It’s been a little more than a month since I announced we were selling our home and moving, I thought it was a good time for an update.
We’ve accepted an offer on our home and are under contract. It hasn’t started to sink in, despite everything we’ve gone through up to this point! I haven’t started packing, however we’ve decluttered a TON which will help.
Thank you for your supportive comments, messages, and shares. Life has been a blur of showings, cleaning for showings, trying to shoo kids outside, avoiding messes, practically living in our car, and eating lots of convenience foods. In the car. As I yell “GET YOUR SHOES COME ON LET’S GO THEY’RE HERE!!!!!!!” and try to finish sweeping. You often see only the perfect on social media and blogs. We fall into the trap of thinking that’s what you want to see. Behind our clean home pictures are a whole lot of craziness. Which is basically why I haven’t shared much. :)
What are our next steps?
We were originally set to close on our new house in May, hence the whole “more details soooooon!” thing we bloggers love to do, haha! We are still waiting on a close date, as soon as we close we’ll start work on the home.
It’s different from our current home in many ways but as soon as I walked up to it, I thought “this is it.”
Built in 1910, on a dead end street in the heart of a vibrant downtown area. I feel like we found it by the grace of God, because the location is so amazing. We can walk to everything, including the train station, library, and many shops and restaurants. We’ll be 30 minutes closer to both our families.
It also needs work. It is livable, but we want to do some big projects behind the scenes before moving in. It boasts a pink kitchen, narrow rooms, lots of faux wood paneling, different flooring in each room, and so much more. The seller’s realtor told me “I think everyone is expecting Chip and Joanna to pop in here and save the day” :D
This home will be an exercise in humility, patience, gratitude, and getting over myself.
About not worrying what other people think or comparing my life to others. An exercise in simple living and downsizing when many are looking for bigger or better. In not having that Pinterest perfect life. Sharing the not-so-pretty and being content with it.
Until then, I’ll be sharing before and afters of our recent projects and whole house remodel. Two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a family room, and various organization projects. In this home I did a lot of doing without sharing. I felt things had to be perfect before I shared them. But that’s not real life. The house didn’t become perfect until we were ready to leave it to someone else!
With this next house, I’d love to share more in real time, as imperfect or small as the updates may be. Shorter, journal style blog posts among the big reveals. Tidbits of our daily life. Back to how it was when I first started this blog 8 years ago.
Thabk You! We just sold our “finished” for us house and are headed to a “project” for us! I appreciate your real and your honest heart! I am not having an easy time with the not comparing what we left and what we are getting! So I appreciate your candor! Good luck we are waiting to have a front row to your adventure!
I love it. Thank you! To be honest, I’m not 100% having an easy time either. You have no idea how much comfort I found in your comment. We can do this!!! :) Best of luck to you as well.
Thank you both for your honest transparency. My family, as well, is leavong behind our beautiful “finished” home and headed to a big time “project” and smaller house. I am SO struggling in the humility and gratitude department. I look forward to seeing yoir posts!!
Us too! We just sold our ‘done’ house for the sweetest, very ‘un-done’ 1100 sq ft bungalow. I love it and am freaking out about it. Solidarity sisters. ?
We just moved from a “finished” 2100 sqft house to a 1300 sq ft fixer-upper! It’s definitely a lesson in patience and humility. Can’t wait to follow your journey!!
Love it!! For you to see the potential means a great deal! I posted updates nearly everyday during our home build (moved in March). I just warned people it was for my documentation and journey. If they wanted to unfollow for awhile, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings. Have fun with your new adventure!
I love your authenticity. All the best as you make the transition to a new home!! God bless.
I’ve always enjoyed reading your blog, and I like the little improvements and daily life stuff best. My kids are grown now, so I miss those crazy days with little ones filling each day so intensely.
Super exciting stuff! God’s plans are so much better than ours, right? The kids are going to get a serious childhood upgrade…old house in a downtown area close to family?! So cool
And, um, did you say “walk from the library”????? So jelly (in the best way possible, of course :) )
I can totally relate! We left our finished house and bought the worst house on the block. Renovating our home took time and lots of patience. (We still have work to finish) I remember feeling embarrassed pulling into our driveway knowing we couldn’t get to our weed infested landscape anytime soon or hire a landscaper to magically fix it for us. I missed having flowers and curb appeal. But it will get there, enjoy the journey, it’s worth it to be in the neighborhood you want. Londen
I think showing the junky part is the most fun, cause then I get to go, “Oooooh; what’s she gonna do with that?” And then you do it & it’s fabulous. And then I wonder how you do it with a houseful of children. You are a role model for me, mess & all! Can’t wait to see that pink kitchen! ??
So excited to watch your next adventure.
I am sp thankful for your honesty. It’s been such a trying year for us in our home. Taking the 30 days and 30 bags showed me that we really don’t need all we have. It became more apparent when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia then had the shingles one top of that. Recently, just last week, my Dad who is 98 fell two times. To me, family is number one on my list, and the “things” that I thought were so important are left in the dust. I pray that your move and “makeover” of your new home will go smoothly, and you will find peace and happiness in your family as you more.
Looking forward to following your journey in your new/old house as my husband and I recently moved into one too. We went from a house in Tennessee built in 2014 that we were the first owners of that we didn’t even have to so much as lift a paintbrush to a fixer-upper bungalow built in 1914 in a small river town in Iowa that’s right on the Mississippi and near the Quad Cities. Not only could the houses be more different, but the town’s are too. Definitely enjoying small town living so far, but not having a Target nearby has been an adjustment!
Congratulations on selling the house!! I wish you all the luck on the world for your next step =)
I just returned to your page, after a while. I’m the one that is moving to Chicago and we finally picked a town with a decent commute.. it’s in the suburbs we started a contract for a house it’s move in ready, I didn’t want too many projects because we’ve never done any DIY projects and we will live here 2-4 years for my husbands job.. congrats on the new house I look forward to seeing the updates