How dare they!?

There’s something about the home inspection process in selling your home that gets under my skin. I don’t know why it irks me to have the buyers come through with a professional to nitpick my house, but it just does. Outlining all the things that they are going to change or improve and “oh this paint color will be so much better!” And then asking us to fix things.

I like to think that when I’m a prospective buyer I am a little more sensitive to how the sellers might feel (ha!). I might hate your paint colors and decor but I’m not mean enough to say it within earshot. I guess I am strangely defensive about my house. Maybe it’s because I feel like they’re getting a killer deal to start with and then they want to nickel and dime me? We left this morning after they got started, thank goodness, and at least we don’t have to be present for the closing. I am even more glad that we will be living on post next, at least I will be spared this whole process again for awhile.

Well, I guess someone loves me after all.

My house just sold!

Not for the price we wanted, and they tried to really lowball us at first, but they must really want it because they took our counter offer.  We will walk away with about $5000 more than we paid, but we put just over that in improvements (a privacy fence and sprinker system with its own well).  It irks my Dutch dh to no end that we are technically losing a little money, but for me, my Mexican half overrules on this one.  A bird in the hand…

We were prepared to be slumlords in case it didn’t sell, but I am heaving a huge sigh of relief.  I think it will be better to just have it settled.  You just never know with tenants and since we are hoping to head overseas after my dh’s year of school it will be better to not have to worry about a house.

This is turning out to be a good week, just when I really needed it.  It’s always good to be reminded that maybe your life doesn’t suck as much as you think it does.

Smells like dog

We met with our realtor again tonight because we are going to lower the asking price on the house.   Just hoping to get a few more people in to look at it, since we’re only about 5 weeks out from when the movers arrive to pack us up.  She also gave us feedback from the people who have been through.  Two separate people said that my house smells like dog.  ARGH.

I’m a pretty good housekeeper.  I mean, you couldn’t eat off my floors or anything, and sometimes the toys get away from me, but overall I think my house is ok.   And that’s just when you might surprise me, if I know someone is coming to look at it?  I’m Dutch, people.   I seriously scrub my doorstep.

The realtor assured my dh and I repeatedly that she did not smell dog at all.  Her theory is that just by having dog “stuff” in the house (like the kennel) that some people would think that.  I, of course, had to call several neutral parties and grill them on if they thought my house smells like my dogs.  I think they sensed that I was on the warpath and answered correctly: “of course not!”

Tomorrow is officially cleaning day.  My two labs are getting a bath, all floors will be mopped, doorstep re-scrubbed.  Someone please buy my house before I completely go off the deep end!

Dear Realtors:

I want you to know that I appreciate everything you are doing trying to sell my house.

But do me a favor, if your clients decide they don’t want to look at my house? At least have the courtesy to call me and let me know before I waste my afternoon driving my daughter and two dogs around waiting for you to show up. And for those of you who decide to show up over an HOUR after your “window” of time, again, a phone call would be in order. That way my dogs won’t scare the crap out of any prospective buyers when you barge on in unannounced.

And to my very own realtor? Don’t call my husband and tell him that people are trying to decide between our house and another, asking him if there was anything he would tell them to convince them why they should choose our house. Lady, that is why we are paying you.

That is all.