Putting My House on the Market, and I am just "not into it".

[DawnCt1]

DH works in Massachusetts, and we have been looking for a house within 35 miles of Cambridge; casually for a while, more intensely for a month. I know more will come on the market in the next few weeks. The bottom line is, I like our house. I can update everything I don't like for half of what it would cost us to get something in that area, we have no mortgage, etc. Anyway, I had the ceilings painted as the real estate agent suggested. It wasn't a small thing. I have changed some light fixtures, decluttered as much as possible and when DS#4 leaves for college next weekend, I can de clutter some more, although really, I don't tolerate much clutter so we aren't talking about alot. Maybe family pictures,etc. DH works from the home office 2 days a week so a certain amount of clutter needs to exist in that room. My dog is sick. He pee's blood about 6 feet from the door. That's about as far as he can make it when he gets outside. That isn't going to look 'good' to buyers AND if we don't find something we like, we aren't going to sell our house, so that is a contingency in the contract. In the meantime I am talking to contractors about my kitchen and "if we stay". Any encouraging words?

 

[crz4mm2]

Stay. Sounds like you like your home and finding a new one is going to suck.
I'd stay.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Dawn,
Don't rush into anything. I would keep looking and maybe do some things to your house that you would do both to sell and to stay. Could it be that you are not ready to leave all the memories of your kids growing up in the house? It is an adjustment to have all of the kids gone. That might make it a bad time to be making big decisions. I have read it is good to wait a year from the time the last one leaves before you make any big moves.

 

[BelleWDW]

I wouldnt make my middle aged husband commute that far-put a diaper on the dog maybe?

 

[NC State]

How long before retirement? I would also be afraid of buying a house and then find out you hate the people next door. It sounds like you like your house and community you have now. I wished I knew what to to tell you

 

[kirbydog48]

With everything that's been going on with Jude, I can certainly understand why you don't really feel like moving. Can you just put the whole thing on hold for a few months? Have you checked for houses in Boxborough??

 

[luvwinnie]

Does he commute those days or just stay over in MA a few nights? What are DH's thoughts on it all? I certainly wouldn't have the energy for a major move like that considering what is going on with Jude.

 

[RadioNate]

No advice but I'm right there with you. Dh is being laid off (they told people in advance) and he has something lined up elsewhere.

While employment is good we are going to lose a boat load if we can sell. The agents here say it'll take 5-10 years just to get our money now and I'm not interested in being a landloard that long.

But, I'm not into it at all! I'm so sick of the declutter and depersonalazation. We've painted and scrubbed but with 2 kids it is constant.

And, I don't want to move!

 

[doxdogy]

Do you ever have anything nice or encouraging to say? Dawn is just venting and I can understand not wanting to leave a home you have lived in for a long time.

I wouldnt make my middle aged husband commute that far-put a diaper on the dog maybe?

 

[BelleWDW]

Dawn is just venting and I can understand not wanting to leave a home you have lived in for a long time.

Well.........I don't know the backstory-except lots of threads when she was house searching. My DH is around hers age and that is a long commute-Not what I'd want my DH to do.

not sure why he got the job in another state. I think commuting or living part time in another state is pretty hard

But not doing it because of the dog????

 

[wilderness01]

I wouldnt make my middle aged husband commute that far-put a diaper on the dog maybe?

Wow......

My DH and I both commute that many miles each way to work as well. It isn't the worst thing in the world.

 

[wilderness01]

Well.........I don't know the backstory-except lots of threads when she was house searching. My DH is around hers age and that is a long commute-Not what I'd want my DH to do.

not sure why he got the job in another state. I think commuting or living part time in another state is pretty hard

But not doing it because of the dog????

I don't think she isn't doing it for the dog, I think she just doesn't want to move. I took the dog comment as if he is peeing blood all over, her house won't show well.

 

[BelleWDW]

Wow......

My DH and I both commute that many miles each way to work as well. It isn't the worst thing in the world.

How far is it?

I see Cambridge on the coast of Ma-so anywhere in CT would be a hike?

And sorry-when you;re in your 50's (I'm presuming as per age of her kids) that's a long haul.

