It was official last week, but it’s really sinking in now. We are back to a one-house family and that is wonderful.

(Bye house! I loved you but I’m very happy you’re someone else’s responsibility now!)

We have an emergency fund again. And our cash flow has improved dramatically.

Our sinking funds are refunded too, enough so that Mr. SJ bought the TV he’s been wanting for his new man cave. We’re prioritizing the other things we want to do around the house as well, so we can start saving for them (like replacing the kitchen counters).

I thought it might be bittersweet, saying goodbye to our first house, but I think because it took so long there were no mixed emotions.

What do I want to get first for the new house? I have no idea! It should be curtains, but buying curtains stresses me out. I struggle to decide which ones will look the best. Yes, I am decorating-challenged.

We’re planning on hosting Easter so we do have a bit of a deadline to try and have things ready for a crowd.

Over the weekend Mr. SJ moved almost everything we had staging the old house, in anticipation on closing on the house next week. There are still two small bookcases and a plastic cart that was tucked into a closet, as well as all of the decor items (pictures on walls, mirrors, etc.)

(We still need to get those bookcases that are shown flanking the fireplace at the old house.)

But if it can fit into my car and be carried by me alone, it’s no big deal. And once the bookcases are out, it can all fit into my car and be carried by me.

When I say that he moved almost everything, I do mean that. I was sick and wasn’t able to help much. He did get a friend who helped with a few trips, but the bulk of it he did himself. He worked super hard all weekend!

We also picked a paint color for his office and he put up a few test spots. Hopefully we’ll get that painted this weekend!

It feels *so* good to make progress on the house. I’ve still got lots to do, but we feel like we can really start moving forward on things here.

I’ve listed some personal goals for January, but I also have some house goals that I want to accomplish over the next 12 months. I’d love to get more done, but I’m trying to be realistic about what I can manage with two small children and no childcare.

1. Unpack everything. Once we get all our our furniture back we should finally, finally be able to finish unpacking.

   
   (A portion of the boxes still left to unpack.)

2. Shelving in the basement. I’d like to get two or three shelving units so we can get the basement storage area organized. I’ve got baby gear, clothes, extra kitchen supplies (baking dishes and things that get used infrequently), and small appliances (waffle maker, coffee pot, griddle) that also get used infrequently all scattered around, stacked and jumbled.
   
3. Curtains. Our downstairs needs curtains. We have no window treatments at all on the family room, breakfast area, or kitchen window. We have unmatching, not really fitting curtains in the dining room & playroom. I’d like to get all these rooms windows covered better.

   
   (These curtains are not very attractive, and not the best for privacy)

4. Paint the playroom, kitchen, office, and downstairs bath. Honestly I’d like to get the entire house painted, but that goes under the “be realistic” part.

   
   (The paint color is very misleading in this picture; in real life it’s much much darker than it seems here)

5. New counters in the kitchen. This one may not happen once we get an estimate on what it will cost, but it’s definitely a high priority. The current counters are original to the house, and they are stained and chipped and really really ugly. The sink is also a mess and the faucet is awful, so if the money works out we’d like to replace it all.

   

6. Plant some trees in the backyard, behind the fence (it’s still our property for several feet beyond the fence). I’d like to get a row of trees along the back & side fence for more privacy, so some sort of evergreen would be ideal. This also might not happen, because I have no idea what trees cost and the work that goes into planting them. Maybe we can just get a start on it?

   

I’ve mentioned before that we are trying to sell our old house. We’ve been carrying two mortgages for a few months now, and we’re making it (thanks to underbuying on both houses according to what we’re supposedly able to afford), but it’s definitely tight so we’re looking forward to selling and freeing up monthly bills and reestablishing our savings from the equity we have in that house.

But so far we’re having no luck getting a buyer. We’ve had lots of people look at it, and we’ve been one of the finalists for a few people (at least that’s what the realtors have claimed, and why would they bother making that up?) We’ve lost out to a house with a bigger living room, and one with a bigger back yard, and one with more overall space.

Even ones that didn’t claim we were finalists for them have given great feedback on the house, its location, and its condition.

Last week however, we got very negative feedback from the showing, and I’d laugh about it if I weren’t so overall discouraged about not selling. They said that the curb appeal was terrible (it’s not super fantastic or anything, but it’s good, and that’s what every other showing has given as feedback – that curb appeal is good.)

They didn’t like the neighborhood (I think the location is awesome, just a block from a terrific park and yet on a cul-de-sac so not a lot of traffic, and convenient to shopping and the center of town). Specifically, they didn’t like the nearby apartments.

Honestly it never once occurred to me that someone would object to the apartments that are next to the neighborhood. They are not visible from our house, although you do drive past them depending on what road you use to get to the house. They’re nice apartments, so it’s not like a dumpy area or anything. I really kind of wish I could ask them what they’re talking about because really? Are apartments viewable from one of the nearby roads that objectionable? Good luck finding a house in this town then, because most of the neighborhoods in a similar price range also have apartments a similar distance away (as in, not all that close).

The final kicker for me to think that maybe these people were somewhat crazy was their complaint that the interior needs a lot of work. I’m just … baffled by that because I truly do not think that it does. The downstairs has all new floors & fresh paint & refinished kitchen cabinets & new countertops. All the bathrooms were totally redone in 2008, so they’re not brand new but they are very, very nice.

Pictures of our downstairs, as I try to look at it objectively to see if I’m being a delusional homeowner:

We moved into our new house in early June. Eleven days later I had a baby. There are still boxes everywhere, waiting for me to unpack them. There are windows begging for curtains. I am using a file cabinet as a desk.

I’ve got a list going with all of the ideas I have for the house, and dreams of tackling items on the list. We don’t plan on moving from here, so I can dream big and think about what we might do over the years.

This week though? I just want to pull out the ladder and replace the burned out light bulbs in my closet. Two left out of four means it’s very dim, and even in my sleep-deprived baby fog, I think I can handle light bulbs.

And for the rest of it, I’ll add to my list and pin ideas at Pinterest.