Yesterday I called my realtor to set up a time for him to come to my house to photograph it and do the paperwork for putting it on the market. I was explaining how worried I was that this would be yet another failed attempt. I was on the verge of tears.
He said he didn't know what to do, since it sounded as though I didn't want to proceed. I tried to explain that I want to proceed, but I am afraid of more disappointment like the last few times I've tried to do this. And now we're in a lousy housing market to boot! I dread going through the trauma of trying to make the house perfect for showing after showing, with no results. Last time my house was on the market, I pulled many all-nighters getting the house ready for showings.
The realtor said that he's not going to list my house unless I can adjust my attitude. It sounds harsh the way I've worded it, but his wording sounded perfectly reasonable.
What to do? What's blocking me from having a positive attitude about what I say I want to do?
OK, I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm concerned about what the neighbors will think when they take a gander at my latest "For Sale" sign in front of the house.
Before I go any further, let's analyze this. These are the same neighbors who pay absolutely no attention to me when there's a disabling snowstorm or power outage, the same neighbors who said no each time I asked if they could pick up The Child from his school bus stop when I had to be at work and the temperature was 40 below zero.
Yes, it appears that whirlingbetty is ready to abandon her dreams all for the sake of the possible judgment of the above-described neighbors, the neighbors who treat their little white dogs far better than they treat their fellow man.
OK - on to the next hurdle. I am afraid of making a mistake. This may well be a legitimate concern. It's hard to leave a location on a park which contains one of the largest rose gardens in the country. The actual house, while definitely too small, has been inexpensive to maintain and heat. The house I want will be far more expensive, so it is a financial risk. And while located a few steps from a gorgeous urban park, it won't be possible to look out of the windows and see the park like I can now:
The back of the house I hope to buy overlooks a sizable backyard, which is now fairly barren and awaiting my landscaping:
While having a yard which is a blank canvas should be positive, part of me dreads having to go through the expense, hassle and exertion of installing a pond, trees, bushes, etc. Staying in my current house is a hell of a lot easier!!
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Something timely just occurred. One of the above-described neighbors just showed up at my door to let me know that there was a bicycle in front of my house which he was afraid someone would steal. I asked him for an update on the crime in the neighborhood, which has been seriously increasing over the past 2 weeks. Sure enough, there was another series of break-ins last Thursday. I decided to test the waters and tell the neighbor that I'm going to put my house on the market. He barely flinched. And he certainly didn't try to talk me out of it!!
Somehow, that event changed things. I received "permission" to go ahead.
I'll keep you posted.
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1 comment:
Yes, please keep us posted.
And may I make a suggestion that might help de-stress the days of "showings" a little bit? A day or two before, pick up everything that is out of place. Don't try to sort or "deal with it." Don't let the child "rescue" things (explain that it is just for a couple days and he will have it back). Just pick it up, put it in one or two .... or eight .... Rubbermaid totes. Then stack the totes in the garage or a closet or some out of the way place. It will simply look as if you are packing and ready to let them have the house! After the showing, simply empty the totes into the washer, the closet, the Child's room, etc. It's a pretty quick clean up and return to normal life, too.
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