Next up: SELLING THE HOUSE

I suppose I should be focused on the various holiday gatherings we have scheduled for the week, not to mention the birth of our Lord and Savior (UNTO YOU A CHILD IS BORN!) but, uh, my brain has quickly leaped to the next big thing on my List Of Big Things, and that would be Talking To A Realtor. 

I kind of want to throw up. 

Also, A'Dell's tweets about selling her house are not helping. 

But every time I walk into our bedroom and bang my knee against the pack and play, I am reminded that we have a moving deadline: find a new house before Molly outgrows the pack and play. 

I wrote this post about location vs. space a month or so ago and it was practically the next day, I swear, that I figured out what I want. Or what I think is most important for me. 

Your comments helped a lot. I also happened to visit two friends that week, one who chose location and one who chose space. That helped too, as I hung out in their respective living rooms and visualized myself living in their houses! 

I've been thinking about this for years, probably the minute I set my dining room table with all my new wedding presents. I love this town, I love its neighborhoods, I love the scenery and the shops and the libraries and the attitude and the cute little houses and the hills and the cafes. I can live within walking distance of an excellent school, a Thai restaurant and a secondhand bookstore, but I will never ever EVER be happy if I can't have twenty-nine people over for dinner. 

I know, I know. How often does one have twenty-nine people for dinner? Next to never. I AM FULLY AWARE. I also know how silly it is to base your house-picking decisions on paint and kitchen counters and floor tile, but there it is. This is my silly house-picking deal breaker. I want the option of throwing a massive party without worrying if the house contains enough oxygen. 

We've thrown some fairly large parties in our fairly small living space. I would even say that these parties were a fairly good time. But I spend a huge amount of time worrying about where to put the food, where to put the drinks, where to put the Christmas tree, where to put the PEOPLE. Sure, it works out, but I doubt it's very comfortable. 

When we're older I'd like to have friends for dinner and kick all the kids into the basement to play. I'd like a guest room and an office. I want to fit twelve people around my table. I want a hall closet and enough distance between the TV and the table, a fenced yard with enough room to play touch football. 

I would love to walk down the street to a coffee shop, but if it meant I lived in a house where inviting people to dinner meant hitting up the Thai restaurant, I'd be miserable. 

If there's another wedding in town, I want to be able to offer my house as a place to stay. I want to host Thanksgiving and Christmas. I want to have more kids. Sometimes, in the way off distant future, I think I want space for foster kids. (Phillip just fell over - cardiac arrest.)

I WANT SPACE.

But I also don't want an enormous house so far away from town that no one wants to COME to our parties. That would also not be good. 

A few weeks ago I was trolling Redfin, as you do, and I found The Perfect House. It was not the largest or newest or fanciest house, but it was large and new and fancier than anything I expected in our price range. It was hanging out, I will admit, in the farthest far point of our price range, but still, it was within the confines, and it was in my top pick neighborhood. If we were in any position to buy I would have called up a realtor right then and there to make an offer. It was big and new enough for Phillip, big and close enough for me. It's already sold, of course, it was a steal. But it gave me the teeniest shred of hope that something similar is out there, ready to make itself available when we're ready to buy. FINGERS ARE CROSSED. 

In the meantime, I need to find a real estate professional and start asking questions. Is it a good idea to sell our house and rent for a year? Will we make any money on our house if we sell it now? Are there any rental houses that fit our criteria? How awful will it be to show our house while we are still living in it? Are we insane? Should we just stay here forever? 

Right now we're thinking of selling in the summer once Phillip has time away from school. We're thinking about renting until he's finished with his program and we know what we can afford. It's entirely and hopefully possible that this is our last Christmas in this house. And now I think I have to go cry a little, because this house? Almost perfect.

Comments

[Lee Williams]

not linking the aforementioned dream house that's already sold anyhow is a bit of a tease, dontcha think?

[Sarah in Ottawa]

I am sure that the right house at the right price will be ready for you when you are ready for it. It will be positively providential.

I, too, am a big fan of space. It helps that our neighbourhood is awesome, but we got so incredibly lucky when we found our house - it was an answer to a prayer. It'll happen for you, too.

[HereWeGoAJen]

I've lived in a million houses (okay maybe not a million, twenty at least though) and I agree, SPACE is where it's at. Of course, not too far away from stuff is good, but space is better.

[Ashley]

Being a crazy woman who loves to move and look at homes all the time- I will give you my two cents. You will not get as much as you want out of your home right now, but you should buy a home now while the values are so low. Waiting a year could mean less house for more money. I would recommend renting the house you are in now and then buying another- if that is an option for you.

[Christiana]

Ah, yes, the conundrum. I love certain elements of my house, but cannot see having the 3 (or 4) children that we would like to have in this house. But I can't picture willingly walking away from Caro's nursery - it's just so perfect. And I do love our neighborhood.

[Jess]

Oh, I'm so glad for you that you know what you want and it seems to be somewhat attainable. You'll find it, I know you will. And I can't wait to read along during the process.

[kirida]

Good luck! I know how it is with a small space and a kid (soon to be kids!).

[Gina Davis]

I choose space, schools AND parks and I've haven't regretted it once. I like having a guest room for late night babysitters, a place to put everything away and when I really looked at it I spend way more time at home or playing with Owen in our yard or park than I do anywhere else so I better love it, feel content there and see our future there. As I've told you before we had the BEST realtor ever, she made it so much easier, and told us everything we needed to know. I think it can't hurt to give her a call-talk through your plans find out what you can get for your house, how long they think it will take to sell and when the best time would be to put it up. They do that all the time. I personally love knowing all the info upfront so I can prepair myself for the decision to be made, step by step. Ask for Jill Estes here is their website link:http://www.macrisrealtygroup.com/

[Jessica]

We just bought a house (like last week!!!)
First, we had to figure out what we could actually afford. Then, we went from there.
Uh, space RULES. We had to move out of the city, but when I don't have to shuffle stuff from one half of my counter top to the other so I can have an eensy space to put a cutting board down, I am not gonna care whether I can walk to a coffee shop. I might actually want to stay inside.
Maybe. but that's just me.