren’t that great.
Plus, we don’t have brick houses like that because of the Earthquake factor :)
I love houses like yours, but unless I win the lottery it’s not going to happen. At least I can gaze at the pictures of your beautiful home and dream though!
If we lived in the US, we would totally buy your house. It’s like the quintessential American homestead that we see in tv shows all the time AND I LOVE IT. Right down to your picket fence. Good luck! x
Thanks, Aly!