My Big Fat Rambling Update

Posted on December 20, 2007 by Melissa
Filed Under Moving, Reflection

I’m almost there, folks! I thought it was about time that I give an update on how things have been going lately. I know I have been noticeably absent around here. I am getting closer to being in a place where I’m able to get my life and schedule back to where I need it to be.

We have officially moved to the new home! We spent our first night in the new place ten days ago. Although we are technically living here now it still doesn’t feel like home. It feels foreign and strange. I assume that feeling will linger until we get a schedule and routine in place. The fact that most of our possessions are still in boxes probably doesn’t help much either.

The place looks like chaos and it is taking a surprisingly long time to unpack. Unpacking the kitchen is particularly painful because I feel the need to analyze the best places for everything to go. Flatware should be close to the dishwasher and the pyrex dishes should be close to the oven. But wait, now where does the Tupperware go? I’m finding that trying to optimize the space complicates and draws out the unpacking process. I even find myself taking things out of boxes and putting them into other boxes while I figure out where they need to go. How is that unpacking? *sigh* I’ll get there eventually.

We’ve had our share of home related issues, too. I know Eric told you about the burglary of our appliances. We did get replacements and the new microwave was fixed on Monday. In addition to that drama so far the A/C broke down, the front door stopped latching, the dishwasher wasn’t pulling in water, and after taking the first shower we discovered that the master shower doesn’t drain. Just yesterday the plumber was finally able to fix that. The drain was stopped up with mortar and rocks from the tile guys. Nice. Luckily, our builder has been great so far and has been prompt to fix any issues we report.

Having so many repairmen and installers coming in and out of the home has been very hectic. And we still have more work needing to be done. Whenever you have someone come to install something, say window blinds, just expect that they will need to come back again and again. At least, that has been the case for us so far. Installs never seem to go as planned.

Not forgetting about the “old house” has been a challenge, too. Despite wanting to get the new home set up as quickly as possible we still have to fix up the old home to get it ready to go on the market. And with the holidays quickly approaching it appears we won’t even be able to get a crew in there for an estimate until after Christmas. This week we also discovered that we will, in fact, have to replace the roof due to recent hail damage. Awesome!

It’s a good thing we decided to postpone some of the big purchases in the new house (like landscaping and sprinkler system) just in case. We realized that there could be unexpected repair or carrying costs associated with the old home and that it would be better to have that cash available if we need it. Looking back that was a very good decision, especially now that we have to pay the deductible for the new roof and won’t have the house ready to be listed by January as we had hoped.

Seriously though, it isn’t all headaches and stress. We love the new home and look forward to making it more “our home” as time passes. The kitties seem to enjoy all the extra space, too. I need to be patient though, and get the old house fixed up and sold first, before focusing too much on the new place. Every day that house sits while not ready to be listed is money in carrying costs we are throwing away. Getting that house sold has to be our first priority or we could run out of savings with the double mortgage payments.

Whew - that was a long and rambling update. I am looking forward to getting back on track with writing and hope to be back to my more frequent posting schedule by the end of the year. Thanks everyone for hanging in there with me! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now!

Image Source: laffy4k

Comments

3 Responses to “My Big Fat Rambling Update”

Dollarfrugal on December 20th, 2007 5:07 pm

Congratulations! I hope you sell the old house ASAP! I also hope you find “the perfect spot” for everything. Moving always helps me clear out all the clutter I don’t need.
wealthy_1 on December 23rd, 2007 6:21 pm

Congratulations on your new home! It will feel like “home” before you know it.
Melissa on January 7th, 2008 3:45 pm

Dollarfrugal and wealthy_1 - thank you so much for the well wishes! I really appreciate it!

Now the house is definitely feeling more like home, despite the lingering boxes. It’s a fabulous feeling!!