Sell This House | BulgingButtons

April 20, 2014
by BulgingButtons 4 Comments

Spring Renewal

Today being Easter I can’t help but think of renewal. I’m not a Christian, but I do understand the significance of this day, and of the concept of resurrection. I find the idea that people can get another chance, even after death, uplifting- as do countless believers. While I’m not in the running for an eternal heavenly placement, I would like yet another chance here on earth.

I’m taking this opportunity to do some spring cleaning of various sorts. First there’s the bodily spring cleaning that needs to be done. Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting with my doctor to review some lab reports. They were standard, nothing too worrisome, yet once again they pointed out that I’m stressing my body in ways that it doesn’t like.

Fewer calories, more exercise. Fewer sweets, more fruits and vegetables. Fewer stressors and more physical activities. I know all of this, and yet, here I am again, back where I began. Don’t believe me? Check out the 47 for 47 page that appeared last July. My progress has been poor, but I’m going to print out another check sheet and see if I can’t turn things around. I know my cheerleaders are here to help me, as always.

Another clean up project involves the blog. Not cleaning up, exactly, but straightening up. I almost deleted the projects page, until I realized that I still have projects to share, they’re just different than I originally anticipated. I’ve also included a Best of BB page so you can quickly find posts that others have found noteworthy. I do appreciate shares and reblogs, as long as you link back here, so by all means have at it.

Finally there’s the house. The blasted, blessed house. I’ve been working on cleaning and staging it so I can sell it at last. Today we did some landscaping touch ups, and it looks quite lovely, if I do say so myself. Yesterday we took another walk though one that I quite like, even if it does need some TLC. C’mon house, SELL!

So, in the spirit of new life, new growth, and renewal in general, I wish you a happy spring, and a season of joy and love.

April 18, 2014
by BulgingButtons 16 Comments

Fighting Discouragement

If you haven’t got anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

We’ve all heard this bit of advice at one time or another, and in general it seems to work out pretty well most of the time. In fact it’s the general principle I’ve been following lately in terms of blog writing.

It isn’t that I don’t have anything nice to say. There are nice things that happen every day and I could spend a few minutes sharing them with you and spreading good feelings across the internet, but I don’t. I’m far too distracted right now.

I want to be positive. I like to think I’m generally a positive person. My outlook on life isn’t grim. I see the silver lining inside most clouds, and I try not to let the bastards get me down. My dad taught me that one. It’s just that I’ve been fighting discouragement lately.

I try to shut out the negative messages that creep into my brain, and for the most part, I’m pretty good at it. So good, in fact, that I manage to sabotage my efforts at self care on a pretty regular basis. Those conversations can go something like this:

“Jeez, you’re really lazy and blowing up like a balloon.”

“Shut up and pass the Cadbury mini-eggs.”

“Okay.”

Not too productive, right? Lately though, the inner critic is being pretty persistent, and, in my opinion, quite reasonable. Damn her. Now she’s saying things like this:

“The house has been on the market a little too long. There’s a construction site across the street. Maybe you’re priced a little too high.”

She’s right, of course.

This is not my actual display. I don’t have leaves or fake food in mine.

I tried shutting her up by telling her that if I just put some nice hand towels in the bathrooms the house would sell right away. It didn’t. Then I told her that the bright new pillows on the couch would work. They didn’t. After that it was the artful display consisting of a Williams Sonoma cookbook strategically placed on the counter along with a few pie making supplies (I swear, it looks better than it sounds). Nope.

It’s not the house. It’s not the staging. It’s the damn construction. I can’t do a thing about it, and it’s making me discouraged. There, I said it.

I could take the house off the market, wait until the building is done, and start all over again after the weather cools off a bit (I don’t want to move in 100 degree plus heat if I can avoid it). Or I could wait until the building is done, then decide if I really want to move at all. I honestly don’t want to do either of these options.

I want to sell this house. I have loved it, but now I’m ready for a change. I’ve found a house in the neighborhood I like, and I’m ready to go. All I need to do is sell this one. It’s clean, it’s ready to go, but nobody can see past that construction. There’s only one thing left to do. Tonight I did it. The price is coming down again.

Somebody with a little foresight is going to get a great deal on a great house. It will not face a construction zone forever. It will face a gated community of single story dwellings. It won’t be awful. It will be brand new, and nicely landscaped. Somebody will enjoy it very much. Until then, I have to remain positive. Positive that this week that somebody will make me an offer I can’t refuse.

April 9, 2014
by BulgingButtons 4 Comments

This Could Be the One

My house has been on the market for almost 7 weeks. I’m told the current average time on the market is around 11 weeks. I wish to beat that time, but I can only do so much.

I got a call earlier this evening from a realtor who would like to bring her client by tomorrow. Yay. It’s been several days since anyone has looked at the house. If they don’t come, they won’t buy. A showing is a good thing, and I’m happy that there’s one scheduled.

I’m also tired of it. Not of the showings, exactly, just of the preparation. With every showing there’s a renewed flurry of activity, in addition to the already expanded daily routine. I know I should quit complaining about it, but it’s wearing on me.

I’m starting to feel even more like a nagging mother than usual. “Make your bed, put away your laundry, dust your bookshelves, clean your toilet.” On and on it goes. I don’t like being this kind of mom. I don’t want to freak out if there are fingerprints on my son’s bathroom mirror or if he leaves a pair of socks in the hopefully named “media” room (aka spare bedroom). Both of those things happened today, and I found myself relieved that nobody saw the house in “that” condition. I want us to be able to relax a little and not stress out over trash cans with trash in them or the occasional book or magazine left on a side table.

For now, though, we have to keep tidy. Whether we realize it or not people make decisions based on irrelevant stimuli all the time. I don’t need anyone deciding that this house is wrong for them because there’s a toothpaste tube on the vanity or the shower curtain hasn’t been closed. Stupid stuff, but the brain works in mysterious ways, and I don’t want to give anyone’s brain any reason to say no to this house.

I’m guilty of these silly judgements myself. I know that when I tour homes I want to see clean, tidy houses. I want it to be clear that the seller knows that they are trying to sell. I don’t want to be distracted by the age of the furniture or the color of the walls or the collection of judo trophies on a shelf.

Over the years, I have seen homes in all sorts of conditions, from vandalized, filthy, and falling apart wrecks to the beautifully designed model homes of top builders. My home is none of these, but with a lot of effort hopefully it is closer to the model type than the dump type.

This is a great house. It will make someone a great home. I think they may be stopping by tomorrow, so I have to go. I want to make sure they feel welcome.