The Real Estate Issue
Selling or buying a house along with moving is stressful enough as it is, but our experience was unusually complicated. As I said in our “Going “Off the Grid”“post, we had a septic issue the week of our sale…don’t we have all the luck. More than one expert said our system was not failed, but our buyers and their realtor weren’t going to be happy until they could find their own expert that disagreed.
Long story short, they wanted more money from us. We had already given a lot, and the truth is if we weren’t down to the last minute, with our dream home and land just within our grasp, we would have sent them packing. We had been giving, giving, giving, and they had been taking and taking all along, egged on by their realtor. It was never enough, and we thought the deal was over until our realtors stepped in to save it all. So many people other than just us stood to lose if the deal fell through at the last minute, including the sellers of the home we wanted who had just flown in from Florida for the closing.
Luckily for us, we have a lot of good people in our lives who are unselfish and willing to give. We had cancelled our U-Haul truck and movers, and the buyers of our house refused to give us any more time to get all of our stuff out. It was a workday so much of my family was unavailable but we found some good friends who were available and came at the last minute to help us get all of our stuff out in one afternoon. We had already packed and moved a lot of belongings to a storage unit, so it was the big furniture and last minute items that needed to go.
One of my best friends and her son came to help, along with a contractor friend, his brother, and one of our original helpers. Sheryl and I did the packing, and the men did all the moving. We got everything on the truck and got the house cleaned by late that evening. It was beyond stressful.
We closed on our sale in a tension filled room in the morning, and then we could finally breathe again. The dogs and Sam were at my sister’s and we went up there to be with them before doing a walk through and the closing on the house we bought in the late afternoon. The sellers of our new house were very gracious, good people, and they appreciated the fact that we were going to love their home, which they had lived in for over 40 years, so much. That closing was filled with laughter.
Things were a bit more complicated because we bought their house “with contents”, meaning we had to clean out their stuff before we could move ours in. Since they lived mostly in Florida, and are older, we thought it would sweeten our offer to do that, and we feel we got a very good deal on the house and land making it worth it. It also meant we had furniture for our first night in the new house, and we had people coming over the next day to help with the cleaning, moving their stuff out, and then moving our stuff in (they had let us move some items in the week before which also helped).
The Dogs and Samantha
The hardest part for the crew was that they had to be separated from us so much in order to keep them safe from all the commotion and open doors. Sam had to spend time in a crate, and the dogs were either in their new pen or inside in a room once we had it set up and could close it off.
My sisters, two girlfriends, and the same crew from Thursday were there to help again. When one of my sisters showed up, I asked her immediately if she would play with the dogs which she was happy to do. The dogs at least got their play time every day, and even the DirecTV installer was happy to throw the ball for the girls! Luke had started to get a little snarky with his sisters, but who could blame him? We had all been under so much stress and I knew he was just overtired and over stressed from all of the people around. Heck, even my hubby and I were snarling at each other from time to time! So we separated them and let Luke chill out.
I was all over the place, playing musical chairs with the dogs and making sure they and Sam were doing OK. We had people cleaning, moving, just coming to see the house, and people coming to look at furniture that we were giving away.
By the time everyone cleared out we finally had our new home to ourselves and we could all relax for a bit, even though we were in the middle of a huge mess! Since then we’ve just been unpacking, arranging, and cleaning some more. The dogs have plenty of spaces to relax in, and they’ve spent time out in their pen as well. We make sure they get their daily play time no matter what else is going on.
Just yesterday Luke finally picked up a toy and started playing with it in the house. He hadn’t done that yet and I knew that was a good sign that he was feeling more relaxed and at home. They’ve each found their spots to sleep and just hang out.
We’ve kept Samantha separated, because Luke can be “weird” (snarly) with her at times, such as when she’d escaped outside or been to the vet. But she has her own little “suite” of rooms to hang out in. We’re transitioning her the same way you would if you brought a new cat into the household. Since she’s a bit of a loner anyway, we feel like she’s OK with it. When we have the dogs outside, we let her have the run of the house, and she usually ends up back in “her room” anyway! We also have to find a place to put her kitty litter where the dogs can’t get at it. We have a plan but still need to clean out that area.
