moving

New Home Sweet Home

I must apologize for being so absent these past few months! We’ve had a busy summer and fall with weeks worth of company, a move into our new home, cleaning the old house and coordinating showings to prospective buyers. I’m happy to say we now have a buyer and, fingers crossed, we’ll close in a few weeks. It’s been a long slog, for sure!

But we’re now settled into the new place and have (almost) found a place for everything we moved over here. Doug can finally get all our vehicles into the garage!

What We Learned Along the Way

First, we should have cleaned out the old house of all our non-essentials before we moved. We tried to get rid of the old stuff, but ended up moving most of it over to the new house. Then we went through the painstaking process of sorting through everything and making a number of trips to Goodwill. We’re not done yet. There’s still a few more loads to go!

It’s amazing how much “stuff” we had! I won’t bore you by listing it all, but suffice it to say we filled numerous truckloads. At some point we looked at each other and said:

Me: I wish we’d cleared all this stuff out of our old house sooner.

Hubby: Why didn’t you tell me to get rid of all this stuff before we moved?

Second, we shouldn’t have put our old house on the market as soon as we did. We were planning on a “best case” scenario in terms of timing. (We’re such silly people!)

We had hoped our new house would be built much earlier than it did, but noooooo! In addition to a few other items, there was a problem getting concrete work done on a retaining wall that delayed us over a month. A month!

Then we failed our first inspection and had to fix some things. One of them was a pane of glass that needed to be replaced in an upstairs bathroom. The window was one and one half inches too low and close to the shower and required tempered glass in both the upper and lower panes. (Just in case whoever was in the shower would feel compelled to leap out of the tub and fall into the window.) Trouble was, the upper pane was not tempered. Lo and behold, we couldn’t get the glass quickly — it was on backorder! So we waited two weeks for this dinky little pane of glass to arrive before we could re-schedule the inspection.

FINALLY we passed the followup inspection, got our Certificate of Occupancy from the Building Department and started the big move!

Appliance Adventures

Once we were into the new house, you should have seen us trying to get used to our new appliances!

The new clothes washer is fully digital with a locking lid and a HUGE drum. The first time I used it, the darned thing got off balance and tried to wiggle its way out from between the stationary sink and the wall. I couldn’t figure out how to get the lid to unlock so I could re-balance the load. I started whining about how I wanted my old washing machine back from the old house. We were seriously considering swapping out the new appliances for the old. Eventually, I calmed down and figured I’d try to get used to the mechanics. I reasoned it’s better to have a brand new washing machine than one that’s 15 years old. (Or is it?)

Our next adventure was figuring out how to start the dishwasher. Do you think it occurred to us to open up the booklet of directions? Nope. We figured it couldn’t be that difficult. So we experimented by fingering our way across the panel of digital “sensors” and finally hit upon the one that started things up. Once you hit the Power button there are 14 different options to choose from to get the kind of wash you want. Then you hit the Start sensor. But you’d better be quick about slamming the door shut because it only gives you four seconds before it shuts down. Then you have to start the whole process over again!

Finally we figured it out but we didn’t hear anything happening. So there’s Doug and me leaning over with our ears pressed against the dishwasher listening for water sloshing around inside. It seemed like minutes had passed with the two of us crouched over waiting for sounds that signaled success! Now that we know what to expect, it’s old hat.

Home Sweet Home

It feels good to be in our new home after years of going through the building process. Our marriage is still intact despite the construction issues that cropped up. Our kitty Snickers has settled in and initiated our new carpet with a number of thrown-up hairballs. We’re getting used to the sound of the heater coming on, which makes us feel like a jet aircraft has launched from our rooftop.

And the house I had built after the wildfire will now belong to someone else. Hopefully they will enjoy it as much as we did.

We’re home now and we’re blessed!

