This has not been an easy day. Hit a snag with the final contract negotiations but we got it fixed – kinda. Not sure how I am feeling at this point. I am angry and disappointed in the other side. I got pushed to my limit today and had to push back. I don’t like having to do that but when I reach my limit it starts to feel like it isn’t a choice. It may be a long couple of months before this deal is complete. I am going to have to change how I treat the other side in this deal until then so I protect my own interests. Dang, I hate that.
I signed a contract to sell my house. We will close June 1. Kathy and I will be moving into my rental property in Cottonwood Falls and live there while I build a new house. The new house should be completed early spring if all goes well. It will be a big change for me. I have absolutely loved living in this house but it has become too much for me to handle. The hail damage restoration helped me see that taking care of stuff like that is overwhelming and I am getting too old for that. I want easy these days and that project has been anything but easy.
I have started working with a contractor that will build the new house. He is drawing up plans now and I hope to break ground this summer and move in sometime spring of 2025. The new house will only be about 1,200 square feet with two bedrooms and two full bathrooms. I’m looking forward to having a more manageable size house to take care of.
I have four pending to-do lists going. One for the sale of this house, one for the move to the Plum street house, one for the building project of the new house, and one for my regular life. Yikes! I have a lot on my plate right now.
The deal to sell this house came out of the blue for me. I had seriously been considering selling but was waiting until the EFIS and guttering projects got completed before I put it on the market. The buyer contacted me the end of January and we were able to put together a deal. It started out fairly easy but this last week or so has felt complicated- in my opinion, unnecessarily so. I sure hope I don’t come to regret doing it the way I choose to do so. We are using a title company to write the contract and did not get a realtor involved. I now see the wisdom of using a realtor to do the negotiations.
The good news is the buyer has agreed to handle painting the decks so that project got taken off my plate. Hallelujah for that!
I went to Emporia this afternoon for exercise class. I have done the same set of exercises all week and it felt very easy for me today. The time went by quickly and I was able to do all of the exercises without breaking a sweat today. Next week I will be doing a new set of exercises for the week. Other than having to go to town three times a week for them, I am enjoying this program.
I ordered a different band for my FitBit. My trainer figured out how to put it on and I like the Fitbit much better with the new band. I had to get six bands in a package – they didn’t sell the one I liked as a single band. I will keep a spare one and am going to take the others to the trainer. She is working with another Comet student and will offer one of the new bands to her. I would rather find a home for the new bands than just throw them away.
I was going to stop and pick up a few groceries while I was in town but it was cold and I was cranky so came home instead. I really didn’t need anything urgently and I will be back in town Monday for exercise class and can get them then. We had a very light snow this morning – it made the deck partially white but didn’t stick around very long. It has been windy all afternoon and we only got to the mid 30’s today. Warmer temperatures are coming back next week.
It does feel good to have a signed contract. I was beginning to think that might not happen. If this deal falls through for whatever reason, I will list the house on the open market and go that route. It is time for this house to have a new owner that has the energy to take care of it.
The next three months will be full of me making decisions about downsizing big time. Moving from almost 5,000 square feet to a house that is less than 1,000 square feet will cause me to make some hard decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of. I’m grateful I have lots of time to sort things out and find homes for the things I don’t want to take. I refuse to get a storage unit to keep things in until the new house gets finished.
I will start a pile of giveaways. Be careful if you come see me, I will force you to go through it and take stuff home with you! Ha! Jason will be able to furnish his new house with stuff from this house. Perfect timing for both of us on that deal as he will take some pieces that I won’t have to find another home for. I will not be doing a garage sale as I don’t have the energy for that. If you have been in my house and are interested in a piece or two or three, let me know and I will let you know if it is available. If you know of someone that needs things, let me know that too.
I currently have a set of dishes for 16. I will only be taking enough for 8. I use FiestaWare so if you like it, let me know. I have lots of extra wine glasses, two twin beds with nightstands, extra bedding and pillows, an extra kitchen table with four chairs, extra chairs, extra bath towels and washcloths, extra serving dishes, a bookcase or two, and that is just the stuff I can think of off the top on my head. Please let me know if you can use any of it.
I’m thinking I need to host several more “last parties” here at this house between now and June 1. I know I have several friends that have enjoyed coming to this house and loved the views it had to offer. Hit me up if you want one more visit before it is gone!
Lots going on in my head these days. I think I will be able to take a deep breath tonight and take a few days to let it all sink in and then begin the giant downsizing project. I can do this! I’m grateful I am not a saver and don’t have lots and lots of stuff to sort through. A lot of what I won’t take is stuff I got for this house when I had a retreat center and fed lots of people every weekend. I won’t have the space to do that in the new house so won’t need crowd sized kitchen stuff.
Today tried hard to pull me off center. Thanks to Kathy and Nicole for letting me vent to them. They both allowed me to vent and both reminded me to zoom out and see the big picture of when this is all over with. I appreciated them and their quiet presence and witness to me today. It makes this whole thing easier knowing they are there for me.
Grateful the contract was signed today, grateful for new beginnings and possibilities and grateful for all the wonderful memories this house has given me.