The House
I wanted to tell you just a little bit about the house, even though I know this is a pet blog, not a real estate blog! One part of this old farmhouse was originally built in 1815, and then in 1990 a large addition was put on for the open concept kitchen/dining/living room area. A laundry room and second bath were added at that time as well. I’ve always loved old houses but they usually need so much work! This one is a good balance of old and new and it gives it so much character. The basics are good and it shouldn’t need too much major work.
I look forward to updating fixtures, painting and decorating. We do have a lot of work ahead of us but it is work that we will enjoy. Plus there is no rush, so we can take our time getting it to be just the way we want it. Of course, that will include making it into the perfect space for the crew as well, and a fenced in yard is on the top of the list of improvements!
Thank you so much to everyone for your well wishes and supporting us through this process, along with still visiting the blog even though we haven’t been able to get around to visit others much! The support and love from good family and friends is what got us through the insanity; along with seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a new home that we absolutely love.
I didn’t realize you had so much trouble with the end of your sale. Happy you are all settling into the new house. May you have many happy years there.
Ugh, Julie, it turned out to be such a nightmare, and I have to struggle to not dwell on it and be bitter. I hope these people turn out to be OK neighbors, but they sure left us with a lot of bad feelings.
But the new house is wonderful, so in time that should make up for it all! Thanks for stopping by and commenting here…..we will definitely have to keep in touch.
What a beautiful house, congrats on your new home. Enjoy the new adventure.
OMD we love the house, it’s perfect! The small older part and the new is just lovely mom is totally jealous! The closing on my mom’s mom house was as bad as yours such a similar situation and my Aunt Kathy, mom’s sister had to deal with it all so we totally understand what you’ve been through. It sounds like the animals are adjusting and it’s time to take care of just yourself. At Global mom saw a kitty littler box from PetSafe that made us think of you. It is one of those self cleaning ones, a perfect solution for cats that live with dogs that eat poop, in 10 minutes after use the litter is clean. Mom is hoping to get her paws on one for Rhette as she hates scooping. Take care and enjoy the new home! Love Dolly
Thank you so much, Dolly and Mom! It’s good to know we aren’t the only ones who went through such a hard time selling a house. At least it is behind us now.
I am trying to remember to take care of myself too. In just a couple weeks I am taking a day to go shopping with my sisters and girlfriends. That is always fun and will be a very nice break from all the unpacking.
I will definitely take a look at and keep that kitty litter box in mind, thank you!
The people buying your house sound like pieces of work. I love the new house. It is very neat how they blended old and new. I am sure you will all be very happy there.
I think we will be very happy here, and we’re just glad to have the dealings with those people behind us!
Oh wow! What a hassle! I’m glad it all worked out and that the pets are settling in ok. The house is BEAUTIFUL!
Thank you, Beth! I hope you are all getting settled well into your new home too!
So happy for you all, and it sounds like all is going great-and soon you will all be settled totally! It’s looking so awesome! Amazing how much nicer a house can look without a huge U-Haul and 10 trucks and cars in it’s driveway-oh, and furniture and boxes and trash all on the outside-oh yeah, no Wonder it looks different and so much prettier now, ha-ha! I am hoping that Sam can join the whole household soon though too. Enjoy, it should be a great weekend to get out and walk around the property with the dogs-sounds like decent weather for you, yay!
I just wish I had another week off to just be here doing stuff and enjoying our new home! 🙂 Oh well, have to go back to work….
I think we just need to give Luke some time to settle down from all the stress and then he will be fine with Sam. We’re probably being overly cautious, but you know me!
