Let's Take A Tour - The Office/Guest Room

After walking in the front door, straight ahead are the stairs to come into the actual living area. 

The way this home is set up, the garage is downstairs and the living area is upstairs. I didn't know how I would feel about this at first. We'd owned a condo similar to this set-up, except there was no garage, only neighbors living downstairs. I've come to appreciate it, though. I'm not constantly going up and down the stairs since there isn't anything that I need downstairs (unless it's something in the garage which doesn't happen often).

At the top of the stairs is a small landing with a window. I wanted to decorate this but with it being so small an area I didn't want to crowd it. So, I kept it simple.

My realtor (and best friend) gave me a gift card to HomeGoods/Marshall/TJ Maxx. I looked up these stores in my city and found that I have a TJ Maxx nearby, so I went over to see what I could find. I fell in love with the decor and the prices! And as an added bonus, I found out that folks 55 and older get a 10% discount on Mondays - yes please! I just happened to be there on a Monday so I scored this planter with an artificial snake plant that was on clearance for $16.99 - only I paid $15.29 with my discount. The planter was $9.99, or $8.99 for this senior citizen. I already had the artwork, so this area was complete.

Once on the landing, a left turn takes you up a short flight of stairs to the first room in the house. It's actually supposed to be the third bedroom, but the builder left it open (I'm supposing at the request of the original buyer). I'd wanted a third bedroom to use as a guest room/office, and I was disappointed to see that this room wasn't an actual room. But after discussing it with my realtor and my son, I realized I didn't need a third bedroom. Yes, having a guest room is nice, but the only person coming to stay over is my oldest son R, and that only happens a couple of times a year. What we really needed, I thought, was a music room, a room where my son E could put a drum set. I wanted to get him an electronic drum set for Christmas, something that wouldn't make a ton of noise and disturb the neighbors. This area would work perfectly for that.

Since I didn't have any office furniture when we first moved in, and E didn't have his electronic drum set yet, this room became the staging area. All boxes, plastic containers, decor, even furniture, went in here first to be sorted before being moved to a permanent location. It wasn't the best situation, since this is the first room you see whenever you come into my house, but it was useful to contain the mess here while setting up the rest of the house.

The wall unit had been in my living room at the old house and it was going to stay in here. This is the only place it will fit. Once all the boxes were emptied out and everything but the office equipment and files put away, I went ahead and purchased some office furniture. The wall unit I'd bought years before off of Amazon, so I looked it up to see if there were any other pieces in this collection. I was thrilled to find there was a desk, though not a file cabinet. It took a lot of searching, but I finally settled on a file cabinet that was from the collection of furniture in my son's room, also purchased off of Amazon. Once I had these pieces I was able to organize the office.

I didn't have to buy an office chair; my daughter had one from her old desk that she didn't intend on keeping, so I took it for myself. I also didn't need to buy a new rug. This rug had been in the family room at the old house. I'd bought it from Costco for $40 a couple years before. I had all the decor except for the wall clock. My realtor had bought it for her own house, but when she put it on her wall she didn't like how small it looked. She found another much larger clock that she liked better, and she offered this one to me. I was only too happy to accept! It goes perfectly with the rustic wood furniture in this room.

The office looked like this until Christmas, when my son opened his gift. We set it up in the office as we'd originally intended. Then my son asked what computer it would be connected to. Leave it to this technological dinosaur to not think about that. His computer is in his bedroom, and it's a desktop computer. The drums are supposed to be connected to a computer to record music or to look up music and lessons. I told him he was welcome to use my laptop; he said he wanted the drums in his room. I didn't think that was possible; his room is a good size but so is a drum set. He believed he could make it work, so long as he moved the nightstand out of his room. He wasn't using it; in the old house it had been next to his bed, but because of the configuration in this room it was on the other side of the bedroom next to his desk. Taking it out of the room looked like it would allow the drum set to fit, so we gave it a try. Lo and behold, the boy was right.  

