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May, 13House Closing
{Dining Room // I’m going to miss our metallic gold stripes!}
{Backdoor // You can’t see Brutus, but all three of them had one last run in the old back yard before we left.}
{Kitchen // Our kitchen was small, but got the job done…}
{Stairs + Front Door // Well, not much to say about them… they did their job. haha!}
{Hallway // Ron’s office was to the left, my studio in the middle and the laundry room to the right. The bathroom is out of view. I loved how open the hall was.}
{Master Doors // I will miss the open-feel of our old french doors. They were the best!}
{Master // Our master bedroom was HUGE! We actually got pretty spoiled and found it very difficult to find one that even compared in size.}
{Master Nook // This is probably one of the hardest things to let go. Our cozy little nook was one of my favorite places to be. I’m sad that I didn’t get more time there, but I do have photos to look back on.}
{Front // With a freshly painted exterior.}
Monday at 10:08pm, we packed up the last of our things, loaded up the pets and drove away from our old home. I took one last round of photos and we called it a night. What a bittersweet feeling. We’ve spent the last 7 years (nearly to the day) of our lives in this house and it was our home. So many great memories were built here and each one will be with us forever.
Tuesday at 4pm, we closed on our house and it is officially sold. I had no idea that our old home would sell so fast, but I’m relieved that it did. We met the buyer and he seems great. I’m sure he will love it just as much as we did, if not more.
We can now check this off of our list and wait anxiously for our new one to be built. The countdown has already begun. But in the meantime, we are nesting with my dad and we are so grateful to have a roof over our heads for the next few months.
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May, 13{Life Lately} More Packing
Above are the latest photos of our new home. The foundation is in and dry! We plan to visit the site each week to take photos of the progress. It’s become our Sunday tradition since we signed the contract on Sunday May 5th. It’s moving along smashingly.
Then, I just got a new wire in my braces on Wednesday and bought some moving boxes to continue packing. I spent part of Wednesday evening calling around for free boxes. It’s a lot harder than I had thought. Most stores want you to come early in the morning, before they compact the boxes in the recycle bin. My mom and her friends have been gathering boxes for us, too. I’m so grateful, because at this point, I feel like there just aren’t enough boxes in the world to pack all of our things. Sheesh.
Today is a bittersweet packing day. I’m at the point were I’m packing all of the little knickknacks as well as our photos. The walls are becoming so bare. I’m going to miss so much about this house. I’m going to miss watching the fireworks from our back yard every 4th of July, our raspberry bushes in the back yard, our hot tub, our HUGE master bedroom complete with a cozy little nook, among many other things, including the fact that this has been our home for the past 7 years! This was our first home that we bought and we built so many memories here. At the same time, I’m super excited for the new memories that we will create in our new home. I have tons of photos from our current home to add to our new home. I’m such a sap!
Since our new home won’t be ready for a few months, we plan on staying with my dad. He lives super close, so it’ll make moving there easy and it’ll be an added bonus to save a bit more money before the big move. My biggest concern right now is how I’ll be set up to continue crafting without my studio for the next few months. Once we move in, I’ll figure it all out, but I know that I probably won’t be able to spread out like I do at home. Ha! I’m excited and a bit nervous to see how it will all work out. We haven’t lived with anyone else in nearly 9 years!
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May, 13So Much To Do
Oh boy, we only have two weeks to pack and move out of our house. I can’t believe it! Thankfully when we staged our home to sell, we packed a lot of little things. This should make moving seem a bit easier, right? When we packed the first half, we bought a ton of totes, which makes moving so easy. We need to go buy more totes and possibly gather up a few freebie-boxes, too. I haven’t been able to find any free boxes online, so it must be moving season. Any good tips on where to look? The thing that I’m most worried about is our furniture. I like HUGE furniture, and it’s going to be difficult to move… and store.
It’s estimated that it will take anywhere from 4-6 months to complete the build of our new home. This means that we will be between homes for a short time. It’s going to be a change, that’s for sure, but it’s an adventure! It’s really the best time to do this, because we don’t have kids in-tow… just three squirrely animals. Ha!
Needless to say, I have a lot to do right now. It will all get done – I just have to hold strong to that thought. What new is going on in your life?
