This last week seems to have flown by! Probably because the week before dragged, so really, it's only fair :)
Last Thursday we met with our Seller invite Rep who took us through everything you need to know about selling your house, and then took pictures and created our MLS listing with us. Friday morning MLS got a look at our Condo, and the emails started.
Now, a week later, we have had 4 showings with a 5th booked for this evening, 2 requests for Condo Documents, and 1 "quite interested buyer"! Could it be? Selling our Condo is going to be easier than we thought?
...I hope!
Tonight we are spending the night away from home for the 5th showing - I'm heading to my friend Becky's for help with dying my hair, and Ben is going to run stairs - but first we are knocking on the door of "the house". (See previous posts in which a Dream house is mentioned). We went for a drive on Tuesday evening to look at other prospect neighborhoods, and unfortunately weren't impressed. The problem with setting restrictions on where you want to live usually means you are limited to the few "nice areas" within those restrictions. And when you also have limitations of the size of house, lot, and number of bedrooms/bathrooms - your choices start to resemble "slim pickings". That is what Ben and I have found.
But of course Ben and I are not "transition house" people - the house we buy is the one we are going to raise a family in, and ultimately retire in. We are buying size and location, and we can gut the inside and make everything else customizable. We are handy people, we love renovations and projects, and we want to make the house our dream house. Moving every couple of years is not my idea of "a fun time" in fact, it sounds like hell - props to the people who do it, but Ben and I are not those kind of people!
Which brings us to "the House". It looks great on paper, has everything we want in a house, beautiful big yard, double detached garage big enough to fit two cars and a workshop, over sized hot water tank, new windows, greenhouse in the backyard etc, etc. But we're nervous. See it's one thing to see a listing and head on over with Realtor in tow and start looking around, but this house was taken off the market - WHY? Ben and I are willing the fates to reveal that it just wasn't a good time to sell, and they are waiting to re-list in the spring, but what if they had a change of heart? Maybe their daughter is going through a divorce and the couple suddenly needs to keep the house a little longer while she stays with them before selling? Maybe they decided they wanted to sell the house to their son? Maybe the condo they were planning on moving into burnt to the ground and they need to stay in their house longer while the builders start over again?
... I don't know. I hope it's none of that - we both do. We want a couple who is desperate to sell, and just picked a lousy time to list, so we can swoop in and make a deal with them! I guess we find out tonight! I just hope they're home now, and are receptive to strangers knocking on their door!
Lots of things can change tonight. Whether we will become residents of Grovenor, or have to seek out a Realtor to help us find a plan B. I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket... but right about now, I don't have anywhere else to keep my eggs, and it is an awfully nice basket....
Fingers crossed Blog readers - otherwise known as Erik. :)
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
One of those weeks...
It's not been a great week.
I find I've been struggling with exhaustion, and listlessness, a lot this month.
I think the weather has something to do with it - I'm done with Winter, I need to see the sun, I need to feel the sun - I might be deficient of Vitamin D...
My "awesome" week started with very early Monday morning - where I woke up around 4am, and laid in bed awake for 2 hours trying to will myself back to sleep, and then it went from there. I was groggy all day, making stupid mistakes, and just overall feeling like a zombie. My skin is breaking out - perhaps from the stress of selling the condo? Perhaps it was the lack of sleep? I don't know, but it's happening.
We came home from work on Monday, and I received a letter from Revenue Canada stating that because I am now married to Ben, and my family income has increased, I am no longer eligible for GST rebate cheques, and that I have to give back everything they sent me last year (another $300 I don't have). Then after a great Naughty Hottie class (the current highlight of my week) I came home, and proceeded to fumble with my phone and drop it directly into my cat's water dish.
I reacted quickly, and luckily I have two protective covers on it, so the water didn't really get in - but unfortunately my front buttons are not working, and I've managed to put my phone into "safe mode" (read: nothing but emergency calls work). I went over to Telus to try to see if they could get my phone working, and they said that they seem to think it's Safe Mode that has de-activated my buttons, and that I needed to call Telus to get a code to unlock safemode (normally you hold down both the Menu and Power button at the same time to unlock Safe Mode, but my Menu button is one of the inoperable one's).
I called Telus, and they e-mailed me instructions to re-set my phone and remove Safe Mode. I followed them, which wiped my phone of EVERYTHING (lucky for me, Google saved my contacts - so I have that), and I STILL have Safe Mode on, and my buttons still don't work! ... awesome.
In the hopes that maybe it's just that there is a little water still in the phone, and I need to try to get it out - I have my phone sitting in a container of rice for the next day or two to try to draw out the moisture (if that is indeed the problem. But at this point, my phone is a glorified paper weight, so it really can't hurt). Oh - and did I mention this phone is a 4 month old HTC Desire? Yeah... 4 months.
