Recap: The Packing

A lot has happened in the past week!  It has all been so fun, exciting, and tiring. 

Lets rewind shall we.  Sunday, Dec 23rd, was official packing day.  Hubs set his alarm for 7:30 .. PM by accident which meant we woke up to Grouper requesting to head outside for a pee break at 8:15 AM!  We wanted to be at the U-Haul place by 9 AM (when they open) so that we could have everything packed up by 1:30 PM which was our last inspection. So between Grouper's break, a coffee run, and breakfast pick-up, we made it U-Haul in DC around 9:15.

And here are the next several hours in pictures!

Hubs getting ready to drive the 20' U-Haul

Living Room all clear

Few items left in Dining Room, Grouper wondering what is going on

Our blow-up for the night

Some bedding for the night

We finished packing the U-Haul up by 1:00-ish, abot 3 hours of moving furniture and boxes!  I was quite amazed and how quickly we finished up.  Did some minor cleaning (all those Grouper fur-balls) and were ready for inspection at 1:30 PM (to make sure everything still worked and everything remained that was required per contract).  All that was left Sunday night were a few items left to pick-up Wednesday morning, a blow-up mattress, and Grouper's bed. 

Success!

1 Week

Ladies and gents, we are 1 week away until we close on both places.  Yay jump up and down yay!

We haven't made any additional progress on packing, well, because, Hubs is SUPER sick... like the flu sick.  Wtf?!  He has been laid up in bed the past 2 days.  Honestly, I don't think I have ever seen him this sick since we started dating.  So, in the meantime, I am keeping my distance from him as much as possible in our 800 sf condo, taking lots of Vitamin C, and praying I don't come down with any sickness.  We have lots to do still over the next 4 days. 

Here is to hoping the both of us make it through the weekend, into Christmas, and land in our brand new house healthy!  Otherwise, this whole moving thing could be anything but fun.

Packing Fun

Sunday was part 2 of packing.  The Sunday prior we started boxing things up.  We tackled pretty much every room.

Packing Superlatives:
- Room most impacted = Kitchen (only some essentials remain to get us through the week)
- Room most changed = 2nd Bedroom (it is no longer Office, Grouper's Room, Hobby Room .. it is where 90% of the boxes live).
- Most Confused = Grouper (he was by our side the whole time, hoping for some explanation I believe)
- Most likely to get Sick = Hubs (arg, we just got over 2 colds this fall, and hoping he doesn't get sick this week and give it to me.  Looks like it is from work though - his whole team was sick last week, and now 2 people on my team are sick too, the odds aren't in our favor).

It is looking good though...

 

Grouper - 'Mom, what did you do to my room?'

 

The 2 Week Craze

We close in exactly 2 weeks on both properties.  I have a feeling of both calm and anxiousness - meaning I don't feel like I have much to do yet I also feel like I have so much to do.  Say what!?

Things we have Accomplished:
-  All loan items are complete .. at least from what I know. 
-  All inspections and appraisals are done done done!  That was our last hurdle, especially on oure current place.  But, the appraisal came back at the sale price and therefore all our 2 bedroom neighbors should be sending us cookies for helping them out on their home value (per hubs, haha)
-  All utilities have been transferred / set up (well, Dominion Power is 90% there, Hubs has to do that since the utility was in his name at our current place).  I am still up in the air on our internet and cable situation and whether to stick with FIOS or get cable and a hotspot... ugh.  Something to worry and think about.
-  UHAUL has been scheduled.
-  Lastly, SKI VACATION is scheduled!  Not house related, but oh so important.

Things left To Do:
-  Packing has started, but is far from done.  Oy vey .. I want to get it done like, now, but we also have to live in it for 2 weeks
-  Cancel storage unit rental.
-  Christmas Shopping.  Not house related, but house stuff has totally screwed up anything Christmas related. 

So, that list is probably more for my benefit.  At least I can stop dreaming about it all and just reference my list!

1 Month Countdown

We are at the 1 month mark!  1 month until we close on both places and we have a new home :)  It seems so far away, but I know it will be here fast. 

