It appears that I’ve gotten the alphabet mixed up and have posted G before F. Ooops.
Category: A to Z 2018
A to Z: Selling Our House (Letter F)
Yesterday I breathed a lot of bleach fumes (an F word), scrubbing tile grout in the rental house, so today I mowed and did yard work in the fresh air and sunshine. The renters moved some more things out after work but are now exhausted. They asked if they could come back to clean in the morning. “Well, of course you can,” said I.
F for Floors
Deciding to sell our house awoke a whole set of fears I didn’t know I had. One of them was the fear of people walking into our house with a critical eye and saying “what on earth were these people trying to do with their floors?” Floor fear.
Although I love things to be visually beautiful and pleasing, I’m not really a fussy person. If you combine that with my other fear of spending too much money, you get a house full of floors that resemble a quilt, with surfaces changing as you pass from room to room.
I pretty much hate carpet, at least for my family’s lifestyle, so we have done away with it. About ten years ago I put cork flooring in the kitchen and dining room. About the same time I went for interlocking bamboo in the living room and hall. The money ran out so I decided to paint the cement in my bedroom and lived with it for years. I finally put cork down there too, because I love the way it feels, but it wasn’t the same cork as the kitchen floor.
Vinyl sticky back tiles went down in the guest bath and laundry room – that was probably a mistake. The daughter living at home at the time tried to stop me, but again, the money… I learned my lesson so when we upgraded the master bath we splurged on ceramic tile. The holdouts have been the guest bedroom, which has the original, dark, shiny, sheet vinyl and the lanai which has the original green indoor-outdoor fake turf. Original means 30+ years.
I’ve watched those shows on HG TV. Those renovators snobbishly rip out perfectly good floors just so they can have their seamless beauty running consistently throughout. I might do that too if I had a house no one was living in, and $50K to spiff things up a bit. But no, as I said, I’m not fussy. In fact, I’m fairly happy walking on any surface that isn’t slippery, sticky or covered with dangerous objects.
Our rental house has even more ancient flooring, and it’s there that I’m most tempted to put down something new. But suppose I put down something I liked but the new owner did not. What a waste of time and resources! How to make it appealing and contemporary without wasting time and money… that is the question.
My sign for F was taken in Hayward, Wisconsin. The Feed Mill really is a feed mill and has sold animal food and field/garden seed since I was a small child.
A to Z: Selling Our House (Letter G)
But as for my theme, G is for Garage
Once upon a time, in Florida, we did not have a garage. We had a carport only. It never really was enough room even for our car, truck and trailers. When we moved to the oneacrewoods, we were overjoyed to have a large two car, attached garage with an automatic door opener! My parents in the adjoining house also had a large two car garage. Both of these garages had pull down ladders leading to large attic storage space. I don’t know how many readers will recognize the potential for catastrophe here, but I will just tell you – it is real and present danger, unless you are a very disciplined, organization freak.
We are savers. At one time our garage was so full that I stored my precious lumber (yes, I had lumber) on the floor in piles just high enough that I could park the car over them. Every spare part for sprinklers, various engines, draperies and blinds, lawn equipment, along with nuts, bolts, nails and hardware from every project we ever attempted was all put in the garage. At one time, effort was made to corral like items in boxes, jars and little cases with tiny plastic drawers but it never worked very well. At least 50% of this stuff was/is unusable and should be thrown away, but that is a job in itself and we are always tired when we get done with our projects.
When the hurricane came last year, I got both of our vehicles in the garage but I don’t know how I did it and it hasn’t happened since.
Now, garage clean up has to happen in order to sell the house. And it includes the attics above the garages! I understand, the buyer is not going to want my stuff. I don’t even want my stuff. I feel embarrassed at the 10 years worth of National Geographics that I saved and was going to use for…? And how is it that there are more seashells to be found in my attic than at the seashore? And do you know that it’s probably 120 degrees up there?
