On the Move

I've been thinking about moving for a while now. I looked into moving a couple of years ago, but at that time decided against it. Back then, the choice was move or remodel the kitchen. I decided that it was the smart thing to do to remodel the kitchen and stay where I was. My job was in flux. I have a sweet mortgage. And really the only thing that was bugging me about my place was not having a guest room because I had my home office in the second bedroom. In discussing the situation with a colleague, she pointed out that I could move my desk and computer downstairs to the "rec" room (re: finished basement) and then convert the second bedroom into an actual guest bedroom. So I did that, and it worked well. I've had a couple of guests use the room, and since I'm usually downstairs watching TV in the evenings, which is when I use my computer, it worked out to have the computer in the same room as the TV.

But now I'm getting the itch again. I've actually had the itch for a while - it never really went away. But I also started a new job about a year ago, with a new company. And the economy started to tank. And so it seemed like a smart time to sit still and be content with what I had - a sweet, low mortgage and a job!

Recently, things at my job have started to stabilize. While no new company is ever completely secure, we're doing okay. Certainly my job situation is not any less secure than it was with the big company where I worked previously. And I'm not completely skittish about taking on a new mortgage with the potential for job disruption because, shortly after I moved into my current home, I got laid off and I managed to pay the mortgage anyway. I know that I can do it if I have to.

So I've spent the past few weeks getting the house ready for potential sale. First, I needed to have the foster kittens moved out. Four of them got adopted, and Charley is living at the Reston PetSmart and apparently doing well. My desire for a new place was incidental to her needing to get a new home - really the problem was her disruption in my adult cats' lives - but I'll admit my desire to move was a factor. Second, I needed to get new windows on the front of the house. I had put new windows on the back of the house a few years back. But I hadn't done the front. I knew that, realistically, I couldn't sell the house with different kinds of windows. Last summer, I had upgraded the kitchen to new cabinets and granite countertops. The appliances are all EnergyStar. Last spring, I got new wall-to-wall carpet in the upstairs bedrooms - same color in both rooms and the hallway, so the whole floor looks cohesive. So about the only things that are old and possibly would need replacement by the new owner in the short term are the heat pump and the washer and dryer. Not bad. I think generally, that means I could get a decent price. Not the price perhaps that I could have gotten 1-1/2 years ago. But enough to be able to put something down on the next place.

I have an appointment with a realtor just after Labor Day. We'll see what happens. I'm kind of excited at the idea of a new place, though I'm also not looking forward to packing. A new place is fun, but getting there - not so much.

Most postings to come on this topic, I'm sure.