So I'm without a phone currently - which means, I don't have my schedule, my portable e-mail, my weather update, my Kindle, my camera, flashlight, GPS, portable Google search - the list goes on. You never really realize how much you rely on something until you don't have it anymore!
Plus I'm still in this zombie like slump. Last night's Fit Hop class was so tiring, and I felt like I was phoning it in at times despite my best efforts to up my energy. Also, I've always been difficult to get out of bed in the morning, but this morning, it took Ben, 25 minutes just to get a response from me - and even then, it was another 10 before I was conscious enough to open my eyes and function (slightly). I'm also already on my second large coffee and it's not even noon.
Ashton gave me a box of daily multi-vitamins yesterday, and I took them this morning, hoping that my body is lacking in something, and that this will fill the void, and bring me back to myself again.
I hate feeling like this, all I want to do is sleep, I have no interest in doing anything, I'm not bubbly and happy, I'm slow moving and quiet. I even noticed last night I was having trouble carrying a conversation with my friends. It just feels like a chore - like I just don't want to do anything, and just be alone and sleep. That's not saying anything about my friends, it's all me.
Along with my multi-vitamins, I'm also going to book myself in to do some tanning to see if I can try to lift my spirits a little. I really think a lot of this is the lack of sunshine, as this mood only ever comes over me in the winter months, perhaps it's S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
I don't know - I just hope it goes away and lets me get back to my regular fun, bubbly self soon.
I find I've been struggling with exhaustion, and listlessness, a lot this month.
I think the weather has something to do with it - I'm done with Winter, I need to see the sun, I need to feel the sun - I might be deficient of Vitamin D...
My "awesome" week started with very early Monday morning - where I woke up around 4am, and laid in bed awake for 2 hours trying to will myself back to sleep, and then it went from there. I was groggy all day, making stupid mistakes, and just overall feeling like a zombie. My skin is breaking out - perhaps from the stress of selling the condo? Perhaps it was the lack of sleep? I don't know, but it's happening.
We came home from work on Monday, and I received a letter from Revenue Canada stating that because I am now married to Ben, and my family income has increased, I am no longer eligible for GST rebate cheques, and that I have to give back everything they sent me last year (another $300 I don't have). Then after a great Naughty Hottie class (the current highlight of my week) I came home, and proceeded to fumble with my phone and drop it directly into my cat's water dish.
I reacted quickly, and luckily I have two protective covers on it, so the water didn't really get in - but unfortunately my front buttons are not working, and I've managed to put my phone into "safe mode" (read: nothing but emergency calls work). I went over to Telus to try to see if they could get my phone working, and they said that they seem to think it's Safe Mode that has de-activated my buttons, and that I needed to call Telus to get a code to unlock safemode (normally you hold down both the Menu and Power button at the same time to unlock Safe Mode, but my Menu button is one of the inoperable one's).
I called Telus, and they e-mailed me instructions to re-set my phone and remove Safe Mode. I followed them, which wiped my phone of EVERYTHING (lucky for me, Google saved my contacts - so I have that), and I STILL have Safe Mode on, and my buttons still don't work! ... awesome.
In the hopes that maybe it's just that there is a little water still in the phone, and I need to try to get it out - I have my phone sitting in a container of rice for the next day or two to try to draw out the moisture (if that is indeed the problem. But at this point, my phone is a glorified paper weight, so it really can't hurt). Oh - and did I mention this phone is a 4 month old HTC Desire? Yeah... 4 months.
So I'm without a phone currently - which means, I don't have my schedule, my portable e-mail, my weather update, my Kindle, my camera, flashlight, GPS, portable Google search - the list goes on. You never really realize how much you rely on something until you don't have it anymore!
Plus I'm still in this zombie like slump. Last night's Fit Hop class was so tiring, and I felt like I was phoning it in at times despite my best efforts to up my energy. Also, I've always been difficult to get out of bed in the morning, but this morning, it took Ben, 25 minutes just to get a response from me - and even then, it was another 10 before I was conscious enough to open my eyes and function (slightly). I'm also already on my second large coffee and it's not even noon.
Ashton gave me a box of daily multi-vitamins yesterday, and I took them this morning, hoping that my body is lacking in something, and that this will fill the void, and bring me back to myself again.
I hate feeling like this, all I want to do is sleep, I have no interest in doing anything, I'm not bubbly and happy, I'm slow moving and quiet. I even noticed last night I was having trouble carrying a conversation with my friends. It just feels like a chore - like I just don't want to do anything, and just be alone and sleep. That's not saying anything about my friends, it's all me.
Along with my multi-vitamins, I'm also going to book myself in to do some tanning to see if I can try to lift my spirits a little. I really think a lot of this is the lack of sunshine, as this mood only ever comes over me in the winter months, perhaps it's S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
I don't know - I just hope it goes away and lets me get back to my regular fun, bubbly self soon.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Motivation
Ben and I have been struggling with motivation a lot lately.