For the next couple of weeks E tried to get the drum set to work with his computer, but to no avail. He tried different cables, different programs, anything he could find, but the drums were not connecting properly and it was just not working. I felt terrible. The one thing he wanted when we moved was to be able to use his drum set, especially since we would be moving far from his drum teacher. His drum set was in the garage gathering dust, and the electronic set was a bust. I didn't know what to do.

My son talked to his drum teacher, and showed me an option: low volume drumheads. They are made specifically for "noise sensitive situations", and are 70-80% quieter than regular drumheads. Even the cymbals are quieter, so he can play on his entire drum set without disturbing any of the neighbors. He found a really nice set on Amazon that was almost the exact same price as the electronic drums, and I had just a few days before the return window closed, so we packed up the electronic drums, shipped them back, and ordered the drumheads to my son's delight. Of course the next question was, would the real drum set fit in his room? He was sure it would; me, not so much. Once again my son was right. It's a bit tight but whenever he isn't playing he can condense it and it doesn't get in the way. We've never gotten any complaints about noise, so I can attest to the fact that they do work.

But now that meant that the office didn't have to be a music room. It could be just an office - or maybe a guest room as well? I knew I didn't want to put a bed in there since it's a wide open space. Even a daybed wouldn't work. The next option would be either a sofa bed or a futon. I'd seen futons in the past and I didn't like them at all, but I was pleasantly surprised at how they've improved over the years. I began researching and took into account the look, functionality, size, and of course affordability.  I read reviews from customers as well as consumer report websites. I found a couple that had excellent reviews, and I was price comparing the two styles on Amazon, Wayfair, Overstock, even Home Depot. They ran for $400+ but sometimes went on sale for $350. As I waited to see when the price would drop, I found one of the styles on Walmart.com for $280. I about fell out of my chair! Why was it so cheap?! Was it a return? Something wrong with it? Nope, turns out this model is being discontinued and replaced with something similar but more mid-century modern looking. I jumped on that so fast! No way I was going to let that opportunity get away! The color, size, everything was perfect. Once I got it in the room I knew I'd made the right choice.

Now this is what you see when you make your way up the stairs:

I moved the desk over to the left side of the room along with the file cabinet, and put the futon on the right wall with the wall unit in the middle. The nightstand became a side table.

The pillows were a set I'd bought from Costco before moving to this house, and they look perfect on this couch. The artwork above it was in our old family room. I'd originally put it in the living room above the television set, but it looked terrible. It's about the same size and shape as the tv so it looked like we had a tv over the tv. I'm so glad it works well in here, since I don't have anywhere else to put it and I don't want to get rid of it. It is one of my favorite pieces.

I moved the clock as well whenever I moved the desk. Unfortunately, I didn't have the clock as well secured as I thought. I put it up, turned around and heard a loud crash. The clock had slid off the wall and fell flat on the glass front, shattering it. Thankfully, though, the clock itself was not damaged, so I decided to keep it and make no one the wiser ;-).

Beside the desk I set up the file cabinet so that I can access everything easily. My paper shredder and printer are on top, and over them is a piece of artwork I got years ago from Kirkland's. 

The three pieces on the wall next to the file cabinet also came from my last house. I got them from Target several years ago, but I still see them there occasionally.

This is one of the rooms where I've spent the most money since I had to get new furniture pieces for it. Still, I was able to get everything for just under $725. That includes any decor and accessories. Considering there are three new pieces of furniture, I think I've done pretty well. I still want to get a floor lamp for this room. There's no overhead lighting, and the small lamp I picked up from Hobby Lobby for $20 doesn't really light the room up much. Other than that, this room is done and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.

Next up: the living room. 

Let's Take A Tour - The Entryway

I wish I'd taken more before and after pictures. With the move and everything happening so fast, I didn't focus on taking pictures or making memories. I also wasn't thinking about blogging. It had been such a long time since I'd put my thoughts down that it was the farthest thing from my mind. I do have some older pics that I'll use as we take a tour of my new home.

I figured the best place to start would be the first place you see when you walk into the house: the entryway. Now, it should be understood that the entryway is tiny. It's only 6'4" x 4'3", but one of the things we noticed right away was how much is packed into this small space.