06
May, 13We Made A Big Decision
Yesterday Ron and I made the decision to buy a new home! As you know, we’ve toggled back and forth for quite a bit and we finally decided that a new home best fit our current needs. Now, nothing’s final until it’s final, but we did sign the contract yesterday and everything is contingent on the successful closing with the buyers of our current house, so we just have to wait and see.
This is a photo of where our house will be in about 5-6 months. It’s a long wait, but it will be worth it. It’s just a hole in the ground now, but it will be exciting to see the process of it being built. I can’t wait to share more progress photos along the way.
It’s so crazy how different it was when we bought our first home nearly 7 years ago. We were still in college and moving from a one-bedroom apartment in south Denver to a three-bedroom home in the suburbs, just north of Denver. When we first saw our current home, we just knew that this was the place that we wanted to be. It was perfect! All of our belongings fit in one medium-sized U-Haul truck and we moved right in. The last 7 years in this home have been amazing! I’m really going to miss everything about it, especially being able to view the fireworks from our back yard every 4th of July. We do plan on growing our family one day, and we’re out-growing this home, so we needed to find something larger. This time around, finding a new home wasn’t as easy. We had higher expectations and didn’t want to compromise too much. We need a certain amount of space to fit our needs. Our first house was easy – it was larger than our apartment and it had a garage and a yard – perfect! Now, we expect to have those things, along with other things, like more bedrooms, a third floor, a third garage, a larger backyard for the pups and a formal dining room for entertaining. It will also be nice to be able to customize this home before we move in.
Again, nothing is set in stone, but it’s an exciting start to this adventure none-the-less!
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Apr, 13Old vs. New: House Hunting
As you already know, we went through the process of staging our home to sell, which led us to getting a few offers! All of our hard work paid off and we are now under contract. Although we’re under contract, nothing’s final until it’s final in the home selling world. With that said, we still need to find a new home. It’s so much more difficult than we had first expected. It makes me sad to think about moving from our current home, because we have so many wonderful memories here. But, we have outgrown it and need something larger.
Ron and I are currently toggling between the idea of a new home or an old home – both have such great things to offer. Here’s a list of pros for each side:
New Home
• You’re the first to live there!
• Fresh start in a new place.
• The possibilities of customizing your home and choosing the lot location is a plus.
• You’re less likely to have large and expensive repairs right away.
• It’s more likely to be in a clean and organized community. Hello HOA fees!
• Young families in the area may be more likely.
Old Home
• Mature Trees and large yards!
• Lots of history and character
• Possibly no HOA fees
• The neighborhood might be more quiet and calm
• The cost might be less than a newer home
• If there’s no HOA, we can remodel
• The houses aren’t placed so close together
There are always going to be pros and cons for each side, so we still have a lot of thinking to do. But, we don’t have a lot of time. If the contract goes through and we sell, our closing date is at the end of May… eep! It’s been a crazy time right now with me getting braces, my wisdom teeth being pulled, celebrating our 10 year anni, selling our home and looking for a new one. We’re also hoping to squeeze in a much-needed vacation, too. The dust will settle, but until then, we need to find a home!
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Apr, 13Time To Paint
I want to start by wishing my sweet friend, Meghan, a very happy Birthday! I sure wish she still lived here in CO, because I miss our craft days together. Hopefully we can meet up soon and have another one.
In other news, next Thursday I’ll be getting all four (impacted) wisdom teeth and my baby fang pulled out. Eep! Although scared, I’m excited to get it done. I met with the oral surgeon last week and he says that I’ll have an Iv in my arm, gas and music as I get put under. It will be about a 1-2 hour procedure and I’ll be on 4 different meds as I heal. I had no idea it would be so intense. Because my wisdom teeth are so impacted, he has to be careful with my sinus and my nerves. He plans to take his time and do it right, so I’m okay with that. When I wake up I’ll be happy for a bit and then the pain, swelling and bruising will settle in. He says that I’ll need a week off because I’ll hurt and be “ugly.” I’ll let you know how it goes… The thing that I thought was pretty cool, it that my oral surgeon has braces, too and we share the same orthodontists. This makes me feel more comfortable.
