So two weeks ago we met with a realtor to discuss putting the house up for sale. It’s odd, as this guy’s card showed up in the mail a couple of days before, and on a whim we decided that Melanie would give him a call.
He came in and made all the right noises and said all the right things, and we signed. The house will officially be listed for sale on February 10. To get to that point would be a herculean effort, but when things come together it’s time for action.
Before he left, the agent made a comment that he had no idea what he was going to be walking into. The only pictures of the house he could find were those from the listing some 13 years ago when we bought the house. To be kind it was a dump. The previous owners had maintained the house, but it was still a rather drab bungalow built in the mid ’70’s painted all over in this unfortunately purply-brown tone. It ’twerent pretty, and this is better than when we bought it. I can’t find the original photo from the brochure.
We scheduled an “official” picture taking on February 3rd, and the agent indicated that he was going to walk around the outside an grab a few shots with his phone for something called “Coming Soon”. I said that wasn’t necessary and that I would send him an album of shots of the outside I had taken in the spring that were exceptionally nice.
Here are a few:
I had just gotten the Fuji XF 10-24mm UWA zoom and wanted to give it a try. It was shortly after a nice rain, and I thought the yard looked particularly nice.
Anyway, I sent him a link to the album and we began the flurry of activity needed to get the house presentable. We had been in the process of getting things boxed up for short and long term storage if you will ,and there were boxed and “detritus” everywhere. The agent called mid-week and we agreed upon an asking price and he indicated the post and sign would be erected shortly.
That was why there was no posting last weekend. We were literally up to our nether regions in reptiles here on Purple Beech Drive. True to his word the sign showed up, and to be kind the traffic has been pretty impressive literally from the get-go. Many cars driving by, most getting out and grabbing a brochure, many taking the opportunity to walk down the nature trail next to the house to have a look at the back.
Yesterday the agent called and suggested that we get Melanie on the phone as an offer had come in….. What, the house isn’t even listed yet…. We got on the phone and the agent said a couple from not far away had sold their house and were looking to buy a smaller house in Reston. They offered a significant amount over our asking price and said they wanted to go to act of sale on March 1, but we could stay in the house rent free until April 1..
Wow. The agent recommended that we not accept the offer, but ask them to resubmit it when the house was officially listed. After discussing with the kids, we agreed to his recommendation.
So, this weekend we are getting everything gussied up for the photo session. Downstairs is mostly done, and there are a bunch of boxes in the kitchen to go somewhere in the garage, and then we do the spiffy up.
A month or so ago I was in Melanie’s office sitting on the little chair she uses, when it slipped out from under me and I went on the floor. I was uninjured, but the same could not be said for the closet door where there was nice 3″ diameter hole punched in the outer skin. Shazbot. So I got 2 of the only 4 or 5 available doors from Homer, and they are on saw horses getting stained and varnished to hang. They won’t get hung before the photos, but that’s fine. It will be easy enough to photograph around the hole.
So, all very exciting. We’ve lived in this house longer than any other, and honestly it’s my least favorite of the bunch. The house in Slidell definitely held that honor, but we designed and built that house. And after we rebuilt it after Katrina, it was even better as we added the things we couldn’t afford when we built it.
It will definitely be mixed feelings leaving Purple Beech. It’s become a comfortable home, but it wasn’t easy or inexpensive getting it there. Our hope is that someone else can come and be as comfortable in it as we are.
Until next time.