Taking pictures of this area is tough because it's so small, so bear with me.

This is what you see when you walk in the front door. The entryway is a small landing right before heading up the stairs to a second landing and then the actual living space.

On the wall right by the staircase I put up a cute piece that I found on clearance at Hobby Lobby before the pandemic started. I had another piece here but I decided this looked nicer. Underneath it I put up some hooks for keys that I found at Target when we first moved here. It was just $7.99, right up my alley. I had a floating shelf at the old house but it was too big for this wall so this worked out better.

  

Below that I'd originally put a basket for our shoes and such, but it looked messy. So instead I got this small shelving unit off of Amazon for $35. I already had one that I'd bought several years before and was using in the living room. I love this piece because it's solid wood, very sturdy and high-end looking. I already had the baskets, and they fit perfectly. Now it holds my shoes on top and my son E's shoes on the bottom, so no one has to bring their shoes into the house. The artificial plant on top I'd purchased from Kirkland's years ago.

Right beside this wall, to the right if you walk in through the front door, is a window with plantation shutters. There are plantation shutters throughout the entire house, which I absolutely love. They are classic, easy to clean, and go with every decor style. I'm thankful to have them.

This is the view from up the stairs. The door on the far right goes to the garage. Straight ahead on the left is the front door and next to it is a really small coat closet. We laughed at the fact that there would even be a coat closet in South Florida. We get weather cold enough for a coat maybe a couple times a year, and sometimes not at all. A jacket would more than suffice. But hey, storage is storage, and I found a good use for it.

This is where I store my vacuum cleaner, floor steamer, and gift wrapping supplies.

The space is so small, the only thing on the shelf is a plastic container with all my gift wrapping tissue. I reuse tissue paper to save on waste.

Between the front door and the closet I have this cross that was a gifted to me by my daughter's matron of honor. They have been very close friends for years. When she was redoing her home she asked if I wanted this cross and I quickly answered, "Yes please!" I think it is beautiful.

Above the doors I wanted something that would provide some architectural interest. The ceilings are very high and there was just empty space above the doors. I recently found these beautiful arches at Hobby Lobby on clearance for $12.50! I was so excited! I found two of them and put one over the front door and the other above the garage door. I feel like it gives the entryway a grander look.

I put a small rug in front of our front door that I picked up at Target. It didn't occur to me at the time that we rarely use the front door; we come in through the garage most times. I haven't bought another one because I'm not sure I love this rug. Unfortunately a lot of stores have limited merchandise now, so I'm waiting for them to replenish. If I find a nice pair of rugs I'll switch this one out, otherwise I'll get a second one of this style.

The entryway is one of the places in the house that I did a mini makeover project - or at least I started one. The lighting fixtures in the stairway were the original ones that the builder put in 30 years ago, and they are not attractive.

Not only are they not pretty, they're filthy. Years of dust and dirt won't come off of them anymore. They also didn't fit my rustic elegance style. I looked at tons of lighting options, and settled on these from Amazon:

I'm in love with the way this looks! It was super easy to install too. Well, this one was. It's at the top of the staircase landing, so reaching it was no problem.

The other light fixture is way higher than this one: 15 feet off the ground. I have an extension ladder so reaching it height-wise isn't the issue. It's in an awkward spot that makes it hard to reach once I'm at the top of the ladder. That's one problem. The other problem is fear. When I took the old light fixture off of this top landing light, it had 3-4 dead cockroaches inside. Not little cockroaches; the ones we Floridians call Palmetto bugs. They are big and nasty! Of course the fact that they were dead was a relief, but even so...I had to get a broom to knock them out of the cover before I could take the light fixture down. Ya'll, cockroaches make me gag. It was not pleasant. Once I'd gotten rid of them and taken the light fixture to the trash, I finished putting the new fixture up, but I quickly realized putting up the other one wouldn't be possible for me. This new light fixture is heavy! I had a hard time holding it up while also wiring it. So now I'm patiently waiting for one of my electrician buddies to have the time to come over and put up the second light fixture, and the entryway will be done (for now!). 

