JB's 2017 Move: A Cautionary (And Belatedly Satisfying) Tale

[jedibuttercup]

So I was recently nudged that I haven't posted much about the whole move thing outside of Twitter. Sorry about that. It's been a long, stressful couple of months.

So here's a sort of summary-outline of what happened.

Timeline of a Sudden Move:

Sometime in early March —

Bro & Sis-in-Law are cold-called about selling their house, given that they bought low six years ago and they could make about $100k profit if they sold now. The $$ amount is tempting; also, they apparently think it's going to be like last time they low-key listed it a few years ago and nothing happened. They decide to let me know "oh, yeah, we listed the house" on the weekend after my birthday, about a week before the first showings are scheduled, no discussion beforehand, nothing.

March 21st —

After a week of frantic cleaning and organizing, the first showing happens, at 7:30pm on a weeknight. So I have to find an elsewhere to be for awhile ... and take the next day off work for more spring-cleaning level work in advance of that weekend's open house.

April 7th —

The last two families on the realtor's list come to see the house ... because one of the others is rumored to be about to submit paperwork. I start scouring apartment listings, hyperventilating the whole time. (Sis-in-law tells me "even if they do back out after you've found someplace else, it's OK; I won't be upset, because I'm sure it'll still sell soon," like, thank you, since when did I even need your permission, after you sprang this whole thing on me with no real warning?!??)

April 21st —

I've dug out the Storage Closet of Things I Haven't Touched in 6 Years, started buying flats of banker's boxes, and narrowed my options down to four: one I really really want, very comfortable price range, perfect size, likely to be gone too fast to grab; one just as well-situated near mom's place, a little bigger, but just at the upper edge of my plausible rent range; one about a half mile further out, but a little too expensive; and one also barely affordable, but eightish miles away. Time to take another day off work and actually beat the bushes.

April 24th —

Toured #2; the first was indeed gone too fast to grab (the rent market here is ridiculous!) and the third not attractive enough to get past the price. Crossing my fingers I don't have to go for option #4, because I have discovered a new fact about #2 that makes it seem like A Sign: not only is it the unit all the way at the end of the complex against a cushioning wall of trees, not only is it on the top floor where bugs don't reach and the ceilings are two feet higher, but it is Unit 42 in the complex. 42!!! Mom doesn't get the reference, but cheerfully goes with me to drop off the application and go out to dinner to celebrate anyway.

April 28th —

The news has come back: I have been accepted! Alas, the ridiculousness of the rent market means I must sacrifice the entirety of this year's tax refund as a deposit, money I was intending for this year's roadtrip, plus the first month's rent (of a year's lease), in cashier's cheques before I can sign and pick up the key. I start moving boxes the very next evening, and call the cable company to set up an appointment for activation (given that the earliest one available was a couple weeks out!)

May 5th —

I take yet another day off work so Mom and I can move everything left that isn't either (a) boxes of books or (b) heavy furniture, save only for the next day's clothes, the bedsheets, and the cat and her supplies. Mid-afternoon, I sacrifice a big chunk of my remaining savings for a new decent mattress, given that the previous one was at least 25 years old and had been flipped so many times it sagged in every direction.

May 6th —

FINAL MOVING DAY. One of Mom's friends, upon seeing my box springs, turns up her nose and replaces that (and my all bed linens!) as well, so my entire bed is new except the frame! We also rescue my childhood kitchen table from the loft in Mom's shop/outbuilding, and it turns out that it and all the chairs are still sound! Maevebran and I drive the old box springs and mattress out to the dump, and upon our return, transfer the kitty last of all and celebrate with dinner.

May 7th —

Mom throws an unexpected, and amazingly well attended, housewarming party for me, to fill in kitchen utensils and new towels and all kinds of other little things that need replacing after six years of living in a basement with only a tiny college fridge and a microwave and a Keurig for 'cooking' use.

May 13th —

The cable guy hooks up my internet! And mom and I go back to bro & sis-in-law's place to clean my old space. All is now in its place; all that remains is to finish unpacking and decorating and organizing. Oh, and start saving for a washer and dryer. :)

... May 31st ....

This is when bro and sis-in-law have to be out ... after which they'll be living with her parents for two months, until some missionaries they know leave the country. Then they'll be renting the family's farmhouse until they figure out where they'll actually be living next. Sis-in-law says the goal is for her not to have to work anymore. I really, really want to know what kind of a better deal they think they're going to get without her income and my rent money coming in, in this market ... but that's their business, I'm going to just shut up and enjoy living in my new space.

I'm really going to miss living in the same house as those kids. The older niblings have apparently taken to telling people I moved out of the country, and the littlest is at the six-months stage where he's really starting to be come interactive and grinning in delight at his favorite people. I haven't seen any of them since moving day, and it sucks. But them's the breaks; you win some, you lose some, and as soon as they settle I'll figure out a way to schedule regular visits.

And .... 42. So. *chinhands*

Comments

[jenab]

It sucks you had to move in such away but your new home looks lovely.

[jedibuttercup]

That's pretty much all my feelings about the event. Could have been handled a lot better, but the results are probably for the best in my case. Jury's still out on theirs. :)

[grundyscribbling]

Wow. That's quite the intense moving timeline. Congrats on managing that without going nuts, hope you're enjoying your new place!

