Incredibly excited? Or wildly stressed?

One of the worst parts about the move from Chicago to Nashville (pre-fire) was going through the sale of the condo. Once we decided that we were going to leave and had a basic timeline, we began decluttering. We did the Marie Kondo thing before she had a t.v. show. (It does work, we got rid of eight garbage bags of clothing.) We started to gradually spruce up the place. Taking down posters, making things look more clean, etc.

Only to have a realtor come in and tell us how much decluttering we had to do. She also pointed out repairs, painting, and so on that we would need to take care of. We buckled down and did it all. We boxed up loads of personal effects and put it all in storage. We spackled tiny dings, repainted walls and repaired doors. We fought with our management company to get some outside repairs done so that the back deck would look good. We hired a professional cleaner to go over everything with a fine-tooth comb. We did most of this without telling anyone except for immediate family that we were planning to move. We didn’t want to jeopardize our current employment until we were ready to pull the plug.

Here Jake pokes his head out of his carrier to have a pint of milk at the Red Lion.

Here Jake pokes his head out of his carrier to have a pint of milk at the Red Lion.

We learned that the condo was going to sell for less than I paid for it. This was disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. Part of the reason we wanted to move was the way taxes and other financial things were just getting worse in Chicago. (And also the weather, and I want a yard someday to compost and plant vegetables and maybe get a dog.) We accepted the reality of the situation (two low sales in our building a few years before didn’t help matters) and decided to do our best.

The worst part about it was that our realtor insisted that Jake be out of the condo any time it was shown and that his things be as hidden away as possible. This was at least doable when one of us was home, but often showings would come up twenty four hours beforehand and both of us would need to be at work. Once, my neighbor let us put him in her bathroom. Which was okay, since she was just next door, but I HATED leaving him locked up in a bathroom for an entire day. There were, I think, two times when we had to leave him. She had us lock him up in our bedroom, move his stuff to our closet, she said she would show that room last and ‘hope the buyer likes cats’. This was in January. Jake pretty much slept under the covers or between the pillows for the entire day until we got home. I asked that they leave the door open when they left so that he could have the run of the place after the showings were done. This never happened. In fact, once his litter box and food were shut into the closet. On the days that we were home, I bundled him into his carrier (January) and took him into bars and restaurants. He was always very popular with the proprietors and even got me a free glass of wine once… and a free glass of milk himself once! Once we went to a party at a friend’s house where miraculously, no one was allergic to cats so he had the run of the place. (Thanks, Eric!) It was a fun adventure in some ways, but it was hard on Jake, and hard on us.

This was the last picture I took before we left Chicago. Final goodbye to the condo.

This was the last picture I took before we left Chicago. Final goodbye to the condo.

Finally getting the offer! Stress of the inspection (Jake shut away again) then making plans to move and packing. Dean had to do a lot of the packing because I ended up getting a job opportunity in Nashville that started two weeks before we closed. We did more cleaning and spackling the day before we left (hungover) after my birthday/going away party. I never want to do anything like that again.

So, we’ve just put down earnest money on a house in Nashville.

I alternate between incredibly excited and extreeeeeeeemly stressed. But it’s adorable! My bike commute to work will be twenty minutes. Our street dead ends into a park. It’s a mile from a greenway that I can run in along the river! There are SIDEWALKS! (Get with it, most of Nashville, sidewalks are an important thing that a city should have.) The yard is enormous. I will be able to plant a vegetable garden. An herb garden. We can compost!

And yes, I’m terrified of what may come up in the inspection. With every paper that I have to sign, more questions pop up. I’ve had the money from the condo in a CD, letting it grow for specifically this purpose. The CD matured today and I just ported it over to a money market account and took out the earnest money. Getting ready to fork it over for a down payment. This is what I have put it aside for, but it’s still terrifying.

I’ve also never owned an entire house before. A condo, yes, but someone else was still responsible for most of the building. This is going to be all us. In a way, that’s awesome. Our own little piece of land to do things with! In a way, terrifying! Who do I call if I need a plumber? In Chicago I knew plumbers. And electricians. And anyone I didn’t know, I knew someone who did. “I gotta guy.” As the Chitown saying goes.

I am generally a disaster planner. I think things through, I read the fine print, I ask the annoying questions. I like to be sure.

cheers to homeownership.jpg

But this house felt right from the moment we saw it. It was the first one we saw out of seven and we went back at the end of the day to make sure. And from then on, things kept working out. They were going to pull it off the market to make some repairs, but we slid an offer in on the last day, (with those repairs being contingent) and after a counter offer by them and another counter offer by us, we got right at budget. Our lease is up in mid March, we’ll be able to close in early March. (If everything goes well.) Interest rates are so low and property taxes are pennies compared to Chicago.

I’m so excited. And stressed.

No pictures.

When it all goes down, I’ll post pictures.

Because it’s not real until there are pictures.

Meredith Lyons1 Comment