Now that I'm pretty much caught up with what's happened the last few years, I'll be posting more house tours and updates. See ya back here soon!

Setting Up (A New) House

Closing on my old house was on September 9. Closing on my new home didn't happen till September 25. Two weeks of preparation. I had HOA documents to fill out, meetings with management companies and homeowner's association directors, services to cancel or redirect...those two weeks were still pretty busy and filled with excitement. My daughter and son-in-law offered us a room in their home so we wouldn't have to stay in a hotel. It was a great blessing, especially since they live just three minutes away from our new house. 

Thanks to my wonderful realtor we were able to do the closing at the property immediately after doing the walk-through. My POD was delivered that very day, and the hard work began once again.

I'm so glad the new property has a one car garage, but because we were unloading the POD on my new driveway my parking spot was blocked and so was my garage. As a resident I couldn't park in the guest spots, so I had to unload the container as much as possible, then go back to my daughter's house. My daughter and son-in-law had to work, so it was up to E and me to unload everything as quickly as possible. We emptied over half our belongings just on that first day, after giving the place a good cleaning. By the 28th it was completely emptied out.

I'd begun ordering furniture for the master bedroom, starting with the nightstands which I purchased off of Walmart.com. The bed and mattress were ordered from Amazon, and they arrived on the 25th and 26th. We moved things into the garage first, then moved them up to the office, which became the staging area for the first few weeks.

The POD was picked up on September 30, and that was our official move-in date. From that moment on everything is a blur, honestly. There was unpacking, arranging, rearranging; internet set up; furniture delivery and so much more. During this time we received sad news: my children's grandfather passed away after years of struggling with COPD. It was somewhat unexpected; he'd been sick and hospitalized so many times before and had ultimately pulled through. This time he'd been sent to a rehab center, then back home. He died in his own home, in his own bed, which was what he wanted. 

But we had good news too. My son R came to visit us on October 5, less than a week after we'd moved in. Much of the house was set up by then, and he helped with some of the unpacking as well. He only stayed for the weekend but it was so nice to have him with us. 

I didn't take many pictures during that time. I was so busy I didn't think about it, but I did manage a few pics.

I decided on a queen sized bed with an upholstered headboard. I bought the bedspread at Costco for $30, and the sheet set was $16 and extremely soft and comfy. My idea was to have my clothes in the closet and just a few items in the nightstands just as I'd done with my old bedroom set, but I soon realized the nightstands were much smaller than my old ones, so I ordered the matching chest of drawers.

All the accessories were items I'd brought from my old house except for the lamps. My lovely realtor gifted me a $100 gift certificate for Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Marshalls, and since I have a TJ Maxx close to my new home I decided to use it there. I went on a Monday and found out TJ Maxx gives 10% off on Mondays to everyone 55 and older. First time I was happy to be a senior citizen!! I also went by the clearance section and picked up an artificial plant and stand.

I'd given my old patio furniture to my daughter because it wouldn't fit on my new patio, so I purchased a couple of rocking chairs and a small table from Amazon for $125.

My favorite part of the little patio is the view. Since it's completely screened in, we can enjoy it without worrying about mosquitos and bugs. I have my wire rack that was in my old garage as a plant/decor stand, making the spot homey.

There were some projects I'd planned, but that'll be in my next blog post. Stay tuned!

Not Another Hurricane?!?!

Nothing grabs a Floridian's attention like the threat of a hurricane. The big ones, not the little ones. Floridians laugh at a category 1 and chuckle at a category 2. But anything above a cat 3 and mass hysteria breaks loose. Mention cat 5 and folks start running for the hills (you know, Georgia, Alabama...).

So imagine my despair when we heard that there was a hurricane in the Caribbean and it was headed our way. At first we just tracked it. After all, it was just a category 1, but it would disrupt the move and the closing on my house. 

We breathed a sigh of relief when Dorian missed Puerto Rico. The island still hadn't fully recovered from Hurricane Maria back in 2017; Dorian could well have decimated what was left. The bad news was, it was headed for Florida. It was just a category 1, but all that rain and wind... Still, we could handle it.