We are currently trying to prep our Condo to put it on the market in the spring - this means clearing out clutter, packing stuff we don't need, and over all simplifying our life so that our Condo looks big, bright and spacious, rather than a catch all for everything we have acquired in the last 2 years.
So far so good, but we still have a lot to do. A couple weeks ago we gutted the bedroom, moved everything out, and re-painted. When we moved the furniture back in, we only put in the esentials. The trick worked, with the brighter paint, and simplistic furniture our bedroom looks huge! But now we need to move into the other rooms and do the same thing, and unfortunately our motivation left the day we finished the bedroom.
It's cold out - like really cold. It's pretty down right miserable. Gray skies, blowing wind, -30 temperatures. It's gloomy, and sad outside, and unfortunately that ice cold haze has sucked the energy from Ben and I. We trudge home at the end of the day (we walk to and from work), strip off our layers, make dinner, and cuddle up in bed to watch movies on the laptop (our couch was tossed when we did the bedroom - it was broken).
At the end of the movie, it's really hard to get up and do something in the condo. And we have been struggling with that for the last week. But thankfully last night we forced ourselves out of that bed, and did something.
We went through the desk in our living room, filed the papers sitting on top, sorted the knick knacks, threw out the stuff we no longer needed, and created a "to pack" pile. The only thing we have left to do in the living room now, is to pack up Ben's model cars, clear off the fireplace mantle, and bring all the packed boxes sitting in the corner to our storage office at work. Which we will be doing tonight!! We're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel
Bedroom - Check
Living room - Will be done tonight
What's left?
Bathroom (simplify the products, and clutter in our shelves, put up a new shower curtain and scrub floor to ceiling)
Kitchen (put away the bake ware we don't need - so the cupboard looks more spacious - better organize pantry, and pack up stuff we don't currently need (like bug spray and socket sets - yes these things are in our pantry).
... and that's it.
We don't have a whole lot to do.. and then we can get ready to list, which involves us finding a temporary home for our Emmy (any one interested?), and then bringing in the couch, chair, area rug, and coffee table from work to properly stage our apartment. Then hopefully the buyers come rolling in... hopefully hopefully. We are really hoping this sale goes as effortless as possible.
Oh, there's actually one more thing we need to wait for before we can list - and that's the sun. No one is buying in this weather - why would you want to move in -30? Actually, no one is doing much of anything in this weather these days.
We are currently trying to prep our Condo to put it on the market in the spring - this means clearing out clutter, packing stuff we don't need, and over all simplifying our life so that our Condo looks big, bright and spacious, rather than a catch all for everything we have acquired in the last 2 years.
So far so good, but we still have a lot to do. A couple weeks ago we gutted the bedroom, moved everything out, and re-painted. When we moved the furniture back in, we only put in the esentials. The trick worked, with the brighter paint, and simplistic furniture our bedroom looks huge! But now we need to move into the other rooms and do the same thing, and unfortunately our motivation left the day we finished the bedroom.
It's cold out - like really cold. It's pretty down right miserable. Gray skies, blowing wind, -30 temperatures. It's gloomy, and sad outside, and unfortunately that ice cold haze has sucked the energy from Ben and I. We trudge home at the end of the day (we walk to and from work), strip off our layers, make dinner, and cuddle up in bed to watch movies on the laptop (our couch was tossed when we did the bedroom - it was broken).
At the end of the movie, it's really hard to get up and do something in the condo. And we have been struggling with that for the last week. But thankfully last night we forced ourselves out of that bed, and did something.
We went through the desk in our living room, filed the papers sitting on top, sorted the knick knacks, threw out the stuff we no longer needed, and created a "to pack" pile. The only thing we have left to do in the living room now, is to pack up Ben's model cars, clear off the fireplace mantle, and bring all the packed boxes sitting in the corner to our storage office at work. Which we will be doing tonight!! We're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel
Bedroom - Check
Living room - Will be done tonight
What's left?
Bathroom (simplify the products, and clutter in our shelves, put up a new shower curtain and scrub floor to ceiling)
Kitchen (put away the bake ware we don't need - so the cupboard looks more spacious - better organize pantry, and pack up stuff we don't currently need (like bug spray and socket sets - yes these things are in our pantry).
... and that's it.
We don't have a whole lot to do.. and then we can get ready to list, which involves us finding a temporary home for our Emmy (any one interested?), and then bringing in the couch, chair, area rug, and coffee table from work to properly stage our apartment. Then hopefully the buyers come rolling in... hopefully hopefully. We are really hoping this sale goes as effortless as possible.
Oh, there's actually one more thing we need to wait for before we can list - and that's the sun. No one is buying in this weather - why would you want to move in -30? Actually, no one is doing much of anything in this weather these days.
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