For sale signs are dropping like flies in our neighborhood. And the houses are selling quickly, too! Which got us thinking. {Again.} "Should we sell?"
We even had a realtor come look at our house. {Again.} She's confident our house would sell quickly in this market, and we are, too. She even suggested a listing price that we were
very happy with.
But, in the end, we're not gonna do it. {Again.} Apparently, we're more attached to our house than we'd like to admit!
We're going to move someday. But
someday will be when we can afford everything we want (or more) and not have
any reservations about it. And when that day comes, I'm sure it will be very bittersweet. After all, this is the place we got engaged, came home to as newlyweds, and brought home our first born from the hospital.
In the meantime, I thought I'd make a list of all the things I love about our house. And all the reasons we're content here for as long as need be! So, here 'goes....
1) The paint colors - We've painted every visible wall in this house...some more than once! I love the colors we chose! Among my faves - the dark gray and red master bedroom, light gray nursery, blue guest bedroom, red half bathroom, and light green kitchen. And let's not forget about the newly painted exterior - I love that, too!
2) The backyard - We have a huge {fenced in} backyard. Some of the newer houses in our ideal neighborhood don't have that. Ours is perfect for playing a game of croquet or having a backyard party, and it accommodates our new swing set perfectly with plenty of room to spare!
3) The deck - Like the backyard, we have a pretty good sized deck. We use it often. Most of our spring/summer dinners are consumed here, as well as late night beers and glasses of wine. (We also have a pretty sweet sound system that streams wirelessly to the deck, thanks to the hubs.)
4) The vaulted ceilings in living room and master bedroom - They just make the place look bigger! I also love the balcony overlooking our living room. Makes me want to recite "Oh Romeo, oh Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" (Did anyone else have to memorize that in ninth grade?)
5) The skylights - To me, nothing is better than natural sunlight. And I love that we have skylights in our living room to allow that sunlight to shine through!
6) The nursery walls - Should we have moved within months of painting the nursery stripes, I would have cried. And I'm not joking. I love the nursery. The furniture could be packed up and moved to a new place easily. But those stripes...let's just say I would have been POed about painting those for a second time.
7) The kitchen granite, sink, & faucet - I could get over the granite. But I love the extra large sink and pullout spout with sprayer. In fact, whenever I go somewhere without these features, I feel a little lost.
8) The bathroom vessel sink - When remodeling the main floor half bath, I really,
really wanted a vessel sink. I'll be heartbroken about leaving it someday.
9) The guest bath vanity - This was actually the original 1989 vanity. But my awesome hubs sanded and stained it and made it look brand spakin' new! (I wish he would do the same to our nasty orange kitchen cabinets...)
10) The stainless steel appliances - Sure, we could always buy
new ones at a new place (or better yet, move somewhere that already has them),
but we purchased these (plus dishwasher) with our wedding money. Something seems
weird about leaving them here for the next owners.
11) The shuffleboard table - We may not use it often, but c'mon, how many people actually have a shuffleboard table in their house?! But let's be honest, that thing is
not coming with us when we move!
12) The walk-out basement - Maybe not the best for potential tornadoes, but a walk-out truly is a nice feature to have! We initially planned on putting a hot tub out there. But then we learned the price of running electricity to it. Let's just say it was more than the hot tub itself and we decided there was no way in hell!
13) The pool - We are very spoiled, and after living here, will never move anywhere without a neighborhood pool. Everyone is so social at our pool, and that's how we've met most of the people in our neighborhood!
14) The neighbors - Speaking of, we love our neighbors! Not necessarily our next door neighbors, but we know a number of people in this neighborhood and enjoy the socialization (at the pool, Friday night firepits) amongst them. We also love our backyard neighbors! So much that the men just installed a gate between our yards!
15) The 'hood - We live in a great neighborhood! There's an elementary school within blocks (supposedly a really good one!), a pool, and two parks. It's a Rodrock Community, which means a sleigh ride at Christmas and Easter egg hunt in the spring! It's a very kid-friendly neighborhood!
16) The location - We're a mile from I35 and blocks away from Target (and lots of other stores/restaurants). We have easy access to 69 highway, 435, Town Center, and Oak Park Mall. We're about in the middle of where each of us work. The location really couldn't be better.
17) The memories - This was our first place, our starter home. Lots and lots of amazing memories here and I'm sure there will be lots more before we pack up and find a new home!