Well I’m so glad it all went through but it makes me sad that people have to be such assholes about buying your house. We had a similar issue when we tried to sell our old one, so I totally get it. We didn’t end up selling it because I told them to take a hike. But I had already closed on our new house so it wasn’t as tense as yours. While we were waiting for our closing to take place, the people closing BEFORE us were fighting over 1/4 of a tank of oil. I can’t even imagine being that type of asshole. On the flip side, OUR closing (even though the sellers were represented by their lawyer) it was filled with happiness and laughter.
THANKFULLY, you can put that all behind you now and settle into your new digs, I’m sure everyone is enjoying the lack of tension.
It is SUCH a relief to have that stress over with! It was really awful and it will take me some time to get over being bitter about it. I wish I could feel good about who was in the house we had built like the sellers of our new home got. We would have loved to tell them to take a hike! We loved that house, it just didn’t work for us anymore, and want different things now. It is saddening how greedy people can be.
Anyway, we will put all of that behind us, and enjoy our new home and the fact that the stressful part is over!
Sooo incredibly happy for you! The house is lovely! I love all of the windows!! I am so sorry you had to go through all of that crap with the people who bought your house though, that is just awful. It is wonderful that the home you bought had owners who lived in it for 40 yrs…..good vibes will be in that house! Your kitty cracked me up strutting down the hall lol. We keep Codys’ litter in a furniture-type litter cabinet in my bathroom and we have a baby gate in the hallway so Dakota can’t get to it. We keep all of Cody’s toys in the back part of our condo too, also behind a baby gate.
Can’t wait to see more photos of your home in the changing seasons! Wishing you years of good health and happiness there!
Thank you so much, Caren! It was a tough road to get here but we are in a better place now and we’re having fun getting everything the way we want it.
I hope to come up with a way, similar to what you do with Cody, to give Sam her own area where she can have her toys and the dogs won’t steal them! I think we’re going to be able to work it out. Right now she has been in what will be my office, where there is a huge picture window that the sun comes in. She loves it!
Moving is stressful enough without having all the added pressure that you had. We’re glad things finally worked out and you were able to move. Now you can get on with the stress of unpacking everything…though that stress isn’t nearly as bad. Your new house is very nice! Congratulations! ~Island Cat Mom
Thank you, Sue! It was definitely harder than it needed to be, but now we’re on to the fun part and can put all that garbage behind us! We’re still tired every night, but it’s just a good tired from hard work, not from too much stress!
So glad that Alex and I could help. Can’t wait to come visit soon and see all the changes! 🙂 xoxo to Sheba, Cricket, Luke & Samantha. And you too ????
It will take some time, but it will definitely look like a different home when we’re done with it!
That sounds super stressful! Glad it’s over and you guys are settling in now. Your new house looks great. I love old houses too.
Old houses just have so much character! We had our previous house built and brand new has its advantages too, but I have always really wanted an old house. I wish the road to get here had been easier, but at least that is all behind us now!
Oh my gosh, that sounds really stressful! Your new house is so beautiful! I’m sure the pups will settle down once they are more used to things!
Thank you, Lauren! I am sure everyone will settle down soon too. It will help when we get the yard fenced in…things will seem a bit more normal then. Plus we’ve been so busy with the house, but this weekend we plan to take a break from it and get the dogs out for a good long walk and that will be fun.
We’ve moved cross country (with critters) twice and it wasn’t easy, however after reading about your experience… it WAS easy! Your buyers sound like they need to learn about the Golden Rule. Grrr. So glad you’ve got friends and family who could pitch in and make things happen. Congratulations on your new home. Take some time to relax. Unpacking will wait 🙂
Thank you, Sue! I know, it’s so hard…we want to do everything at once! But we are trying to remember to just take our time and go easy on ourselves too (we’re not as young as we used to be…LOL).
I never imagined selling our house could be so stressful. But it shouldn’t have been that way….but sometimes in life you just meet up with people that shake your faith in humanity. Thank goodness we have so many wonderful people in our lives, otherwise I think I’d just buy a cabin in the woods and become a recluse. LOL!
