Haven't updated in a while, so let's hit the highlights

1. The house appraised for $17,000 above its asking price! The appraisal value was what it was originally listed as, but they lowered it because it wasn't selling. So, even though I didn't negotiate at all on the price, I still ended up with a good deal.

2. I ordered a refrigerator. I hope it looks right in the space I have for it. It will definitely fit, I'm just hoping I didn't go too small. I wasn't sure how much room exactly I'd need to leave on top and bottom, but I like having space on top to sit things (like my cannisters...or the bread box). They are supposed to deliver/install that Friday.

3. I've actually been packing. Spent most of Sunday doing that. I've been worried all along that I would run out of boxes, so rather than actually packing things, and getting more boxes if I ran out, I just kept going out and getting/buying more boxes. Now I think I may have entirely too many! There are boxes EVERYWHERE and really not that much left to pack. And I have about 8000 rolls of tape. Okay, major exaggeration...I do have about 6 rolls...but 5 are small. I wanted the "strapping tape", but when I first went tape shopping I couldn't find any. So, I got 2 large rolls of the clear packing tape, figuring I'd get strapping tape to re-inforce the boxes before the move. (I have this crazy fear of my boxes busting open due to substandard tape) I found strapping tape at Kroger the other day, but they only sell it in the smaller rolls and I have a complete inability to look at the length of the roll and figure out how much I'll need. So, I have most likely completely overbought that as well. I do the same thing with fabric. But, anyway, packing is going nicely. I'm only working today and tomorrow, then I have the rest of the week to finish the packing.

4. I hired movers! For July 2, which was what I wanted. And I also set up an appointment to have my cable/internet installed the same day. And both were done without having to talk to anyone! Email and internet!

5. Now all I have left service-wise is hiring a maid service to do the post-move cleanup at the apartment. I could do it myself, but I recognize that I'd be much happier if I just paid someone else to do it. My life philosophy, I think. But, really, they'll do a better job and it is a lot less work for me. I'll have enough to do with the house. I just have to figure out how much I want them to do. The service I'm getting an estimate from also does carpet cleaning, but I seriously think the carpet in the apartment is beyond saving thanks to the two brats. Between Whitney using as a toilet and Naiya spilling my plant all over it (in Whitney's bathroom area, which resulted in potting soil making horrible stains in all the places that were still kind of wet from the Whitney stains...which resulted in my threatening Naiya's life quite a few times, because that was the plant I got from my grandfather's funeral, so it has special meaning...didn't end up killing her and was able to save the plant by repotting it...and she stays in her playpen during the day to keep her out of trouble and hasn't tried to get in the plant again since I put it up on a plant stand). It is just disgusting. So, that carpet will have to be replaced, I would think. So, do I pay someone to clean it so that is looks....better....or do I just leave it as is? I guess it would depend on a few things....like whether cleaning it would make a difference as far as getting my deposit back. See, I think they are going to replace it anyway, so it may not matter. I know at my first apartment here, I had made this horrible stain on the carpet...a stain stain...I had a pail of wood stain sitting on the mantle and it fell and landed top side down on the carpet and, of course, it popped the top open and left a perfectly round stain there. But, I still got my full deposit back from them because they were going to replace the carpet anyway, since I'd been there 3 years. So, anyway, something to think about.

6. Still heading for closing Thursday. Got a call from Debbie yesterday to find out if I want to do a final walk-through before Thursday. Is probably not a bad idea and I need to remember to email her about that (I'm on a work PC at the moment and don't have her email addy, so I'll have to do that from my laptop later.) . While we are there I want to measure the windows. I went insane buying window treatments the other day....Lowe's had roman shades on clearance and I was getting $30 shades for $3-$5 each. And it was even working out that they had the exact # I needed for the rooms I was wanting to put them in! So, I HAD to get them, right? But, of course, since I haven't measured the windows, I just have to hope they'll fit.