That was August 28. By August 30 it was a cat 2; it intensified to cat 4 by August 31 and became an extremely powerful category 5 on September 1, the day it reached Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. A quick map search on Google will show how close South Florida is to the Bahamas. This poor island got hammered before Dorian moved to destroy Grand Bahama Island where it stalled for a day while it lost strength. When it finally moved away from the Bahamas it had weakened to a category 2.

What was happening to South Florida in the meantime? Initially people had prepared; many put up shutters and bought supplies. I had scheduled for a POD to come on September 4 but I postponed it in anticipation of the hurricane. By August 31, however, the models showed we were no longer in the cone (weather talk for the hurricane is no longer coming our way). I still put up some of the shutters in the back of the house on my daughter's insistence, but all we got was rain. We were heartbroken for the islands of the Bahamas but grateful that the storm turned and avoided us completely.

The storm didn't deter me from the work I needed to get done. Closing was scheduled for September 9. I wasn't about to let a hurricane distract me. I still had items I needed to sell. I listed my barstools on OfferUp on August 30. They were sold and picked up the very next day. I'd bought these barstools several years before from Costco, and since I'd used my rebate check they'd cost me $20 each. I sold all three of them for $60, so basically I'd used them for about 5 years and got my money back :-). I then posted my son's old gaming chair (he'd bought a new one). That sold super quick - same day. So did the lawn mower and pressure washer. I wasn't going to need those anymore.

I called PODS to reschedule the pick up on September 2, once we were certain the hurricane wasn't coming. They gave me some bad news: the date I needed was no longer available. There wouldn't be anything available till September 9, the day of closing. That wasn't gonna work. Since I was closing on the sale of my house on the 9th but wouldn't close on the purchase of my new property for 2 weeks after that, I didn't want to load my things into a truck, unload them into a storage facility, reload them two weeks later and unload again. I began looking for other POD type services and found Pack Rat, which had good reviews and could deliver the POD on September 5. Not only that, they were a couple hundred dollars cheaper! God took care of us again.

I ordered the largest available container, 16'. I had decluttered enough that I believed I could fit everything into the container, and whatever didn't fit would stay behind.

We started with boxes in the back, along with the dining room table. I was a bit concerned, as I watched the space get filled up pretty quickly and there was still a lot that needed to go in. 

These racks had to be cleared. Most of what was here was Christmas decor. I decided what I would keep, what I would give away, and what would go to Goodwill. I didn't have time to start selling the smaller items; unfortunately, Hurricane Dorian took up more of my time than I'd anticipated. I kept only the items that I knew I couldn't part with, and got rid of the rest.

By the time I was done, all that was left was where the items that needed to go in my car: my toolbox and cleaning items. 

That weekend my daughter and son-in-law came over and helped us move everything we could fit into the POD, since pick up was scheduled for Monday the 9th, closing day. 

We emptied the pantry...

The dining room...

Shrink-wrapped the sectional before loading into the container...

And took everything out of my son's bedroom...

J came to pick up the wall unit in the master bedroom.

This massive piece of furniture is about 12 feet long and 7 feet high. It had been put together inside the bedroom because it wouldn't fit in the room otherwise - it's taller than the doorway. It was mostly empty, even before the move. I'd asked J months earlier if he wanted it since I wasn't using it. He gave me the same story of "yes I want it, I'll pick it up when I have a chance," but never did. When I told him I'd sold the house I gave him a chance again to take the furniture piece if he wanted it, otherwise it was going to the dump. So a few days before the move J came to take it apart before hauling it away.

He picked it up September 7, just 2 days before closing. That left only the king size bedframe, mattress and box springs, and nightstands. As we finished packing everything else up into the container, I quickly realized these last items were not going to fit. Yet, I wasn't upset about it. We'd owned the bedroom set for 17 years. Yes, the mattress was that old. While I'd loved my big, comfy bed, I felt it was time to let it go. I'd sold enough items that I could easily afford a new bed and bedroom furniture, and that's what I would do. 

