Tuesday 26 March 2013

Dream House Heartbreak

Well, so it goes. We were this-close to being able to get our dream house without selling our house first, but in the end it wasn't meant to be. My realtor told me there were 5 offers on the house yesterday and I guess it'd have been really unlikely that we'd have gotten it, anyway. I was horribly crushed for about 3 hours yesterday; tears, anger, hating my current house, the works. Then I remembered that I am one of the luckiest people on earth, and I do mean that literally. Anyone of us who has the love and support of friends and family, a safe place to live, who has a job, who lives in a country with clean water and health care...we're incredibly lucky.  It's good to remind myself of this often. It's okay to have a good cry and wail at the "injustices" in my own little world, but that's just it. They're not injustices, at worst they're just bad luck. You take the time to address them, hopefully learn something from them, and then move on.

What am I taking from this experience? So far (hey, it's only been 16 hours...) I'm looking at this as a lesson in Preparedness (fix up and sell my house before looking at others) and Patience (the right house will come along at the right time.)

Also...don't check the MLS!


A big thank you to all of my friends and family who were supportive, helpful and kind to me this week, especially Miss Scarlet, my aunt Laura, my dad and brother, my friends Jen and Eddy, Lil' A, Rebecca, Francine and Grant. I'm lucky to have you!



Saturday 23 March 2013

My new love.

It started as an online crush, but developed into full blown love-at-first sight when we met.
Yes, I've met my dream house and I WANT it!

I shouldn't have been looking on the MLS, but it's too late now! It is not the right time for us to buy another house, in fact it's possible that the timing couldn't be any worse. But we're at least going to see if it could happen. (Getting my husband on board was a bit of a battle, but not as bad as I thought it would be...) I saw the house online on Tuesday night, viewed it on Wednesday with a friend (as my fella was at work) and we're meeting with our bank on Monday just to see if it's even possible. (I'm thinking positive thoughts, but  nope, I'm just THINKING POSITIVE THOUGHTS!) My husband has only seen the online photos, but the open house is tomorrow and the sellers start accepting offers Monday. It would take the stars aligning for this to all work out, but oh, if it did! Ooops, I meant, "Oh, when it does!"

It is dreamy. It's awfully retro in a lot of rooms and the kitchen is the size of a postage stamp. The carpets over the hardwoods would need to go, and it could use some cosmetic changes (my favourite!) but IT. IS. PERFECT.

Picture this; you walk into the charming little enclosed porch and through the original oak and glass door. You step into the huge foyer, and look at the gorgeous oak staircase in the corner. To your left you enter the 26 foot long living room. That's right. 26 feet long. Huge front window, two small windows. The back wall is all wood, with a built in shelf, perfect for a record player and some loungey floor pillows? Enter through one door and you wind up in a kitchen the size of a Volkswagen (I have plans, believe me!) At the back of the house with doors leading to the kitchen and to the living room, is the addition which houses the 21x12 foot dining room with 3 big windows.

Take the stairs to the basement and check out the 70's recroom, complete with wood panelling and hunter green wall-to-wall carpet. To your left is the second bathroom (nicer than the main bathroom, but we'll get there.) To your right is the furnace and laundry room. As if that weren't enough, poke your head through that door. Yeah, that one. Oh look, 2 storage rooms! What?

Go back upstairs to the second floor. On your right you'll see the original master bedroom, with a huge window, and next to that the guest room (ie. my future walk-in-closet.) Speaking of walk in closets, what's that next to the bathroom? Oh! It's a 3x5 foot closet! Thanks, I'll take it! Then check out the bathroom. It's in great shape, but was last updated in 1974, at which time it was at the height of home fashion, I'm sure. But it's huge, and once I rip out that 70's tub and have a clawfoot installed, we're well on our way to Calgon taking me away. Hey is that another bedroom over there? Actually it WAS, but since they added an addition to the back of the house, it means it's the den that leads into the second master bedroom, which is 19x11 feet. That'd sure make a great man cave, insuring that I never see piles of my husband's comics, marking and laundry ever again! Let's go to the third floor. Wait, what's behind that door? Oh, a huge linen closet, how nice. Up the staircase to the loft. Dark wood floors, super spacious. How 'bout we put the lounge-y TV room and office up here? And maybe a kitty play zone? Sounds like a plan.

So...it's possible that I may be slightly invested in this house that I'm not technically ready to buy. The possibility of another person coming in with all their ducks in a row shan't deter me. Reality be absolutely damned! I'm going to keep the dream alive, at least til Monday. Please send any good thoughts you have to spare my way. I'll let you know how it goes.