We closed on our house on Friday. Thank the good Lord.
I know you likely think I am being dramatic. And I am. But, I know my limits. And I passed those limits. A while ago.
Selling a house is not ever easy. But selling a house when you feel like you are seen as a blank checkbook was a situation that caused Ryan and I a lot of stress. Without getting into too many gory, ugly details, we did contribute the majority of the funds to replace the roof. We still feel a bit bitter on the entire subject, because we do feel like we were backed into a corner unnecessarily. (The roof was still in good condition and had no leaks or immediate issues.)
But, after weighing our options and speaking with our attorney, we knew that if we didn’t do it now, there were a lot of things working against us – an EMPTY house on the market for 90 days, entering winter, having to pay for utilities and take care of the property while not living there … with the possibility that it would happen again.
So, we sucked it up and did what we needed to do to get the house sold.
Does that mean we aren’t still a little bummed about how it went down? No. We are still irritated.
But it made it more of a relief to walk away. I had no sadness or sentimentality. I just prayed it would all go through. And when it did, I was just very thankful to be done with the stress.
So, I nearly cried from relief when our attorney sent us the final settlement statement and when our realtor called to say that everything was official.
A few days before closing, we finished moving every little tiny thing out of that house. (So many little things.) And I took a few photos of the empty spaces to remember them by. It was a beautiful home that we created for our family. It was the home we brought Henry home to. And despite the fact that the sale was not a great experience, we have so many wonderful, happy memories in this house that we take with us.
I thought you may like to see the photos, too. Including some corners I’ve never really shared on the blog. The curtains and furniture in the photos were left for the buyers (they were written into the offer).
I’ll miss the curtains, honestly. But, I know I’ll want to create something new when we build anyhow.
The kitchen
The dining room
The living room
The entry
The staircase
The nursery
The master
The bathroom
The garage
The yard and exterior
So, I guess that’s one chapter closed here at NewlyWoodwards. Onward and upward.
Where did you get your beautiful kitchen sink??? I have been searching the web for one like yours that goes all the way back to the wall w/ a faucet hole.
It was from IKEA, but the last time I checked it wasn’t carried in the local (Chicago) store. There are links and details in this post – https://newlywoodwards.com/2013/03/iloveikeacabinets.html
I feel your pain. I’m helping my cousins sell their house right now, and it is a VERY similar situation. The buyers are very young and feel VERY entitled. They keep asking for more and more and more. It’s frustrating, because it seems like buyers think they can take advantage of the seller. It’s wrong, and I do not support that behavior! I’m glad you’re done with it though, and ready to start the next chapter. It’s always fun to see empty house pictures though. Thanks for sharing, friend!
Selling is painful when you’ve done so much reno and poured blood, sweat, tears, and money into a place! So glad that’s behind you! Looking forward to all the new memories and excitement at the barn!
Congratulations! I’m happy to hear that this is off your plate but bitter on your behalf that the experience was bad. Out of curiosity, did you ever consider not selling and keeping the house as a rental property? I ask because the thought crossed my mind when we sold last year and I think had we found ourselves in a situation like yours I might have gone that route just to spite the world. 😉 Thankfully our buyers were great … it was the people we used to prep the house that I’m still bitter over.
Congratulations! Sometimes it’s just nice to be done and not have to worry about it. That’s how I felt after I sold my condo. Now you can move on! And you guys have so much to look forward to!
Glad your house is sold–one less worry for sure! We sold our south Chicago home a year ago and are still bitter about how it went down. The buyer and the buyer’s realtor had the same last name and when we had our realtor question if it was a relative of his (which should have been disclosed!) he responded with “something like that.” It ended up being his WIFE so not only did we pay a ton of money for realtor fees to them, they also got money for closing assistance. Had we known that they were married (just her name was on the loan and house), we never would have agreed to pay thousands in closing cost assistance. Some people are just out for anything they can get.
Ugh. I know that I’ll forget how horrible it was after time, but it is horrible. And that sounds like a nightmare with your home. It’s frustrating when you feel like you are being played. And that seems like a conflict of interest for the wife – I would report her to the BBB. I’m exploring that option in our case, too.
Yes, definitely report him to the BBB. I hate people that do this.
I feel ya, sister! We sold our home in September and the way you so eloquently wrote about your experience is spot on to what we went through. Truth be told, I’m still bitter about feeling like we gave in so much more than the buyers did, but I find comfort by focusing on our new house and the reasons we moved.
Your barn is GORGEOUS and you have so much to be proud of in terms of everything you created yourselves. I have loved reading about the prep and am looking forward to hearing how well it meets your goals for being able to live there. Let the new chapter begin!