That Sunday, September 8, I said my goodbyes at church. That was the hardest day for me. I was moving a good 45 minutes away, not convenient for traveling 2 - 3 times a week for church services and activities. Everyone treated me so lovingly, all I could do was cry. That afternoon, my neighbor kindly took whatever was left (including the bedroom furniture) to the dump. I'd put a few things out on the curb to be picked up, and people in the neighborhood came by to take them. I went back and checked all the rooms before leaving for my daughter's house.

Closing was the next day at 10:30 am. It all happened so quickly, and 19 years of memories were put safely away. I went by the house in the morning one last time to take some trash out of the garage, and walked through one last time to say goodbye.

Part of me was sad; I'd worked hard to make this a beautiful and comfortable home for my family. But a big part of me knew it was time for new beginnings. I would treasure in my heart the happy memories made here, and try to forget the painful ones. Keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus, I relished the thought of a new day, and making new memories. 

Preparing For A Move

The papers were signed, inspections done...now the (not so) fun part would really begin in full force. Decluttering, sorting, packing, labeling, and oh yes, selling.

The home I was leaving was about 1,800 square feet plus a two car garage. We were less people, now that my daughter was married and gone from the nest as well as her older brother. Our new home was smaller - no family room, no third bedroom closed off, and only a one car garage. It was perfect for us; after all, it would just be my youngest son E and myself. But it meant there would be things we wouldn't be taking with us because they simply would not fit.

I had two large storage cabinets in the garage that I'd bought from Lowe's just 4 years earlier. 

I knew that I might be able to fit the smaller cabinet but not the larger. I considered selling them, but my daughter said her mother-in-law was interested in the larger one. I had no problem giving them both away or keeping just the smaller one. I'd used the large cabinet as a pantry which I no longer needed. The smaller one I used to keep tools and cleaners for the car. Her in-laws came by and picked up both cabinets. I was glad because it was one less thing I'd have to pack or re-home.

 

It was easy to empty out because I was mindful to use whatever food was in there rather than go grocery shopping. 

The next thing that had to go was one of the sectionals. I had one in the living room and one in the family room, and although the one in the family room was newer it wasn't as good quality as the one I'd gotten from Costco 4 years before. I decided to list the sectional, which I'd bought off of Amazon, on OfferUp. I spoke with a friend who'd sold things on the app and she said she'd had great experiences. Amazingly, it sold and was picked up all within 2 hours! I decided I would continue posting and see how much I could sell.

I posted my glass tables and ceramic lamps. These had been purchased 20 years before, so I wondered if they would sell, since they were no longer in style.

Although they were pretty and were in excellent condition, neither item got more than some passing interest. I didn't let that deter me, and I posted my china cabinet that I'd lovingly stained. It sold the very next day.

While I loved this piece, I knew I wouldn't need it. The new house had a dry bar right off the dining room that could easily house everything in the china cabinet and then some. I did keep the dining room table, and began using the dining room itself as a staging area for my boxes.

Next, my daughter and son-in-law rented a truck to take her bedroom set, which they'd be using in their guest room. Since there was plenty of room in the truck, I offered her my old patio furniture (too big to fit on our new balcony) and the television with stand from the family room. I had the fireplace/tv stand in the living room, along with the bookcases, and that's all I would need in the new house. 

Once her bedroom set was gone, her bedroom was the first to be emptied out.

I continued to pack, declutter, and take things to Goodwill. The barbeque grill wouldn't be going with me, since I wouldn't have anywhere to put a grill. I tried my best to clean it so I could sell it, but after being outside for years, even with a cover, it was pretty beat up. I put it out on the curb, and before the day was over it was picked up by a Comcast technician who'd been working in the area. 

Everything seemed to be moving right along like clockwork. But it's just like Florida to throw a wrench in the works - a wrench named Dorian. Would we get hit with a category 5 hurricane?! It was time to get back on my knees and pray for a miracle! 

Packing And Searching

When God lays something on your heart, there's a good reason for it. I had spent two years decluttering my home, first little by little, then more aggressively. Months before putting my house up for sale, I was making deposits at the local Goodwill monthly. When it came time to pack up my house, I was so grateful to have much less to pack and go through. I was intentional about keeping only the things that I loved and that I could use (and fit) into a smaller home.

