One Step Closer to Making it a Reality

Two weeks ago we had a realtor out to the house to help us get the ball rolling. I know that last year our plan was to try to sell by owner, but I'm too intimidated by the legal side of the deal-making and we decided to call the realtor who helped Husband's parents and sister through multiple real estate transactions. She's been in the business for a long time, and as a bonus she happens to live in a neighborhood very close to ours, so she knows the local market very well.

Anyway, we busted out our Honey-Do List From Hell and talked about all the necessary repairs and updates, prioritizing them with her advice.

We also had a trim painting party on 2/23. I offered food and alcohol to anyone who could hold a paintbrush. My uncle and a friend were the only ones who made it out, but they saved me a good four hours of solo work and we managed to get almost all of the trim I had planned to paint that day finished. And a bunch of my other friends have offered to come out and help at other times, so I may hold another painting party in a few weeks. There is still a good amount of trim and almost every wall in the house, so...yeah. Good times.

Before...and after. Say it with me: "Ooooooh...aaaaaaaah!"

Our plan at the moment is to continue knocking out the small projects over the next few weeks, and then Husband is taking a week off work to dedicate to the bigger projects, finishing up the small stuff, and getting the house packed, staged, and ready to put on the market! Our goal is to list the house by May 1st. I'd like to do it by April 1st.

I feel optimistic. I've done ridiculous amounts of research over the past year and I am not a person who often acts impulsively. Understand, I am not saying I am not an impulsive person; on the contrary, my natural inclination is to "act now, think later!" But years of experience with the consequences of such a tendency have led me to slow myself down. With a lot of practice under my belt, I am now pretty good at spotting the train and getting out of the way in time.

I digress, but the point is that I feel prepared. I feel overwhelmed, but I feel ready. I know I've done my diligence, Husband feels good about our plans, and we're ready to get on with our lives and build our dream home. I can almost smell the morning air tickling my nose on our ten acres of solitude. I can just about feel the heat of the bonfires on my cheeks. I can envision it perfectly, Husband and I sitting out on our deck and watching a deer steal a crab apple from one of our trees. Then there's a loud crash from inside and we realize we're the parents of young children and we rush back into our (gorgeous, custom) house to find Bug feeding dirt from a broken planter to Ella.

Our dream house (source)

It's going to be glorious. And we're so, so close. Two years from this moment, I could be preparing to move into our new home. Two years ago I was four months pregnant with Bug and halfway through my last semester of college. That time has flown and I know this time will, too.

It's right in front of me. It's Y, and X is happening all over the place. And I am so, so ready.