Bless your hearts! I’d have been tempted to punch a hole in a wall by signing day. LOL! People can be so wishy washy when it comes to sealing the deal. I am beyond happy for you and your new home is gorgeous! Congratulations!
Thank you, Melissa!! Oh yes, it was tempting to punch something, or someone…LOL. My hubby and I had a discussion before the closing that we would be on our best behavior, be polite but not friendly, and just get through it! As it turns out, our two realtors got into it at the walk through…our poor realtor worked SO hard for us and she was pushed beyond her limits as well!
But here we are, and that is the important thing!
Wow, so much stress. I’m so glad it all worked out in the end. You guys will be so happy in your new space.
We have said all along that it would be worth it when we got here, and that has turned out to be so true! The first night I sat at the counter with a glass of wine, I said “I can’t believe we’re really here”. There were so many times when we thought it was just never going to happen!
You have some fun times ahead putting your own touches on this lovely house.
We sure do! The truth is we had done almost everything we could with our old house, and I enjoy changing and sprucing up and needed a project! This is going to be a lot of fun.
The buyers of your old home and their realtor were total shi** in my opinion; BUT you don’t have to worry about them any more. Thank Goodness!!!
Now you can relax and enjoy your new home. Looks like Sheba took the same chair Callie would have claimed for herself…the recliner. Our big girls must be cosmically linked somehow. ????
I believe your opinion about them is correct, as well as the fact that we won’t need to worry about them anymore. Some people we meet in life we just can’t wait to leave behind!
I do think our big girls are cosmically linked…they not only look alike but they seem to have many of the same habits! Truth is, Sheba didn’t lie in that chair much at the old house, but it was downstairs in our “TV room” which we didn’t use much recently. Luke used to lie in it down there more, but now he seems to prefer the couch (he must have accepted the fact that Sheba had taken it over!).
I need to find a particular photo of Callie to share with you. As her arthritis worsened, she stopped climbing up into the recliners (because they also rock); but when she was younger, she loved the recliner.
I wish I would be there to to help you with the move… it is like packing a whole life in boxes … and to find a place for efurrything from that boxes is not easy… we still have two boxes in the attic (since 1997) and no one knows what’s inside. because we know each other we don’t hope for treasures and we more fear a bad surprise. butt we promised each other to have a drink (or two) after easter and then we take a look inside lol
It’s a super sign that Luke played with his toy… our home is where we place our toys, right Luke?
I’d love to hear how opening those boxes goes! I imagine there will be a few boxes that we will just stash away for now as well. We certainly found plenty of things like that when we cleaned out the old place and that was kind of fun (even though I shook my head many times over what was in some of them!!).
Luke says yes, you are correct, home is definitely where our toys are!
We are so glad it worked out. The money thing is something that so often ruins a deal. I always feel like it is money, if you can afford it and you really want to move, then do it within reason. If in five years you are living in a house you are not in love with because you didn’t give in to the buyers you would regret it. That is all behind you now and you can move on with making your new house a home.
You are right, and that is exactly what it came down to…what we could afford to do and still be able to move on. We have a bit less money than we wanted to put into the new home, but that just means we have to prioritize and it might take just a bit longer to get everything we want. This new house was our dream, and we are here and making it our home little by little!
Love the house – you will love it even MORE once everything is in its’ new place and all residents (!) have found favorite spots, good views, etc. Moving is stressful no matter how hard to try to avoid it – but your septic story is so sad – the buyers of your home and their realtor didn’t exactly make things easy on you but that’s OVER WITH. ONWARD!
Hugs, Pam and Sam
Thank you, Pam and Sam!! I guess I’m a little bitter over how things went with our old house…I wish I could feel good about the people that are now in it. But you are right, that is over with and I need to let it go and move on. Which we’re doing! Every day things come together a little more and we’re all figuring out new routines and settling in just a bit more. Even though the days can be tiring, it is so exciting and fun!