The truck and men that I wrote about a few days ago took the big furniture out for me but I have been working on the boxes of saved toys and glassware, books and canning jars all afternoon. The renters are still working on their side too but I think this might be their last truckload.
Today I read about something called dostadning, or “death cleaning”, which is a Scandinavian term for getting rid of your stuff so your children don’t have to do it after you’re dead. But really, it would be good for us to do a little of this for our own well-being and sanity. Keep this in mind, the only thing worse than having to clean the garage is having a garage sale, because then you have wasted a whole half day (at least) and still have to re-store the leftovers in your garage or haul them to a donation place. Just give it all away in the first place. My thoughts.
A to Z: Selling Our House (Letter E)
More excitement (another E word!) today, if you want to call it that. The plumber came! He cleaned drains, replaced corroded valves, and fixed the shower that always gave us cold water when we turned it to hot, and hot water when we turned it to cold. All these things and a few more were called out in the home inspection (more about that when we get to letter I). And if that wasn’t enough fun, the termite inspector came too. South of the Mason-Dixon line, every frame house has dry wood termites about every 12 years and needs to be tented. I got a tutorial on the critters as we went through every room of the two houses, including attics. The good news – we don’t have any.
E is for Escrow
It’s a little boring, so I’ll be quick. Escrow just means that some third party has come in and is helping two others complete a transaction by keeping money or a deed in their possession until all parts of the contract have been fulfilled. When we get our buyer, escrow will be handled by a title company. When everything stipulated in the contract is complete, we will go to the title company, sign all the appropriate papers, pay all our fees, and the money for the sale will be released. It has been held in escrow until this time.
Another escrow moment, which I understand more and appreciate, is the quasi “savings account” collected by the bank to pay the taxes and insurance on property. Those yearly costs never bother us anymore because they are collected a little at a time, added to the mortgage payment. The bank is the third party helping us and the insurance company, or the tax collector, complete our transactions on time. It’s a good thing.
E is also for Escape, because I have found that selling the house feels a little like I’m RUNNING AWAY from something. I’m tired of being a landlord and dealing with the problems that tenants present. I’m weary of raking leaves and picking up branches, trying to keep an acre of lawn looking good and maintaining a large, older building. I’m tired of so much traffic and being in the city. Most of all, I’m tired of being so far away from so many people that I want to be with. I don’t expect the next place to be perfect and trouble free but I’m ready for some new problems, in a new place.
With all the challenges that this sale and move present, the whole experience is a lot like the Great Escape. That is what I shall call it.
My apology to all my family and good friends locally. I’m not trying to run away from you and will miss you terribly!
A to Z: Selling Our House (Letter D)
Today I could have danced! (Another D word) Three men and a large truck from a thrift shop pulled into the drive and took most of the renter’s furniture away. It is gone, and I don’t have to get rid of it. That is an answer to our prayers of the last week. They had so much stuff!
Designer starts with D.
I have a designer! How special is that?!! Lindsey is a young professional, a student at Ringling School of Art & Design. She is part of the package with my realtor, who I will introduce when we get to R. She is also a young mother and wife, so scheduling with her took a little persistence, but we finally did a walk through at my house. This is all for the purpose of staging, which I’ll say more about when we get to S. The A to Z doesn’t actually care if I present the sale of the house in a logical, chronological order.
Lindsey walked from room to room with me, writing on her notepad and pointing out areas she thought were of most concern. I anticipated much of what she said. Most of her comments were the working out of a couple basic principles:
Less is best. The less stuff you have in the way, the bigger your room will appear. This includes taking things off the floor, and removing unnecessary furniture. The furniture that is left should be somewhat generic and of a size compatible with the room size. That gives the prospective buyer an idea of the room size and the kind of furniture that will fit in it. Makes sense. An example is my living room. I sold my big couch with recliners on both ends and the matching love seat, so I will probably rent an average size couch for the room, something that most everyone agrees should be standard living room furniture. I also tend to put lots of things on the floor – file boxes, rugs, decorative items. I will pack these things away.