To Purge or Not to Purge

We’re getting ready to put our house up for sale! Whoohoo! It’s been like a whirlwind around here. Doug and I have weaved our way throughout our home, touching up paint, filling nail holes, clearing out clutter, hauling “stuff” to Goodwill and filling up our temporary storage unit. I’m embarrassed to say that my husband has been doing most of the work, and a fine job he’s done at that!

To Purge or Not to Purge

But you should hear our conversations as we weed through the stuff in our basement:

Me: “Do we want to keep that, sell it or take it to Goodwill?”

Him: “It’ll be fine to keep for now. We can move it over to the house with us.”

Me: “But if we get rid of it now, the less we’ll have to worry about when it comes time to move.”

Him: “Yes, but we’ve got plenty of room in the new house.”

Me: “I know, but why fill up the new house with old junk we’ll never use?” (Don’t you agree? I think my logic is perfectly reasonable.)

Him: “It’s not a bother. Let’s move it over to the storage unit for now. Then we can decide if we want to get rid of it later.”

Me: “Oh, okay. If you don’t mind moving it twice. It’s your call.”

I figure since he’s doing the heavy lifting, the least I can be is flexible.

Floors and More

After the basement was sorted out, we hired my brother to clean the carpets. While we vacuumed before he came over with the carpet cleaner, I’m horrified to tell you that wiping around the baseboards with a damp rag turned up gobs of dog and cat hair. Here I thought I kept a clean house, but obviously not clean enough! When my brother was done, the carpets looked fabulous. Now I hope the dog and cat don’t shed too much before prospective buyers come through. I shudder when I stand near the heater vent and see fine little hairs floating through the air. They’re like slender snowflakes.

Next we tackled the entryway floors. All of the grout had cracked apart at the tiled doorways, so we had a contractor come to re-install the tiles and put down new grout. I learned how important it is to lay an “anti-fracture uncoupling membrane” on top of the subfloor so it absorbs any movement. I was impressed with how thorough they were. (I’m also impressed I can remember the name anti-fracture uncoupling membrane.) So now the tiles look beautiful!

Makes me wonder why we didn’t do all of this sooner. But isn’t that the way it is? You scramble around making improvements and fixing things before you sell your house rather than during the years you’re living there. At least we can enjoy it for a few months before we move.

And now comes the cleaning. I have to wash the windows and doors, wash and wax the hardwood floors, dust the blinds, clean the oven and oodles more. We’ve got to make the house presentable for showing so people can walk through the house in 15 minutes flat. No one will notice the door jambs.

Are you getting the sense that I don’t like to clean? Well, I don’t. I’d much rather be outside, reading or sitting at my computer writing. I do what I must and thankfully I don’t have a fussy husband.

Actually, I have the best husband in the world. He’s made this whole home-building and moving process a lot easier than it could have been. I’ve heard people say they’ve ended up in divorce court over building a new house. I think our toughest “discussion” was where to put the toilet in the master bathroom. I can’t remember who won that interaction!

The house we’re in right now was built right after the wildfire destroyed my cabin home. It’s been a great place to live for almost ten years. I’ve enjoyed being surrounded by the trees that thankfully did not burn, listening to the wind whooshing through the pines and appreciating the sunshine of our southern exposure.

It’s going to seem strange to know that people are walking through our house, sizing it up and imagining their own belongings filling our rooms. Thank goodness we won’t be here during those visits. I want everyone to love this place like we have. I want to find good buyers for our neighbors, who are wonderful. Um, I mean, I want to find good buyers for our house who our wonderful neighbors will love!

And surprise, the very first day the house went on the market we got a call scheduling a walk through. And so it begins. Wish us luck!

Funny Quotes:

“Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet service to see who they really are.” —Will Ferrell

“Never criticize your spouse’s faults; if it weren’t for them, your mate might have found someone better than you.” —Jay Trachman

“The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.” —Erma Bombeck

Cabin Puns:

Why did the cabin go to therapy? It had too many siding effects!

Why was the cabin always so organized? It had a great shelf-esteem!

