We started with the February Focus, where we worked and cleaned and repaired and decluttered and replaced and updated and generally went nuts over our house. A new faucet went in, two new light fixtures were installed, and several hundred pounds of books and other items were either donated or taken to our storage facility. It was a chore, but we did it.

February turned to March, and we set off on our March Mission. We studied the real estate market in our area, went over comps with our realtor, and settled on a fair asking price. We filled out the appropriate paperwork, rewrote the realtor’s listing, and held our breath as the listing went live.

There have been showings scheduled, often times at the last minute. The house has been cleaner and tidier than it has ever been, including the day I bought it. There has not been a single dish left out, a single unmade bed, a single toothpaste speck on a mirror. Every morning blinds are opened, beds are made, sinks, counters, and toilets are touched up, and doors are opened wide. Music from an easy listening channel plays each day from the televisions throughout the house, making the atmosphere as inviting as a model home. Still, no bites.

This is the artist’s drawing of the new homes being built near my house.

Ok, I know there’s a construction site out the front window. I do. I don’t like it that much either. So I did the research and found the preliminary layout and landscaping plan online. I printed it out, alongside a short article that explains the development. These two printouts are on my kitchen island, next to the lovely flyers my sweetheart created. Turns out that it’s a community of “Casita” style homes, all one story, mostly single units, but some side-by-side doubles. It looks likes it’s going to be hip and modern and lovely. You just can’t tell yet from the piles of dirt and heavy equipment out my front window.

Now it’s April, and I’m in the process of working on my April Affirmation. The house will sell soon at a reasonable price. This is the affirmation. In fact I even gave it a date. Tax day. Why not? We will have a reasonable offer by April 15. This is the revised affirmation. I need to believe this. I also need to consider adjusting the price. After all, you can’t fall in love with a house if you don’t come see it, and you won’t come see it if you think it’s out of your price range, right? So I’m giving this careful consideration, all the while repeating, “there will be a reasonable offer by April 15.”

If anyone would care to join in the positive thinking, I would be most grateful. I’m ready to move on to the next chapter of my life saga.