Impersonal is best. The prospective buyers are trying to imagine their personal things in my spaces, so it helps if my personal things are not distracting them. This includes my collections, family pictures, and projects the husband and I are working on. This one is a little hard because, well, we ARE working on things and need to keep working on things. The husband’s music paraphernalia is an example of this. Music stands, instrument cases, folders – all over the lanai.
Lindsey was also helpful in suggesting paint upgrades. She called out specific colors for spaces she thought would be improved with a fresh coat and you will read more about that when we get to P.
Lastly, she has offered to come back again before the inside pictures are taken and see if there is anything additional that I should change. After our appointment, I got “the list” by email and have been working on it ever since. I love a list, just sayin’…
A to Z: Selling Our House (Letter C)
Today as I finally got to start cleaning one room in the rental part of our property, I ran across another C word, Closet. The person who designed closet doors like these had to be someone who had never had to clean or paint them. What were they thinking?!
C is for Contracts and Closings
There are all kinds of contracts I have learned about while getting ready to sell our house. There was the contract with the pest control company before they tented our two houses. Yes, there are tents that big in the south where termites are constantly looking for wood and water – houses are perfect for both.
Then there was the contract with the company that put new windows in our rental house. Windows are a special item in hurricane country. One small one in the laundry room cost over $700. It seems that all really expensive things require contracts, probably because there is a lot to put in writing about the guarantees, warranties, and disclaimers designed to protect everyone involved.
But the contract that we really care about is the one that comes at the end of the sale – that sweet agreement between buyer and seller that seals the deal. There is always a tentative sigh of relief when the house is “under contract”. I say tentative because until the final papers are signed at closing, the deal can fall apart and the process has to start all over again with the next prospective buyer. This last year we sold another property that was under contract twice before we found a buyer who could meet the financial stipulations of the contract.
The closing is always a mysterious thing to me. The husband and I sit at a table with the title company lawyer with our pens in hand. He hands us one paper at a time to initial or sign, and it goes on forever until the tall stack of papers is finished. I could not begin to tell you what all those papers are about, even though they are quickly explained to us as they go whisking by. I kind of glaze over, all the time pretending to be an astute seller, nodding and putting on my “knowing” look. I’m not recommending this method, just saying it happens.
Okay, I need to be silly (it’s a mental health tactic). I started noticing signs this winter and collecting pictures of them thinking that “Signs of the Times” would be an interesting theme for the A to Z. So as not to waste them, even though my theme has changed, I’m putting them in when I have them. They’re fun.
A-to-Z: Selling Our House (Letter B)
Our adjoining house, which has been rented out for four years, is finally being vacated. I am watching as they load possessions into a pick-up truck. This is an important step for us in selling. We can finally get in there, clean, paint and fix. I’m glad and yet aware of the huge amount of work that will now be on the schedule…
B is for Boxes
Boxes have become a coveted part of my life. I seem to notice them like never before, wherever I go. I pay attention to their construction, how sturdy they are, and whether there is room to write on them. (I get the best boxes from Thrive Market, and I can’t adequately tell you how wonderful they are, thick, sturdy, full of useful packing). Because we’re selling, and moving, all our earthly goods need to be safely in a box until an undetermined time when they can be placed in the next home. Who knows when that will be?
I have an aversion to paying for boxes to do my packing. It is silly when so many boxes are put in the trash, crushed and bundled together with strapping and hauled off to be re-used in some way, or maybe not used at all. So I beg and borrow boxes from friends who have businesses, (and from Thrive Market). I am grateful for my box friends. I get deliveries like this one.
There is a box the right size for almost anything I want to pack. I have learned to keep my boxes down to a weight I can lift, since it may be necessary for me to lift them way more times than I would like. I like little boxes for heavy things like books, and large boxes for lighter things like pillows. The only boxes I might consider buying are ones for large, framed pictures and for dishes. Even then, I could make boxes for them out of other boxes. For all of these boxes, I have the feeling that labeling is going to be very important.