Of course, I didn't really know what I could and couldn't keep until I found the right place. Things were moving quickly, but I was aware that a home purchase could fall apart over any detail. Thankfully the buyers were already pre-approved by their bank. It all rested on inspection and appraisal.

The inspection was scheduled for August 1, just one week after the house was put up for sale. I was so relieved when, after 3 hours of very detailed checking, the inspector declared that the house had only minor issues. He pointed out that the exhaust fan in the master bathroom wasn't working. He was right; it hadn't worked in years and I'd never given it a second thought. He also said the washing machine was leaking. It wasn't. Occasionally the drain would get clogged, though I wasn't sure why. Since these were the only issues he mentioned in front of me, I went ahead and had a new exhaust fan put in the bathroom that afternoon. Strangely enough, I used the washing machine and the water drained with no problem for 2 weeks. Then suddenly the drain began backing up again. Rather than leave it that way and hope it was a fluke, I called a plumber and had the drain unclogged. Whenever he showed me what came out I was shocked. It was baking soda! I often added baking soda to my laundry since it's supposed to help with odors, and whenever I did yardwork my clothes reeked. I had no idea it could harden in the pipes and cause blockage. Lesson learned!

My realtor had a mini vacation scheduled for August 8 - 13 which I'd known about before the house ever went up for sale. August 14 we went house hunting. What I was looking for was a townhouse 1,500-1,600 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, preferably a corner unit so I wouldn't have neighbors on both sides. I was open to fixing up a place so long as it was in my budget and wasn't major repairs needed. My son E went with us, since he was going to be living there too. I also wanted an extra set of eyes that knew what I wanted and needed. We saw 5 homes on the first day, 4 homes the next day. Whenever I liked a place, my son didn't. He would point out things and I could see his point. Whenever he liked a place, I didn't. We saw places that needed way more work than I wanted to take on. There were kitchens that were too small, homes with very little storage, narrow staircases, small rooms. We saw one place that I immediately loved; it was a townhouse that looked like a single family home. The space was great, the layout was perfect, but the association fees were so high that I wouldn't be able to afford it. Which my son didn't mind; he didn't like the place! Rather than get nervous or worried, I trusted that God knew the place He had chosen and would show us at the right time.

August 17 we had 5 more homes lined up to see. We went to the first one at 11:00 am. The first thing I noticed was how well maintained the development looked. I even questioned the age of the homes; I couldn't believe they were over 30 years old! This townhouse was unique in that the living area was upstairs and only the garage and entryway were downstairs. We were welcomed by a nice wide staircase, and as we went up and turned all three of us said, "Wow!" The home was light and airy. It all looked to be in excellent condition. The kitchen had been updated, as had both bathrooms. The house was even painted in colors that went perfectly with my own taste and decor! The only downside was that one of the bedrooms wasn't really a bedroom. It was completely open to the rest of the living space. I had wanted a third bedroom for whenever we had company. Still, as we went through the home, I couldn't help but see all the pros. There was a window above the kitchen sink that looked out onto a canal and lots of tall, beautiful trees. There was no backyard, just a balcony that was completely screened in and had a lovely tiled floor looking out to a gorgeous view. My son E and I measured the rooms and were pleasantly surprised at how large and roomy they were - the second bedroom was bigger that the bedroom he had at the house, plus it had a walk-in closet! Even the one car garage had tons of storage. It was the first time that my son and I both agreed on a place. As we were leaving my realtor said, "Okay, tell me what's wrong with the place so I can tell you how wrong you are!" And I had to admit I really really liked it. 

We decided since we still had appointments to go to, we would see what else was available before making a decision. We ended up only seeing two more properties, and they were nowhere near what we were looking for. One backed up to a shopping center, the other needed lots of work. We were supposed to see two more, but no one was there to open the door and we couldn't get the lockbox open. We were all convinced God had led us to the perfect place. Now we just needed to make an offer.