Also, hi! I feel awkward about commenting for the first time on a RL entry, but I thought it was weirder to lurk... (If it's not clear from the journal name, I'm Grundy from TtH/AO3 - made the jump here from LJ when I belatedly caught up with what was going on in late April.)

[jedibuttercup]

I still have moments of dissonance about it! But enjoying settling in a lot. And the cat's mostly enjoying it, too; I introduced her to the balcony today, something we didn't have before. :)

NP on the jumping right in; I figured out was up from the name that showed up! I've had a DW for years but didn't migrate all my stuff over until March-ish, either.

[ymfaery]

...

That seems a little inconsiderate of your brother and sis-in-law. Sure it's their house, but as someone who lived there, a little more advance notice wouldn't be too much too ask, I'd think.

However, now you (appear to) live in a better place, so yay! Hope all goes well.

[jedibuttercup]

You'd think. But sis-in-law was one of those raised by a clingy mother, educated at home, socialized mostly with likeminded very conservative families, had just a tiny bit of college, and has a real difficult time considering anyone else before herself and her family. (Which only includes me and Mom when it occurs to her that maybe it should.) I love her, but she's ... very blinkered. And my brother is very, very whipped.

But if it had to happen at all ... this was definitely the best possible time and the best possible place, so. :)

[sulien]

The shots of the new apartment look really nice and it sounds like you hit the jackpot as far as location in the complex! As far as a washer and dryer go, check out the Habitat for Humanity Restore and any local places that sell used appliances. You can usually find nearly new appliances that still work perfectly and look good for dirt cheap just because someone decided to redecorate.

[pronker]

I second Habitat's Restore places and use the local one frequently. :)

[jedibuttercup]

I'll keep that in mind next month after the dust settles in my checking account. :) Pretty sure there is a used appliance place in town ... Mom's pushing for waiting for a sale of new ones, but seriously, I don't need top quality shiny new everything, it just needs to work like I need it to work.

[beatrice_otter]

Wow! That ... that really was quick.

And, you know, the thing about selling at the top of the market is that you also have to then BUY (or rent) at the top of the market. So, unless you already have a lead on a house you like and will be able to afford, not what I would do personally. But hey, their house, their decisions.

I'm submitting my paperwork to start looking for a new call in the pacific northwest, so who knows! I may get to come visit you in your new place sometime.

[jedibuttercup]

That would be neat! One thing about being suddenly thrust into a new space that only I am responsible for, I am realizing, is that I can have whoever I want come visit without warning the folks I share a house with, or feeling apologetic about the lack of food facilities, etc., etc. This is my space, and a nifty space it is!

In other moving-related news, I found the little booklet from your ordination service tucked between two of my Bibles when unpacking my library ... :)

[beatrice_otter]

Awww.

[pronker]

That is a drama. It's sounding like a snowball effect, and the result ended more or less okay. Sometimes that's all we get. On the upside, your place seems splendidly right for you and Kittykins. Speaking of which, the units are allowed pets, and not everyplace does!

Is it pho? Looks delish!

[jedibuttercup]

They didn't call it pho; and I can't find it on the menu online, but it was described as this beef noodle soup made after their grandmother's recipe, and I believe it did say she was from Vietnam? So probably close enough. :) It was very good. I don't eat with chopsticks very often, though, and they were the heavy duty kind - my right forearm was very sore the next day!

Yeah, having to find a place that took pets narrowed my options probably in half - this complex has seven buildings, and only two of them are pet-open, so I got very lucky indeed!

[amedia]

Wow! Way to land on your feet after ... hmmm ... I'm unwilling to get judgy about perfect strangers but I'm just gonna say that your bro and sis-in-law are VERY lucky to have you as a sister/sister-in-law!!!

Love the pix! Looks like a great apartment.

[jedibuttercup]

Oh, I feel pretty judgy myself, don't worry. I love my bro, but he's whipped, and my sister-in-law lives ... I'll just call it a very narrow life. It just doesn't occur to her that other people's priorities might not be the same as hers. Ah, well. It's working out for the best for the most part, I just miss my niblings.

[jiltanith]

Well! Grats on he new space! And, what beatrice_otter said about the price of a new place is exactly what I was thinking; if your sil wants to be a stay-at-home mom, your brother may wind up with a heck of a commute. Ah well.

Good luck!

[jedibuttercup]

They got really lucky with the missionaries' house they'll be renting starting in August. She actually said they want a new mortgage payment on the order of about what a three bedroom apartment costs in this area, which is ... bonkers and borderline impossible, financially speaking, particularly considering they won't have the amount I was paying in rent or her income in that scenario. OH WELL. Not my problem anymore!!!!

(And, thanks!)

[ffutures]

Looks very nice - I hope Kitty is enjoying the change. And 42... well, let's hope that doesn't mean the Vogons will turn up.

Congratulations, it looks like it suits you.

[jedibuttercup]

Thanks! I'm enjoying it, and no Vogons so far!

Kitty took a few days to adjust and stop hiding under the bed at every new scary sound, but she's found new favorite perches and has had no problems with the food/litterbox setup, so, so far so good. :)

[flingslass]

Sounds like everything worked out for the best.

[jedibuttercup]

So far, it really does seem so! Except for missing the kiddos. (But I'm not holding my breath on that front while they're living with sis-in-law's extremely conservative, very nose-in-the-air mother.)

[flingslass]

Well enjoy being in charge of your own pace :)