For now, my boxed possessions are piling up in a small breezeway between my house and the rental house, but they will have to be moved when it’s time to photograph the house. They will have to go into a storage facility. I’m not looking forward to that. I’ve seen the program “Storage Wars” and since we’ve had a storage room mistakenly auctioned off in the past, I have some bad flashbacks about storage.
Should we use storage locally? Should we rent a container from PODS or Pack Rat and have them move us? We have options that are not yet sorted out completely, and we are open to advice.
This is a series of posts for the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. Check out my A post here A to Z: Selling Our House (Letter A)
A to Z: Selling Our House (Letter A)
We are wanting to sell our property, our oneacrewoods, the two conjoined houses that we, my parents, my children, and numerous friends and family have lived in for the last 24 years. It’s seen some very good years of our lives and we have “feelings” for it. It is lovely, it is home, and it’s going on the market.
A is for Asking price (as distinct from “getting” price.)
I have just read that most homeowners ask too much for their house when they set out to sell. It’s out of love, of course. We don’t want to do that because we would LOVE a quick sale. We know that the prospective buye may or may not love our house and is certainly not interested in paying as much as possible to live in it. So, we have the matter of determining an asking price. It should be one that is reasonable for the market, taking into consideration the age of the house, the neighborhood and numerous other factors. And it should probably be one that we are willing to lower. I don’t like that selling a house is kind of like bargaining at a flea market.
We had a realtor look at our house. He wanted to help us find a good asking price. The place most realtors start is to look for what they call “comparables” – houses as much like yours as possible in the same area. Since most residential properties are not two full houses on one parcel of land, there really aren’t any comparables in our neighborhood. Our way of thinking is to take the price of one nearby sale and double it, right? I guess that’s not the way it works though. We had a hard time accepting the price this realtor suggested.
After waiting, downcast, for several months, we met another realtor who was a little more encouraging. We have what is becoming more common these days, a multi-generational property. I didn’t realize it, but more and more people are living with a couple generations together in the same house or an attached apartment of some kind. Our houses are much more than a mother-in-law room over the garage, and the acre of yard full of huge live oaks in the quiet, central part of a block is something everyone admires. Everyone who comes to our house wants to live here.
Our realtor is with Better Homes and Gardens Realty. I’m thinking that if BH&G thinks they can sell our house for what we’d like to sell it for, we’re going to let them try. I’ve seen their magazine and they seem to know a lot about houses, just sayin’ …
I am in the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. If you found this by clicking the link in the A list, then you know I made a mistake in my link. Here is the correct one to my site. So sorry! https://shirleyjdietz.com/2018/04/01/a-to-z-selling-our-house/
A to Z in April
I’m committing to this blogging challenge because I have finally found a purpose for it. A purpose that will make it easier to survive April. It will be my angst release valve. Let me explain.
The husband and I have been talking about selling our house and moving for, well… ages, but we are now to the point of having a realtor as our new best friend. It’s my new job (in addition to paring down) to make the house go on the market in the next month. I’ve started a new level of preparation in the last few weeks and it’s made me so busy and preoccupied that writing about anything has gone to the bottom of my to-do list. I didn’t see how I could possibly write for the challenge with all that’s going on.
Then I started thinking of all that I’ve learned, all the interesting new people who’ve come along, all the snags and complications. It would be easy to write about this experience, emotionally beneficial and more socially acceptable than sitting in the driveway screaming/crying/pulling out my hair. It took my family all of 15 minutes to think of a topic for every letter of the alphabet. Yes!
The things making up my days are now going to make it into writing in the month of April. If you’ve ever thought of buying or selling a house, you might learn something useful. If you’ve done it before and know all about it, you might like to compare your experience with mine. Either way, follow along. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.
I Just Have to Say... 