Our checklist of things TO DO:
1)  Appraisals - the appraisal at our new place was completed last week and was just sent to us.  It has to be sent to the underwriter of our loan for review.  The appraisal at our current place is on Thursday.  Crossing fingers that all goes well. 

Basically, both places 'need' to appraise for the selling price.  For a conventional loan, if a house appraises lower for the sale price then the 'buyer' has a chance to 1) accept the appraisal value as is and continue with the contract 2) renegotiate the sales price 3) get out of the contract.  So yes, it is kinda nerve wracking.  I don't have a sense of calm yet .. Our new place appraised for the sale price, but we need the appraisal to take place on our current place.  Once this is done I will feel like we can actually move. 

2)  Finish Loan/Closing Items - we have to fill out some more paperwork for closing .... oh the paperwork.

2)  Pack - oh geez, packing.  We packed a bunch of stuff and put it in storage when we staged our house for listing.  Plan is to pack one day each weekend of Dec 8 and Dec 15.

3)  Utilities - we need to schedule utilities at our new place and cancel our old utilities.

4)  Schedule a truck to move - So the plan right now is to load up everything Dec 23, drive the truck around with us through Christmas, go to closing, then move everything in on Dec 27. 

The Buying & Selling Process

Selling and Buying a home is a lengthy, stressful (maybe partly self imposed) process. Think home inspection, radon inspections, appraisals, loan approvals, and all the associated signatures.  Wheww.  Coupled with me being very impatient (I am working on that) I am not sure if I will make it.  Most people may think we are crazy for doing this over 2 major holidays (Turkey Day and Christmas), but honestly, I think that is the only way I will make it.  It will take my mind off everything and allow December 26th to get here as fast a possible (the day we are scheduled to close on both places). 

So far my thoughts on it all -
Selling -
- Stage your home!  Clear out all the clutter, re-arrange items, and de-personalize (aka pictures).  This makes your place look BIG (especially if you live in a small house like our 800 sf condo). 
- Clean it and make it smell lovely!  With a dog, this is hard, but a must (sorry Grouper).  Hair balls floating around is not the best look. 
- Keep it clean!  Clean up after yourself, it will make your life easier.

Our current living room

Buying -
- Start early!  If you think you just might sell your place and buy a new home in the next couple of months, start looking now.  Scan real estate website (like redfin.com if it is in your area) to see what is out there and what it will cost you.  That way, when you truly are ready to go house hungtin you know location, cost, must-haves and they type of inventory that is available that meets your criteria. 
- Go with a realtor!  We did some Sunday open house hunting, but going for a day with your realtor allows you to see so much so quickly.  We like our realtor because he is straight up honest with you/opinionated.  Lets us see all sides. 
- Got with your gut!  You know its right when it feels right.  Don't try and convince yourself you love a place.

Our future living room


And, now for the Grouper's opinion on all of it:

Grouper PLUS a Big Backyard

+

Equals = ... LOTS OF FUN! ;)

Happy house hunting!

I'm Backkkk, With News

It has only been since April since I last posted, thats not that long ago, right?  No wait, that is totally long ago.  Well between then and now we did a whole lot of nothing, on the home front that is.  On the life front, we enjoyed (the extremely humid) summer on the boat in the Bay, traveled to the beach with the Wolf Fam, went on a trip to Colorado, and celebrated our 1 Year Anniversary :).

Fall came and is in full force.  We had thoughts and plans to put the place on the market in September, but never followed through.  Then, on one frightful (jk) Halloween night, our place was listed!  Yup, we pulled the trigger and decided 'to see what happens'.

Here are some pics of our place that was included in the listing

Pretty nice, huh?  So we were ready to sell this baby and were extremely happy when some realtors called and scheduled showings that weekend!  We headed to a work conference on Saturday (yes, you heard that right ... boo) at which time 3 people walked through our place.  Grouper was in his crate (sad face) but, for the last showing we were able to come home, take him for a walk, and add turn on some mood lighting.  Well, that last showing did the trick.  We had an offer on the place that night!!  Wowza!  Yippee!

Once we calmed down, we realized we better put our home search into full gear (since, ya know, I have casually been searching for our next house for the last year ;) ).  More on that next.