Since the townhouse was advertised as a 3 bedroom but in reality it only had 2, I offered $12,000 less than the asking price but also said I'd be ready to close in 3 weeks. The seller dropped the asking price by $8,000 but said she wouldn't be able to move and close that soon. So my realtor negotiated a little more, explaining that I would have to pay for storage for my things since I would be out of my own house by September 9. Ultimately, I got the house for $9,500 below asking and I was thrilled! The best part - I would be purchasing the house cash, no mortgage, no debt. Hallelujah!! I had sold my house and signed a purchase contract for a new house in less than a month! God is so good y'all!

2019 When God Closes A Door, He Opens A Window (Part 3)

I was ready. All the projects that could get done, were done. I fixed or got things fixed. I painted, changed old faucets, scrubbed and staged my home. I was ready.

My realtor and I sat down and went over all the details, what to expect, pricing, offers, everything I needed to know before the house went on the market. We agreed on a date: July 25 the listing would be posted on the MLS. Since she was leaving on vacation the first week in August, we wouldn't have an open house until later, maybe September. While the listing would specify that we wanted 24 hours notice, I was prepared to have my house ready for showings at a moment's notice. My realtor explained that quite often people will expect to be able to see a house much sooner, especially when the market is hot. I had no problem with that and I trusted my realtor to guide me.

At noon on July 25 the listing went live. I had spent the morning in the yard cutting the grass, trimming edges, cleaning up...for 2 1/2 hours. I was tired y'all! That night all the Sunday school teachers had a meeting at church with the children's ministry director. At around 4:00 I received a call from my realtor. A couple wanted to come see the house. I asked when, and she said, "Tonight. The buyer is a firefighter and has a tight schedule." I had cleaned up the house inside and out, so I figured it would be fine. I wouldn't be there because of the meeting at church, but I told my realtor I'd leave her the keys and she was welcome to show the house.

As my son E and I were leaving, a car drove up which I assumed were the buyers. My realtor was ready and waiting. I saw a woman get out of the car accompanied by what seemed like a couple of young kids. Upon closer inspection, I realized the "young kids" were the potential buyers and the woman was their agent. I chuckled as we drove off. I knew perfectly well that my house was not going to appeal to them. My house was decorated in my style which is not contemporary, not modern farmhouse, not boho or any of the other popular styles we see so prominently on magazines and YouTube. I went off to my meeting.

Another couple came by to see the house as well. This couple was older and very picky. They asked a lot of questions, things that normally are asked at inspection, so I assume they'd had some unpleasant experiences in the past. That didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was the call I received from my realtor at 10:00 that night - I would be receiving an offer in the morning!

No, it wasn't the older couple; it was the young couple who had first come by the house. They'd been saving for a house for four years, and while they'd made offers on other homes they'd been outbid on several occasions. Now they were ready to act and get what he called "the perfect house". I was caught totally off guard when I received a strong offer. We negotiated a couple of times and before the end of the day on July 26 I had accepted an offer and we'd signed the contracts. My house had gone on the market and sold in 24 hours! I laughed when they came to put in the For Sale sign after the fact!

I'm not gonna lie, I was in shock that first day. It seemed like I was dreaming. The next day I went into full panic mode. My heart was racing as I wondered what I was going to do next. I was prepared to wait at least a couple of months for the house to sell, in which time I would decide whether I wanted to move near my daughter (about a 45 minute drive away) or near my oldest son in Central Florida. Now I realized there wasn't a whole lot of time to think things through. I finally sat myself down and began to pray. God, in His infinite kindness, brought peace to my heart. I wouldn't have to figure out where to move; I had 45 days to find a place or else my belongings were gonna have to go into storage, something I didn't want to do. That meant Central Florida was out of the picture. I would begin looking in the city my daughter now called home while I packed up my belongings and awaited house inspections and everything else that went along with selling my home. 

I knew I was blessed to have my house sell so quickly; I didn't yet know how much of a blessing it really was. What I did know and still know, is that God is faithful. Just as He'd gotten me buyers for the house, He would lead me where I needed to be next.