So we had the Big Open House on Sunday. Here is the number of people who came to see the house: ZERO. Even with the balloons and the ad in the newspaper and the big sign at the end of our street. BUT, all is not lost. I didn’t clean the closet doors with a toothbrush (actually it is more like a dish washing brush, but you get the idea…) or wash down the baseboards for nothing. Yesterday we got a call at 4:30 from our Realtor saying that someone in her office wanted to show our house in fifteen minutes–could we be ready?
Why yes, we could! Because we spent hours and hours scouring the house for Sunday, it would only take about 10 minutes to whip it back into ship showing shape. I was at the library at the time with Sadie and her friend, Taylor, so I called Dan and he was on it in a flash. (I knew there was NO WAY I was going to get there in time–one 5 year old is slow enough–just imagine TWO of them who really think it’s funny to hide from me then run away when I say it is time to go…I needed at least 30 minutes to get them out of the library and into the car…)
A quick side note: yesterday morning (before I had any knowledge that someone would want to see the house later in the day and only give us 15 minutes notice to get it ready) I had the urge to vacuum. What?! I know! Sadie had been eating Cheetos in the living room, and I happened to notice. This is QUITE unusual for me. Normally I just let the orange crumbs lie until they start sticking annoyingly to my feet. But I thought, oh, since we already vacuumed the whole house, all I need is three minutes to make the living room look really nice again. Painless, really. Also, I made Sadie’s bed. Again, unusual. I normally just close her door and not think about it until she’s ready to go to bed again, and then I remember that I should be training HER to be making her own bed, but it’s too late since it’s bedtime, so I just throw it together so her covers can be right when she sleeps. Providential? I think so.
I don’t know what the young couple thought of our house, but as Dan keeps saying during this entire MADDENING process “It only takes one buyer.”
We shall see.
I’m sorry the open house was a bust but I’m glad it made it so smooth for the other showing. I hope they loved it and buy it!
Shell –
Remind me to tell you sometime about the positively awful experiences I had showing and selling our last home. Like the time I had to get our house “whipped into shape” in 15 minutes with my two kids, my nephew, dirty laundry, dishes and a dog that didn’t like people – all in 100 degree heat. Have I told you how marvelous laundry baksets are? You’d be amazed at what fits into them! We pulled out of our garage in a five passenger vehicle crammed with two garbage bags full of stinky garbage, 3 laundry bakets full of dirty dishes and clothes, a microwave, three kids and the squirrely-dog! The house looked amazing – but the perspective buyers who were standing in the driveway got to see one frazzle-dazzled lady, dripping in sweat and quite grumpy!
My heart goes out to you – it is hard work. And I hate to say it, but Dan is right. It only takes one buyer. The lady who bought my house was secretly leaving her husband and had her mother purchase it for her. I’ll leave the details of that to your imagination – unbelievable! But remember…laundry baskets, laundry baskets, laundry baskets!
Love, K