Wednesday, November 14, 2012

My Thoughts on Living in a House that is Up for Sale

Today marks the 31st day that our house has been listed on the market. Yesterday marks the 22nd showing we've had.

So far...no offers. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

I admit, it's a little confusing and somewhat frustrating to have so many people coming to look at our house and have no one taking any serious interest. The only real negative feedback we've gotten is that the basement is ugly. Sigh. I already knew that.

There have been some interesting things, however, that I've learned through the process of showing after showing after showing. Here are some of the more amusing things I have noticed...

I have never been more paranoid about how my house smells. Meals are planned around showings to make sure the right aroma is present--or the wrong one isn't. More than one diaper has been changed on the back porch to prevent offending a potential buyer's nostrils.

It is an odd sensation to intentionally walk through the entire house and turn ON every single light in the house. And then promptly walk out the door to be gone for at least an hour or two.

It is an even odder sensation to come home and find all the lights turned off after most certainly leaving with them all on.

I never really cared what the inside of my cupboards looked like. I enjoy a certain level of organization, allowing for quick access to most-used items. Now I want my cupboards organized and pretty. Pretty was never a word that I previously applied to the inside of a cupboard.

My clothes are color-coordinated when hanging in the closet. Why? Because it's pretty. We're all about pretty now.

I leave the house fully expecting total strangers to come in and wander around as much as they like throughout the entire house. And that's just fine. Theoretically. It's actually really weird if I think about it too hard.

Chris and I went to Albuquerque last week to look for a new place to live. Hooray for us, we found an apartment! Here is the floor plan (decorations not included).


It will be quite the switch from a 2600 sq. ft. house with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a 2-car garage and fully fenced backyard on a private lot to a 950 sq.ft. 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. BUT, the whole point of this move is to grow closer as a family--we're just taking that literally as well as figuratively.

The official countdown has begun:  
19 days 
to Albuquerque