One Heck of a Busy Weekend May 15, 2010
I am in the home stretch of getting our house ready to be put on the market. We’re close. And I’m exhausted.
It is definitely a buyer’s market in our neighborhood, so I am doing everything I can think of to give us an advantage. I’m sure I’m doing some things other people wouldn’t bother doing, but I’m hoping it pays off.
Today, in addition to the house preparations, we had a bit of moving to do. We really had wanted to find a rental house to move into closer into town before our house was listed, but that didn’t end up happening. The competition is fierce for nice rentals “inside the loop” as we Houstonians call it, so we haven’t found anything yet.
So, instead we got a short term lease on an apartment close to our neighborhood so we could have a “home away from home” during the day. That is what got moved into today.
I knew going into this that there would be no way I could keep up our house at the level it needed to be at (just shy of perfection) if we were living in it full time. Adam can make a mess of a room faster than I can clean it up, and while I’m fine with that on a general basis, it’s just not going to fly while our house is on the market.
Not to mention the fact that I do not want to have to deal with showings during nap time and all of that. And I didn’t want the kitties (and their related paraphernalia) to be in the house for showings, so we had to have a workable solution for that as well. So, an apartment it is.
Our Realtor is coming by tomorrow for another walk through. We’ll also be signing all of the paperwork then. The house cleaners are coming Monday morning. (Yes, I’m totally letting someone else do the scrubbing. I’m working my butt off as it is.) The photographer is coming Monday afternoon, and our house should be listed mid week next week.
If that wasn’t enough, my birthday was yesterday, and our 12th wedding anniversary is tomorrow. At least things aren’t boring, right?
Although it’s not easy, it’s good to be busy. It’s a little weird, but I enjoy working hard. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t enjoy working (as in a job for someone else) but I’ve always found it really rewarding to work hard for something I want or to help someone I know.
Off to crash now. Tomorrow’s another busy day.
- Posted in : Life after IF
- Author : amanda
Comments»
Happy birthday and congrats on the wedding anniversary! I’m a real estate broker in California (soon to be in NY, too!) so I’ve got loads of ideas for what you can do. Painting the front door, flowers by the front door, new doormat, are all good ideas for a good first impression. Put brighter lightbulbs in lights, too….it’ll brighten up the house.
I hope it sells fast and for what you want out of it so you can get onto the next phase in your lives there. :)
Seems like it’s a buyer’s market around here too. It seems like more homes than normal around here for sure, but I’m always surprised at how many people list as soon as spring arrives. But that is so great that you all will get to have a home away during all of this. I hope it sells quick!
Happy Birthday and Anniversary!
Sounds like you’ve got it all under control. Hope it sells quickly. Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary!
All of those sound like good ideas. We are househunting (in Houston, inside the Loop), and it’s amazing how many would-be sellers think nothing of leaving their pets around the house when people visit. But yes, paint, light and staging can work wonders. People have a *really* hard time visualizing a house as it could be — the more you can guide their visualization, the better off you’ll be. If you have a wooden front door, you might want to look into getting it re-stained (I did that with my former house, among other things, and it sold quickly).
Also, the better the photos your Realtor can have taken for online listing, the better. Bad photos are a turnoff. If you have any in which key components of a room are cut off, things look dark or blurry, or the reflection of the picture-taker can be seen, throw them out and start over. It’s worth the expense to get a professional photographer if that can be done.
Best of luck!
Best of luck!
Congrats on your anniversary (and Happy Birthday!).
We’re celebrating our 12th on the 24th :-)
Hope you have a good week.
Happy belated birthday and belated anniversary! You’ve definitely got a lot on your plate–glad to know that it’s all coming together :)
Crossing my fingers for a quick sale and that you find the home that speaks to you!
Happy birthday!
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