Okay. So some time ago I mentioned I was packing and moving and you probably thought all that had happened already. Wrong. I haven’t posted about it in all the detail until now for a couple of reasons. One, because heck, it is probably going to be boring as heck to anyone who isn’t me, two, it has nothing to do with writing (except it does because our environment affects our writing whether we want it to or not, and three, because I had to be careful what I said and when. My blog is public and I very rarely make anything friends only because I figure, if I don’t want the rest of the world to read about it, I’ve got no business putting it in my blog. So here’s the edited version…
Currently we live in a rental house. Back in the fall the property manager told us that the owners were very likely going to want to sell in the spring and she wanted to give us a heads-up about it. It was a good thing. We had been thinking about buying a place in the near future and this sort of kick-started us on the journey. She said that she figured to be able to give us 90 day notice in January. So we started looking at houses, got pre-approved, began to pack the 6,000 books, etc, etc, etc.
We looked at a ton of houses but none that we fell in love with and felt like we had to make an offer on at once. After all, we had plenty of time. (This would be where you cue up the movie music, you know, the kind that warns the viewer that something horrible is going to happen and there is no way to let the person it is going to happen to know what is coming.) Still we were getting a good idea of what was available and what it would cost to buy in areas we wanted to live in. It wasn’t that there weren’t a lot of homes for sale. There were. People were still on a selling high. But we were firm on what we were willing to spend and picky about what we were going to spend it on. We knew there would be trade offs. Right now we live in a nice neighborhood (as far as people, safety,etc) and have a huge yard (compared to Silicon Valley basic neighborhoods) But we also live 3 houses from the sound wall of the freeway and in all the time we’ve lived here, even with double-pane windows, I’ve never gotten used to the noise. We found a lot of houses that would have been fine had we the money to do a fixer upper, or if we were in our 20s and just starting out and just wanted to buy something to live in for a few years and then move again. But I’m not 20 something or 30 something (and way too close to the end of 40 something) and I didn’t want to move again. On top of that, we had books. Lots and lots of books. And we currently have a 27 foot long living room that is wall-to-wall books. Most people looking to buy have to think about what school their kids would go to. For us it was the question of where would we put the books?
Christmas came and all was well. Then we got our official notice to vacate but instead of it being a 90 day notice it was a 30 day notice. (this is where the story is severely edited….grumble grumble….we’ve been in this house for almost 3 years, perfect renters, etc, etc, etc.) They offered to sell us the house. We said no. (Money can fix everything in the house but it can’t move the freeway.) Oh, and did I mention that while all this has been going on my husband has been traveling M-F home only on the weekends?
Much of my recent stress has centered around that blankety blank notice. So we went back out looking again. Only after Christmas there wasn’t as much inventory available. 30 days turned into 25. Then 20. (Sleep? Why no, I haven’t had much of that these past few months.)
But there was this one house. We had looked at it when we first went looking and then it went off the market. But now, here in January with so little inventory, it came back on the market again. And we went back to see it again. And again. It needs work but nothing right away (okay, there is the little issue with the electrical stuff but really, almost nothing.) It’s big. (probably too big for just the two of us but we don’t care.)
We decided to make an offer and set up a meeting with our agent. An hour before the meeting the phone rings. It’s the property manager. The owners of the house we rent had changed their mind and rescinded the 30 day notice. Suddenly we didn’t have to move.
Insane. That is the only word for it. Do we stay in the rental and hope to find a better house? (Scary thing to do considering the books and all and the fact that the house was halfway packed.) Do we make an offer and hope it is accepted? (and what do we do if people outbid us?) Do we run away to the mountains and live in a cave? (Only slightly kidding on the last one. It was the potential lack of Internet that has kept us in town.)
Knowing that the owners of the house we were living in could change their mind again at any time, we went ahead and made the offer.
So did someone else.
We countered.
And then things really got interesting (sorry, that part of the story will not be shared) but thanks to our marvelous, wonderful, fabulous agent, we won. We got the house. And in the land of crazy, where people are still paying several hundred thousands of dollars OVER the asking price, we got it at the price we were willing to pay and still slightly under the listed price. The max, but still, that’s okay. We bought a house. We close in 3 weeks and we move into it a month from Saturday.
Whew! Now I can YAHOO!!! and go back to packing up those 6,000 books.
Fantastic news! I love happily-ever-after endings (or beginnings, as this will also be). Congratulations on buying your new home — and for surviving the mischegas leading up to this big move.
Thanks. Now all we have to do is survive the actual move. 🙂
Wow!
Congratulations!
Good for you … you can do whatever you want in YOUR home.
🙂
Yes! I can paint the walls. I can knock out walls. I can get rid of the pink counter in the kitchen. (oh yes. I’m serious. Pink corian kitchen counter. One of the first things on the must do list.)
Hey, this is GOOD news! The move will be stressful but here’s hoping that once you settle in, it will be a great place for writing.
