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When my wife and I purchased our first home back in 2004, we knew it was not going to be the home that we lived in for the rest of our lives.
It was small, needed some work, but we both agreed that we could make it work. The fact that it fit into our budget at the time was a major bonus too. Aside from that, the house was in an area that we were comfortable with, in the middle of all of our activities and in a school district that we would prefer our children to attend when that time came.
Looking for the right house was not an easy task. We had our disagreements. What I felt was important to have in a house was not necessarily what my wife felt was important and vice versa. What helped make our decision, however, was the idea that we would spend about five years in the house, put it up for sale and find the house we really wanted.
Simple, right?
Of course we all know what happened to the housing market shortly thereafter, so here we are eight years later in the same home we started in. We have made the house our home and have many happy memories there. New paint, siding, roof, windows, a deck and even a new hot water heater have improved the home to the point where there is not much left for us to change or re-do.
When our neighbor across the street sadly passed away, the family put the house on the market. Much to our surprise it sold in five weeks’ time. Then we started thinking. Could the time finally be right to put our home up for sale? After all, every time we watched the news, they kept saying that in our little part of the world, the real estate market was really picking up.
Deciding to give it a try, we called a realtor over to discuss our options, answer questions and get a general feel for what we were doing! We have purchased a home before (obviously), but never sold one. Everything just seemed to be coming together, so we listed our home. We did not hold any unrealistic expectations however. We were just going to go with the flow.
Of course, once you decide to sell your home, the real work begins. What needs to be repainted, fixed, changed or staged just right so potential buyers can see the possibilities that your house presents. Being that we have already taken care of the big items in the house, I figured why worry too much about the rest. I firmly believe that if someone does not have an imagination, they should not be looking. You look at a house and envision yourself and your family in it, not base it on how the current occupants have it decorated. That is one thing that drives me insane when watching shows like “Sell This House” on television. People come in to homes and say “wow, look at that couch” or “I cannot believe the paint color they have chosen” or “this looks like my grandma’s house.” You buy a house to make it yours, so unless a house is totally beyond repair, keep an open mind.
Our house has been on the market for nearly two months now. While we have not had anyone come to look at it, we did have a few drop in to an open house last week. It only takes one interested buyer.
Even though a new house would be nice right now, we are fine with waiting too. The area we want to move to doesn’t have many houses too choose from at the moment. And to be honest, I am not sure I am ready to have those “what do we want in a new house” discussions with my wife just yet.
