Starting to Take Real Shape.

     The whole move is starting to take real shape. I had to wait to be paid before I began buying what I needed, or paying those who were doing what they would need to do in order to make the move happen. You just don't realize how many steps and moves it takes. The thing has a lot of moving parts. Every last one of them has its own parts, starting times, and limits. I've been in anticipation mode for a while now, and it's starting to ease up just enough to feel good about the event! I'm moving!

    Laura and I have lived in the apartment complex we currently reside in since 2016 (early). Before that, we were in a house that got sold out from under us. Before that, we were in Indiana, and I can't tell you how many times we moved because someone didn't have the right to sell us something, or they overbooked, and we were the last ones to get the memo! We have had it pretty hard when it comes to living arrangements. We'll just say that. 

    The house we lived in from late 2014 to early 2016 was a little two-bedroom, one-bathroom, but it was cute, and we could afford it. That is, until houses in that area were being bought by a really greedy landlord who wanted to own literally every house on the block so he could run it. We were outbid, and even if we hadn't been, he's the type to have burned our house down to get us out. We could see the writing on the wall and moved to the apartments. We stayed in the same upstairs unit for about nine years before moving to the three-bedroom house we are in now, which is owned by the brother of the man who owns the complex. We're still considered a part of that complex.

    Well, as God would have it, since I don't believe in luck, we are now able to live in our own place! We thought we had it sewn up in Indy, but it didn't happen. It is happening now, and from the hoops we've jumped through recently, we've learned that no matter where you are, you will face issues and challenges when buying a home. It's just that way. I had to pay for the main inspection and a pest inspection. We had to negotiate with what was found in those two inspections. The sellers agreed to fix everything - so there you go! One major step forward.

    Yesterday, I bought the fridge; it will be delivered the day we move in. Today, I paid for the fence materials, and I'll pay the man the other half when he sets it up. It's working out!  We bought the bug bombs and cleared out the cabinets at our old place of things we don't need. I think we've taken 15 boxes to Goodwill, and that's not an exaggeration. I don't want to take anything over to the new place if we haven't seen or used it the entire time we've lived in this house. If someone else can use it, let them. I cleaned out the pantry as well - we could have used the food, but I'd rather not take it if I don't need to.

    We've got just about everything in a box that can go into one. When the day comes to load the truck, we'll do that, and if we have more to box afterwards, we'll find a way to make it happen. We have one day to move our smaller items, and then another day for the larger ones; one trip should suffice for each.  I think I could go into moving planning like some people go into wedding planning - but I wouldn't be any good at it, because it would have to be my way or no way -- I'm rather rude and nasty in that respect.

    From the moment you decide to buy a house to the moment you kick your feet up after the move, there are a million things that do happen, could happen, might happen, definitely going to happen, and so forth -- and the cost is unexpected from time to time. We're moving in and paying escrow, inspection, last month's rent, and the cost of the move. We have a fence to install, appliances to purchase, and a thousand pages of contract to sign and amend - over and over again. It's been a mess, but a good one. The sellers were unaware that they owned 14 acres. They thought it was 7, and that definitely caused an issue.

    We have 12 days to go — just 12 more days — and we can start loading the first truck with 85% of all we own. We'll drop it off, bomb the place, unload, put things away, rest, and do the big stuff 2 days later. After that, we breathe a little. We'll clean the old house to a certain extent, but with the hefty deposit I left, I'm not planning to make too much of it. They can clean it. I won't feel bad.  I was never going to see the deposit anyway; I may as well get my money out of it.

    A new chapter, a new beginning, and one that we get to write instead of having to obey all the rules that someone else wrote. Yes, owning your own home can be expensive. It is. I get that, but it can be so rewarding too.  We can paint if we want to, pull down the wallpaper, replace carpet, flooring, cabinets, and/or whatever we think needs to be replaced, repaired, or redone. It's going to take a while to do it, but it will be so pretty someday.

Photo Credit: Boston Magazine