Congrats on selling the house! It’s unfortunate that it was a bit of a headache for you guys at the end, but I think you did the right thing. On the plus side, you can focus on building your dream home now!
Kim those 5 paneled doors though! But I get your feelings, on to new, different (and dare I say better?) adventures. Cheers to what lies ahead.
I would love to have the 5 paneled doors in our next house. A girl can hope.
So SO happy for you. I know it didn’t go the way you planned, but I would give anything to be rid of my house before the holidays hit. I know that’s going to take the wind out of our home selling sails. Onward and upward!
Congratulations! As someone who is currently involved in a property line dispute with my neighbor that is costing me too much money and also too much stress, I can say that I’m putting the effort into it because I hope to get to the end of the journey and have a nice fence and neighbors I no longer have to see. The light at the end of the tunnel is what makes is bearable.
I hope you continue to feel that way about the roof issue. It sucks but when you’re enjoying your barn and someday your new farmhouse, that roof will be a distant memory!
🙂
so glad it sold and it is behind you. onward and (literally) upward to barn life!! 🙂
So sorry that it was a less than pleasant experience. Congratulations on having it behind you!
It’s done, that’s all that matters. You’re off on a new adventure. We are still lingering here in (the real estate market here is crazy) Florida. Longing for greener pastures. But happy that you are ready to hunker down for the winter and get lots of plans going. Enjoy the moment.
Congratulations on selling your home! Sucks that things didn’t work out the way you had hoped but at least this chapter is behind you and you can move on to building your fabulous farm house 🙂
congrats on the close! even if it left you with a few (hah) less dollars in the bank then you originally thought, at least you can forget about it and concentrate on what is next! lots of new adventures!!
Oh I know a little of what you’re going through. We just sold our house as well and getting to the point to get it on the market was THE most stressful thing we’ve ever experienced…and we made it through and didn’t kill our marriage! Ha! But it was the first time we sold a house and it was so disheartening to learn our gorgeous backyard that we overhauled wouldn’t add to our home value, but it would help sell it faster….which it did. Lesson learned. But as the seller we realized you almost feel screwed over a little, or a lot, on things. And we’re convinced that the whole real estate industry is a freaking racket and next time we’re selling it ourselves, total rip off. But I’m so glad it’s over for you guys. Now breathe! 🙂
I can’t believe how good the house looks. I am so glad it’s all over and you can move on with your next step. You sure made your home an awesome place for our grandson. We love you both and can’t wait to start building your next home with you.
So happy for you that you were able to close and can “move” on. You made that house a home and I am sure the new owners will enjoy it as much as you did. Now on to littler and better.;)
thanks for empty house photos and bringing all of us along for the ride from start to finish, while house was beautifully refinished, it really is the family that makes the home and it doesn’t look “right” without your touches and family there. Glad it’s done and you can look forward to what is next (altho I’d be missing those bonnie and camille curtains!)
That house was so charming. I love what you did with the place and I can’t wait to see what you do next. Loved the empty tour. That was fun! And I am SO relieved with you that you finally closed on it and can move on to the 99 other problems 🙂
I’m so happy it actually went through! I am slightly disappointed, “House you brought Henry home to” beat out “House you lived in when your life changed when you met Michelle”. But it’s cool. 😉
Bring on farm life!!!
Yay that you’re on to the next step!! I think you guys made the right choice – some things we all just have to let go…not fun, but true…
i am so happy for you- house closings almost never go smoothly these days because the economy blows and people want the best deal possibly on both ends. it’s not about “finding the dream house” but about finding what you can afford unfortunately, at least in the majority of deals anyhow. i mean, we all want what we can afford, but the emphasis on getting the BEST deal for your dollar is so prevalent. as a buyer, i would LOVE it if i could just say “this is the house!” because i love it and i happen to be able to afford it and will do what it takes to buy it, but that’s not the case. we would have liked to sell ours for more, too, but we also didn’t want to sit on it and had our sights set on moving to a better area for our family. 🙂 everything happens for a reason and i am so glad that now you don’t have 100 problems.
Congrats on closing, but sorry to hear it didn’t go the way you’d hoped. Selling a home is such a stressful process!
It is. I know I’ll eventually forget how horrible it was. Sort of like child birth? 😉
Yahooooo! That’s great Kim 🙂 xoxo
I’m sorry it didn’t go down how you’d hoped, but CONGRATULATIONS on being done with it! That’s such a great feeling!
Hey girl HEY! Congrats on making it final. You are on to BIGGER & much Brighter things for you and your amazing family. I am so happy for you and I know you were stressed but you handled it all very well. Can’t wait to season that barn in… I mean…Do LOTS of crafts there.