I hope it will be a good place to write. My office will be in the sun room, facing the backyard which, eventually, will be filled with native plants but right now has just grass.
Sometimes these things do seem to happen for a reason. Sounds like good karma to me. Congrats on your new house!!
Condolences on moving….(did that less than a year ago!)
Janet
Thanks. I’m hoping it’s all for a reason, a good one that is.
WOoooooooo hoooooooooo!!!!!
And
*whew*
and how!
Happy moving!
Thank you.
It was meant to be…
It sounds like this is truly your house. What a awful time it must have been for you. Maybe it will end up in a book one day! Lois
Re: It was meant to be…
Doesn’t everything that happens to us end up in a book someday? **grin**
Wow! What a trial, but congrats and happy moving 🙂
Kelly
Big A little a
Thanks, Kelly. It will be a grand adventure (I hope.)
YAHOO!, Susan…now, get some sleep….
Thanks and sleep, uhm, probably not much. DH is still in travel mode and someone has to pack all those boxes.
Congrats! It sounds like you found a lovely house! And, it’s too big??? Well…more room for books then!
It will be nice to have all the room. Our current place is about 1500 square feet and the new one is 2500. Good thing I’ve budgeted for a housekeeper.
Sounds like one of those times when things happened for a reason. So glad for you!
Thank you!
Congratulations! And good luck packing up all those books…
I ought to have a pool to see how many boxes of books we end up with!
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks! And a hooray to you to on new digs of your own.
YAY, HOUSE!
Thanks!
Househunting can be so stressful–and with deadlines changing, I can’t even imagine. I’m so glad you found (and secured) the place that’s right for you!
It was such a pain and I hope no one I know has to go through such a mess just to find a new home.
Yahooh, indeed!
YeeeeHaw!
But I am so so so out of touch with the blogosphere.
YAY!!!! Welcome home, Susan. 🙂
Thanks Cindy! And love love love the welcome mat. You are so very clever.
As someone who has moved home too oftento count your story had me on the edge of my seat! I am so happy at the outcome! I still haven’t founf my perfect home but maybe (when I’m 80) I will one day….
It has been a wild and crazy ride and I am most anxious to have it all over and done with. It’s not our perfect home, but it is close. This one is still in the city with a city tiny yard and we wanted to get more dogs. But perhaps the universe is telling me that I should be writing more. 🙂 I hope you get your perfect home someday.
It sounds like you made the right decision. Have fun (?) packing, and good luck with the move!
Can packing and fun even be used in the same sentence? 🙂
YEA!
I would have made the offer too . . . your landlords seem too wishy-washy for my taste.
Have fun in your new big house!!!!
Did you pick your office yet??
Wishy-washy is the nicest way to put it. !#$%@#
I did pick my office. It’s what made us decide on the house. All the standard tract houses we looked at (all we can afford) would mean that my office would be one of the bedrooms at the back of the house, usually with a tiny window facing the sideyard. In the house we live in now, I have a back bedroom as an office and even though there is a small window facing the backyard, I never, and I mean NEVER actually work in there. I take the laptop into the living room which has two huge windows facing the yard.
In the house we bought there’s a sun room with french doors from the living room to the sun room and french doors from the family room (which will be the library) to the sun room and then a big wall of windows and patio door to the back yard. My desk is going smack dab in the middle of the room at an angle to face the yard. Once we get all the native plants in it should be perfect.
Of course trying to figure out where to PUT everything in an office that really doesn’t have any walls will be really interesting. (Oh gosh, I’m going to become one of those people that blogs on endlessy about their house, aren’t I?)
I’m going to become one of those people that blogs on endlessy about their house, aren’t I?)
LOL!
That’s okay! You deserve it!
I had to position my desk right in front of the windows too. I just can’t stand not being able to look outside . . .
Your new office sounds awesome!!!
Mazel tov on getting the new home you wanted!
Thanks. I hope I can get back to writing again soon. I’m not one of those that writes much in the midst of a crisis. 😉
Even though I often write in cafés or other places, not having one’s roots firmly in place is one of the most disruptive things to writing.
I’m always amazed at how people who have to travel so much (say, someone like Neil Gaiman) manage to be so productive from hotel rooms in different countries on so little sleep and amidst so many speeches and interviews and etc.
Hope you’re able to plant your roots soon in the new place and let them grow deeply. 🙂
Yah for your happy ending!
Thank you!
What a rollercoaster ride! Moving is always stressful…even under the best of circumstances. Buying property is, too. You seem to be handling it all quite nicely, I must say!
YOu’ll have plenty to write about once everything calms down. Think of all the great articles you’re working up. Cha-ching!!!
JOy,
Donna
I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that, but I am equally ecstatic that you got the house you wanted!!! (Having just rented a house, I am now terrified of being forced to move at some point in the future with only 30 days notice. Ugh.) Please be very careful not to hurt yourself during the move. I’ll be thinking of you.