So, I also wanted to update you on our home selling process. We’ve had some showings since we put the house on the market and I must say, it’s a strange feeling knowing that strangers have been poking around your house. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that. It’s scary to be in limbo – we don’t know if we will sell our home or if we will find a new one. It’s all unknown at this point. If we didn’t sell, it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but we’d like a larger place.
It’s been really difficult to find time to paint and sew between vacuuming, dusting and leaving the house between showings. We had two showings earlier today and the night seems to be open (so far), so I’m so excited to paint! I’ll be in the Spring Horseshoe Market 2013 this May, so I have to get busy. On that note, I have my polar bear jammies on (because it’s snowing here) and my paints are out. I’ll do a post later to share a little sneak peek on my progress. See you soon!
08
Apr, 13Staging Your Home To Sell
Before we put our house on the market to sell, we had to do some serious cleaning and organizing to stage it. It’s a long hard process, but a must if we want to have a chance at selling quicker and getting close to our asking price. We’ve learned a lot when it comes to staging, so we want to share a few tips to make it easier if you ever plan to sell. To start, we rented a storage unit to store all of the things that currently clutter up the house, but we will still need in our new home. We chose a climate controlled unit. It’s really cold here and we want our things to stay safe. Do some research in your area on the best rates. Once you have a unit, start packing.
We decided that for our needs, plastic storage bins were better than the traditional cardboard boxes. Although, each bin is about $6 on average (vs $4 for cardboard at the storage facility – or free if you can find them), they will last longer and keep our valuables dry and safe. Plus, they’re super easy to stack and move.
As we packed, we weeded through a few things to donate, which lightened the load a bit. Since we were in such a time crunch, we couldn’t spend too much time doing this, however. But, if you have the time, it’s worth it. We’ll end up finishing when we move and unpack.
Thankfully we didn’t have to do all of these things in our home, but we wanted to share several different things that may or may not apply to you. Who knows, a few things below might spark other ideas that relate to your home. Okay, here we go…
Front Entry
• Keep it open and clean. Remember, this is the first impression that potential buyers have, so make it shine. We had a little bench beneath our coat rack at the front door and moved it to storage, because it took up a bit of room. We instead placed a rug there for shoes as potential buyers enter. Then we thinned down the amount of coats on our coat rack to keep it simple.
Dust + Vacuum + Mop
• Potential buyers see things that you may not, because you see it everyday, you may overlook it. Dust EVERYWHERE: in corners, under things, light fixtures, ceiling fans, walls, ceilings, vents, electronics, end tables, shelves, door frames, etc. Keep it dusted at all times, because your Realtor can call for a showing at anytime. Surprise!
• Vacuum the rugs, corners, couches, under the couches (you don’t want any dust bunnies to come running out), drapes, ceiling corners, etc.
• Keep all wood floors and tile mopped and smudge-free. Don’t forget to wipe down those base-boards.
• Wash all glass windows and doors, both inside and out. Smudgy windows look pretty bad and unkept. If you have dogs with wet noses and glass doors, this will be a constant battle until you sell.
• Wipe any fingerprints from the light switches and outlets, too.
• Vacuum where the furnace and water heater are, as well. Dust bunnies tend to live there.
Personal Items
• Remove all family photos. The less personal items, the better. You want potential buyers to see themselves in that space.
• If you have pets, lint roll the furniture and remove the pet beds (unless they’re neatly tucked away), scratching posts and toys. People are fine to know that you have pets living there, but they don’t need to be reminded everywhere they look. Likewise, keep the backyard picked up and the cat box clean. The pet dishes are fine to be out, but be sure that they are clean and out-of-the-way. You don’t want people tripping. Also, if you have caged or tank animals, keep those clean (as they should be already, right?)
• Hide all of your valuables: jewelry, important documents and mail, guns, medications, and other personal items. This is for your safety.
Closets + Cabinets + Pantries
• Potential buyers open closets, cabinets and pantries to see storage possibilities. So, thin them out and only keep the items in there that you need during the time being. Put the rest in storage. Fold sheets and towels neatly and organize your food in the pantry (it does make a difference). And organize those dishes, too.
• The less you have tucked away, the more spacious it seems. Make it feel open and clean. Allow potential buyers to envision themselves living there.
• Thin out your clothes closets. Place all out-of-season clothing in storage to maintain the open feel. And don’t forget about the top shelves! Put all shoe boxes and extras in storage as well. Less is more.