 

[wilderness01]

How far is it?

I see Cambridge on the coast of Ma-so anywhere in CT would be a hike?

And sorry-when you;re in your 50's (I'm presuming as per age of her kids) that's a long haul.

Sometimes only an hour, sometimes an hour and a half. The longest time was 2 hours, one way.

I thought Dawn said he works from home 2 days a week. Does that mean he then goes into work 3 days a week with his commute? If so, I don't know, if moving was going to make me miserable, I would consider us buying a condo that he could stay at while he was working. Just a thought.

 

[DawnCt1]

Dawn,
Don't rush into anything. I would keep looking and maybe do some things to your house that you would do both to sell and to stay. Could it be that you are not ready to leave all the memories of your kids growing up in the house? It is an adjustment to have all of the kids gone. That might make it a bad time to be making big decisions. I have read it is good to wait a year from the time the last one leaves before you make any big moves.

If we stay we will renovated the kitchen and baths vanities and maybe put a screened porch on the back but I don't want to go through all of that prior to moving. It really isn't the "sentimental value" of the house, but actually the house. We have a first floor master bedroom, and all of the other rooms are pretty large. When I look at homes with the same square footage, I don't know what they did with the space? The rooms seem smaller and less organized. Actually, I still have 3 living at home, although if we move only one will come with us, except when he is at college, so when they are all out of the house, I would never have to walk up stairs. I will definitely miss my pool and my neighbors are wonderful. I have been very lucky in that.

 

[DawnCt1]

How long before retirement? I would also be afraid of buying a house and then find out you hate the people next door. It sounds like you like your house and community you have now. I wished I knew what to to tell you

Retirement? 7 to 10 years. Concern about future neighbors is an issue. I have read so many threads about the "neighbors from hell", and I feel very lucky.

 

[KarenB]

DH and I have thought about moving many, many times. We both want to move to the Cape where almost all of his family is. But the thought of it really makes me exhausted just thinking about it.

I guess I would ask myself a few questions: How far is the commute and and if DH is the breadwinner of the house, what are his thoughts? Where do you really want to spend your retirement years if that is only 7-10 year away? Do you want to move again after you retire??

Selling your house and buying another, then moving on top of that can be stressful, especially if money is an issue.

Karen

 

[DawnCt1]

Does he commute those days or just stay over in MA a few nights? What are DH's thoughts on it all? I certainly wouldn't have the energy for a major move like that considering what is going on with Jude.

DH is as ambivalent as I am. If he were excited about moving, I would be too, but he can work from home two days a week, he travels for a week about once a month, so when you add it up, you are talking about 9 days into Massachusetts per month, at the most 10 to 12. When he has an early meeting, he stays in Lexington at the Hanscom AFB...really CHEAP. They have suites as well with kitchen facilities so I could easily go up and stay for a couple of nights if I wanted to. To get a house equal to what we have now in terms of square footage, etc, we would be spending at least $200K more than what we could sell here for. Now that would be okay if we knew we would like the area and be able to sell if we didn't. No one can know that. We would also be moving to an area where the cost of living is higher. It seems funny, only about 100 miles away, but from what I can see, that is the case. What makes it a more difficult decision is that we have a "choice". Its not like taking a job 500 miles away. Then the decision is easy.

 

[DawnCt1]

DH and I have thought about moving many, many times. We both want to move to the Cape where almost all of his family is. But the thought of it really makes me exhausted just thinking about it.

I guess I would ask myself a few questions: How far is the commute and and if DH is the breadwinner of the house, what are his thoughts? Where do you really want to spend your retirement years if that is only 7-10 year away? Do you want to move again after you retire??

Selling your house and buying another, then moving on top of that can be stressful, especially if money is an issue.

Karen

Actually one of our goals is to buy a place in southern Fl. at some point, and taking on a mortgage on a primary residence would postpone. So money isn't an issue other than, would we be spending it on what we really want to spend it on. Of course if we saw a house that we were really crazy about, all bets are off. I could get really excited and be ready to go. I just haven't seen anything in the price range we want that I like.

 

[KarenB]

Stay....you sound like you are talking yourself right out of it