Preparing To Sell

So it has been somewhat crazy around here the last couple of weeks. DH and I have been saying that we want to sell our house this summer and we still don't have a sign in the ground. We have been frantically trying to complete some minor renovations (like painting a few rooms) and I have been trying to declutter the house to the best of my ability. It's truly amazing how much stuff you discover that you own when you start the process of moving.

This isn't the first time we've moved but, this will be our first time "selling" a house. We were simply renters prior to owning our current residence. Packing for a move is one thing....Completing minor upgrades without breaking the bank and staging a house for sale is quite another. I know that we're getting closer to the finish line but, it still feels overwhelming. I just hope that we can get everything completed before the end of the month and that everything goes smoothly from there. We certainly could use more space and I hope that we will be able to complete the sale and move to a new home (wherever that might be) before the end of October!

I am always surprised at what I miss when leaving one home for another. Not that I've moved that many times but, there always seems to be something that I yearn for from previous residences. Perhaps it was a great location, a neighbour, the fantastic claw foot soaker tub or, such as will probably be the case with this house, the big backyard with the huge, uninhabited open field behind it.

Then of course there are the lessons I have learned from each move that have made me prioritize what will be important in the "next house." For example I will personally never move into a home that does not have a double kitchen sink. A lesson I learned when I left home to move into my first apartment. One of the features we failed to look for when we purchased our current home is "outdoor electrical outlets." This became apparent during our first winter in 2006 when we realized that we needed to plug in the block heater for the car and there were no plugins to do so. We ended up rigging up an extention cord in the crawl space which we fed through a vent to our car. Hanging outdoor Christmas lights was also a test of inginuity.

Changes in my life have also altered the necessities I look for when moving to a new home. This has become particularly apparent since we've started a family. For example I never really cared about the quality or location of the nearest elementary school prior to starting a family. Now it's a big deal. Like most parents I want the best for my children; starting with a good education. I'm also hoping that the school (at least for the primary years) will be close enough to our home so that our kids will be able to come home for lunch or, at the very least walk to/from school.

Space is certainly the biggest reason behind our current desire to move. We're currently living in a three-bedroom house with only a crawl space for storage. Since having JG the desire for a basement has now become a necessity. We also want a fenced yard for the sake of added privacy for ourselves and for the safety for our kids.

Yes, I understand that "the more space you have; the more junk you collect. However, on the same token I would also like to expand our family if we can. I would like to hear the pitter patter of more feet and I want to have a sibling for JG to play and yes, even argue with. Something that as an only child I did not experience. Although a sibling (and more children) can be daunting there are also lessons that are certainly learned from sibling rivalry.