The cabin owner loved having guests; she was a “tree-mendous” host.

More about moving…

Moving Out of a Townhouse and Into the Cabin

Moving Out of the Townhouse and Into a Cabin

I can’t think of anything more fun than moving. (Did I just write that out loud?) It’s especially “enjoyable” when you’ve been in one place for decades and accumulated lots of stuff — kid stuff, office stuff, hand-me-down stuff, garage sale stuff, family heirlooms and day to day necessities. Yup, we’d pared down before, shrinking from a monstrous Victorian money-trap to a much smaller abode. I was ready. I knew how to do it. I girded my loins. (Can you hear the Rocky theme song?)

I figured a week between the cabin closing and renters taking over our townhouse should be just about right. Seven days seemed like enough time to clean, drag out the dirty shag carpet, install tile and redo the hardwood floors. We had a schedule and everyone had a part to play. I was pretty impressed with my organizational prowess.

Then they changed the closing date.

All of a sudden, my carefully laid plan looked like the candy conveyor belt scene from I Love Lucy. Now, we’d close late on Friday and renters would move in on Sunday

The race was on! Once I had those keys in my hot little hands, I skedaddled out to the woods and unlocked doors for the flooring guy. Back at the townhouse, a few hardy souls appeared, enticed by the offer of pizza and beer. They filled and stacked towers of boxes that swayed to the sounds of My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson. Cats ran for cover and cowered behind the dryer. We worked until midnight knowing our efforts would surely make the next day so much easier.

Morning dawned, full of hope and promise. I got the donuts, commandeered a truck and lurched my way back to the townhouse, expecting to see hordes of eager volunteers. Two lone relatives greeted me at the door, then turned their attention to the donuts.

Where WAS everyone? The clock was ticking and that truck was empty! Turns out, it WAS a great day for a friend to treat most of my movers to a leisurely breakfast. I ask you, what better way to ease into the day?

By Noon our gang was working like a well-oiled machine. We packed and loaded, hour after hour. But without knowing how or why, stuff magically reappeared in closets and corners we knew we’d already cleared. It was as if we were bailing water from a sinking ship. When would it EVER END, I cried in dismay!

Meanwhile, out in the woods…

Boxes were emptied into the dark and dirty recesses of a one-car garage. Furniture littered the driveway and deck. Only once did an inconveniently placed tree interfere with the truck’s front bumper. Slowly, the clutter diminished at one site and rose at the other, like bubbles foaming from a pot of pea soup.

Hungry and tired, we gathered for pizza under the pines. The piano was in the kitchen and the couch was outside by the front door. The only thing missing were a few corncob pipes, a jug of moonshine and a banjo.

As dark descended, my trusty movers drove off and I was left with the cats. They crept from one room to the next, lurking around corners and moaning like tortured souls. They jumped up on window sills, then leaped to the floor and took off like something was after them.

Those windows were big and bare, so I hurried to drape them before who-knows-what discovered I was in there — all alone. I tore open cartons and pulled out one blanket after another. Thankful to find a hammer and nails, my anxiety level dropped with every window I covered.

Time to sleep, but where were the rest of our blankets? I would freeze rather than take them down from the windows. So I curled up under some throw rugs, dozing and waking to the moans of two neurotic cats. They wouldn’t shut up; it sounded like a horror movie. I heard every sound that night.

And I kept telling myself, “Well, it WAS you who wanted a cabin in the woods.”

But soon morning dawned. Again, full of hope and promise.

I opened the front door to the smell of piney air and sunlight streaming through the trees. Dew glistened on the grass. The deer scampered about. Bluebirds swooped down and draped ribbons through my hair.

(I get carried away sometimes.)

If you’ve ever moved, you know how nice it feels to have the packing and stacking part over and done with. Then you sit back, look around at all those boxes screaming for attention, roll up your sleeves and…

…pour yourself a big glass of wine!