Home To Market We Go!

I can’t believe how good the colors we picked for the outside paint job look! There is a rock wall in front and in back of the entire property.

Actually, the house has been on the market for a few weeks now. But per expectation, life, and the craziness of this selling process, along with the end of the school year and details inherent, I haven’t had a chance to post about it yet.

As you probably know by now, I’ve been talking about getting our house on the market and sold for… awhile now. It’s taken us a long time. And aside from John’s deployments and even my car accident when I lost the use of my hand for a while, the whole process leading up to this final culmination has been one of the most important and emotional challenges in our family’s history. It’s been a healing experience as well. It’s also been a LOT of work and a lot of funds. In fact, as we filled out the seller’s disclosure and had to provide all the receipts we could, it was both amazing and cathartic to realize that we have indeed sunk over $45,000 into this place in the name of major repairs and necessary upgrades while we’ve lived here. That is, from what I could quantify and find the receipts for, as unfortunately, a lot of my paperwork is all packed up. Holy cow. I knew we have spent and updated a lot. I knew it felt like life was eating us up at times, but I did not have a clear number on the total picture until now. No wonder… about a lot.

I made the pot rack the first year that John deployed.

The last year, in particular, has been a year of tears and more work than I thought I could survive at times. A lot of it was about letting go. But we’re here – the house is officially finished, our clutter is gone. She’s staged, on the market, and everything was done right. The way I wanted. As long as it took, we did it! No future owners will ever have the headaches we have had. Everything is DONE. There is nothing major left, and the house looks great. Can it be? We did it!

More red pine on the ceiling of the master bath. This room is large enough to be a master bedroom.

The house is not only beautiful, but she feels like a confident and graceful lady in her prime now. I’m in love with my home again.

That said, no, I don’t love her enough to stay. That’s not the kind of understanding we’ve had, this house and me. She’s cared for us, and we have cared for her. But it’s time to set us all free.

Original wood floors. And we preserved this corner with the bead board wall.

She has no room for the studio I need, the workshop hubby needs, or the separate bedrooms and closets the kids need. Besides that, the property is about to become part of the new residential historic district in our hometown of Round Rock, TX. (Bit of trivia: the very same town where the original 1974 flick “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was filmed.)

The rock wall that has served as a backdrop for so many of my photos.

It will be an honor to receive the historical note, but it also means this house needs someone who will love her 1950’s bungalow style, the coming tax breaks the city will give, and someone who will keep her well-loved and preserved. And on a more personal level, someone to love and care for her very old, giant trees. The old oak in the backyard alone is somewhere around 500-600 years old. A majestic old tree and my children’s favorite. Then the two old pecan trees, some of the largest in all of downtown. (sigh) Not to mention the old rock wall that surrounds the property. The rock wall I photograph many of my hats in front of. I will miss a lot of this place’s charm.

More tongue ‘n groove wood. The biggest hallway I’ve ever seen.

It won’t be emotionally easy to leave here. This is where my kids have grown up. All their memories are here. Climbing trees, forts made in the rock wall, dirt they fought over, slides combined with kiddie pools, neighborhood cats, the cardinal families that eat at our backyard bird feeder, bringing new babies every year. The butterflies that fill our backyard trees every spring, the dragonflies that fill our front yard every summer. Even the kid on the back side of our lot who plays in a band while we take turns lazing in the hammock outside. The giant hallway the kids played in, the living room large enough for two pianos and ten floor puzzles, the garden tub they pretended to swim in, that bathroom large enough to accommodate an XL changing table next to tub, sink and shower. So many unique things this house offered us. So many stories.

Yes, there are two pianos in this living room. It’s that big. Tongue ‘n groove red pine planks decorate the vaulted ceiling.

Our kids have worked hard on this place and left their mark too. They helped pack, paint, and fix and even know how to run a good bead of caulk now. And before saying goodbye, they feel the need to share their home with their friends. And provide a meaningful closure to a chapter ending. JT has had his friends over for his recent birthday party. My baby is now 13. Now it’s time for Jessica’s birthday party. My 15-year-old. It’s going to sound funny, but having this last birthday party gathering with our daughter’s friends is really important not just to her, but to all of us. She wants “Thanksgiving Dinner” for her birthday, and we will enjoy baking and smoking a turkey just for her.

I’m not sure exactly what to expect or what the summer brings for us. We got it all done, and now it’s a waiting game of finding the right buyer, someone who would consider living in the historical district of one of the most “recession-proof” towns in the US. Or so we hear. I hope that the timing will work out so that we can move before school starts. Find that someone who will be so excited to live in an older home that has nothing left that it needs any more, aside from the typical carpet allowance, though we’ve already replaced most of that. The rest is waiting on my antique pianos to move since it costs more to move them than to carpet the entire house. When we first moved here, the house was so not up to speed that American Home Shield wouldn’t cover anything. Now it will cover everything.

And there she is, on display, ready to be bought for a price. I never imagined our house could look so nice. It’s been a blessing to see it through the eyes of others.

Living here has big city convenience with a small town feel. We live at the heart of the community, middle of everything, but far enough away from the busiest street. Quiet neighborhood, pleasant sidewalk strolls, 5-star dining, local library, my favorite coffee shop, the city pool, the monthly Market Days shopping (and vending when I have a booth), the new Main Street Plaza Fountains, and Round Rock Donuts, just a few blocks away. Kind of awesome when I slow down and really think about it. I’ll miss living just down the road from those donuts on the weekends I crave them. Not to mention the light walk each year for the free music, cookies, hot cocoa, and bonfire at Round Rock Christmas Family Night.

What I do know is that as summer break is here, I’m going to soak it up. Sure, I need to have things 24/7 “show ready.” But we can do that. Not a problem. Not really. Flylady-style routines go far to keep us on track. And true, most of my life is packed up into boxes now. But I can enjoy this last bit of respite, a simplified life with my pretty, pretty house.

Both my attitude and life have become more reverent. Knowing that something sacred is taking place and a life-altering transition awaits us all. Awakening at each moment, drinking in each picture, capturing each step, smell, and emotion in this place, like a movie in slow motion.

She’s happy now… brimming with excitement. And so am I.