• Some potential buyers may even look in your refrigerator (strange, but true), so make sure that’s organized and clean as well.
Counter Tops + Shelves
• Clear off those counter tops in the kitchen and bathrooms. Also make sure your shelves are clutter-free. Less is more.
• You know that catch-all bowl that you have on the counter? Move it. It looks messy.
Yard
• Keep the doggie land-mines picked up! No one wants to see that. Again, potential buyers don’t mind you having pets, but don’t let them see the dirty side of things.
• Whether it’s Winter or Summer, keep the yard tidy. Clear out dead grass and leaves that tend to gather in corners and under bushes. And trim back those tree and bush branches.
• Repair any loose fence posts and nail anything down that needs to be.
• Make any deck repairs that are necessary. Fix any loose rails, steps, and boards. And paint or re-stain it if necessary.
• If it’s Spring or Summer and your blooms haven’t peeked out yet, add a few planters with some Annual flowers, or put them right in the ground. This will add a touch of color and life to your yard or deck.
Smells + Odors
• Keep your home smelling fresh, but don’t overdo it with air fresheners and candles (I don’t recommend leaving candles lit for showings). Pinterest has a few good natural air freshener techniques to try.
• Let’s face it, you’re still living there between showings and you have to cook. Just try to stay away from stinky foods that may linger. You never know when the next showing will be and you don’t have time to air out the house.
Laundry Room
• Vacuum up all of those dust bunnies behind and around the washer and dryer and mop the floor.
• Be sure to organize the shelves and cabinets. Pack unused bedding, towels and laundry items in storage to keep it open and clutter-free.
• We keep our cat box in the laundry room, so we just make sure that any little litter pieces stay swept up.
• If you can help it, try not to have the washer or dryer running when a showing is scheduled. It makes the potential buyer feel like they’re intruding on your life. It’s personal.
• And if you’re like me and air-dry a lot of clothing, be sure to put them away before each showing. Again, it’s very personal and you don’t want them seeing your lacy bras now do ya?
• Keep the laundry piles low, too. It looks messy otherwise.
Garage + Crawlspace + Basement
• Chances are that you use one or more of these spaces to store some extras. Am I right? If so, clear them out. Not completely, but as much as possible. We put mostly everything into storage, except for the tool cabinet, camping gear, lawnmower and a few other small items. Don’t distract potential buyers with your stuff.
• You want potential buyers to see all of the storage possibilities that your home has to offer.
• You also want them to see that they can fit two cars in the garage.
Repairs
• Safety first, then functionality.
• Are there any repairs, both inside and out, that need to be made? What about any loose towel racks or a broken deck steps? How about any little holes in the walls or leaky pipes?
• Make sure your carpets are clean and spot-free (or as close to it as possible).
• Touch up any spots on the walls with some paint, that may need it and fix any loose railings in your stairways.
• Do you have any clogged drains, save yourself some trouble and fix them now. The Inspector will find these. (When we bought the house, we asked the previous owners to unclog the sinks before we bought it).
Other Things To Consider
• Move anything that might get broken during a showing. Think waist level or kiddo level. Women’s purses can knock a lot of things down as they turn and walk through your home. If kiddos can grab it, move it. Or if it’s something that someone can trip over, move it.
• We asked our Realtor to request that potential buyers remove their shows at the entryway (hence the rug at the from door). We are approaching rainy season and even if they are interested in buying your home, it’s still not theirs, so they may not care if they track in mud and dirt.
• Let your Realtor know about everything that made you fall in love with your home in the first place. They can share this with potential buyers. For us, it’s the huge master bedroom, complete with a reading nook. We also have a huge open landing/loft upstairs between all of the bedrooms, which makes it feel so open. The thing that I will miss the most is that our backyard opens up to a Greenbelt and you can watch the Fourth of July Fireworks from the yard! It’s so nice not to have to drive to a venue and fight parking on that special day. Our family and friends benefit from it as well.
After you’ve done all of these things, you might just want to stay! We love our home so much, but we’ve completely outgrown it. It’s time to allow another family to enjoy this lovely space. I hope that the tips are helpful to you when you plan to stage your home to sell. If you have any other tips, please share in the comments below. Good luck!