7. Also still deciding whether to paint the master bedroom. If I'm going to paint it, then I want to do it Sunday...before everything gets moved in, but while my aunt is there to help me. She's coming up Sunday after church. And she's coming in my grandfather's truck in case I need to do anything I'll need a truck for. Since I don't actually have my dad's truck yet, because Suzette hasn't sent the title yet, which I need to call her about, but keep forgetting when I'm actually at home where I COULD call her.

8. Homeowner's Insurance is much less expensive than I thought. Really, a year of that is only slightly more than I pay MONTHLY for car insurance. I don't really understand the logic in that, but I won't complain about it being cheap. I may, however, complain about how high car insurance is. Seriously, between gas and insurance, who can even afford to drive these days? If If only I could learn "instant transmission" that wouldn't be an issue.

Anyhoo, I think that is all I have. See, this is what happens when I go so long between updates. I end up with a REALLY long post! I will let y'all

House updates:

We submitted the items from the inspection to the sellers Monday and they agreed to fix everything! We were only expecting them to fix 1 or 2 things, so we were very pleasantly surprised.

Debbie called yesterday with a status report. Everything has been done except the insulation (which is being done Monday) and a wiring thing....has to do with 3-prong outlets and 1965 wiring. They did talk to an electrician, but were told they'd have to have the whole house re-wired, which they didn't really want to do. But, they wanted to make sure it was okay with me to not have it done. And it was. Lynn (my inspector) told me that it was a minor thing. As long as I use a power strip with anything that needs that third prong, I will be fine. And I already do that. And the bathrooms were already re-wired.

I meet with my loan officer Monday, to do whatever we have to do. (I'm sure there will be paper-signing...and I have to give them all the documentation they've asked for. Which means I need to get busy printing some documents...). Other than that, I just need to take care of moving stuff. Like...packing...and hiring movers...and giving notice here. I also need to figure out this refrigerator-buying thing. Anybody know if I could, say, go to Lowe's tomorrow and buy a refrigerator and schedule delivery for when I'll actually be in the house? Not really wondering so much about whether I could buy one tomorrow, just wondering if Lowe's lets you schedule deliveries ahead like that. And I need to figure out utilities. And pack. Yeah, I know I already said that, but there is a lot of it to do.

I am getting a pet pen tomorrow. For FREE! Once we are in the house, until I get a doggie door, Whitney will have to stay in the kitchen during the day. It is the only room that isn't carpeted (she's housebroken, but seems to forget that when she's alone during the day). But, I need something to keep her in there. I posted at FreeCycle for baby/pet gates, explaining why I needed them and I got a reply from a woman who has a baby pen that she used for her dog that I am going to pick up tomorrow morning. I love FreeCycle. And there has been some good stuff on there lately. If I had my truck with me already I'd be picking up all kinds of things (someone was offering doors...and lumber...and some landscaping fencing...). Don't know what I'd be doing with them until I move, but I'd find something!

More pictures!

Yesterday we had the home inspection. Nothing major to report, which is good. There were a few things, so now we start negotiating for the repairs. But, my inspector said the house is move-in ready...the things in his report are energy-related things (like not enough insulation in the attic) that don't meet the current codes. There were only 2 real concerns: there is no drain thing for the washing machine and there is a strong gas smell in the laundry room. That's from the gas water heater. We noticed that the first time we viewed the house, but the sellers said it was just because the room had been closed up for so long. But, the inspector opened the door and window to the laundry room when we got there and at the end of the inspection there was still a pretty strong smell in there. He said there was nothing externally wrong with it, and he can't check it internally, so he recommended that we have a plumber take a look at it. He feels that it might need to be replaced, but only a plumber will know for sure!

But, ANYWAY, today I took Whitney over to see the house. She seemed to like it, and we didn't even go in the back yard! I took more pictures...tried to get rooms/angles that I didn't have. And I've tried to give descriptions to give an idea of the layout of the house. So, here they are:

Master Bedroom(which I most likely won't be using as my BR...I don't want a BR with an exterior door):

Shot from french doors (and you can see the master bath, door to hallway is on the right)


Shot from bathroom door (door on left is one of the closets)



"Bedroom 2", which I will most likely be using for my BR:

Shot from hallway


Shot from left corner (same windows as in shot above)


Closet



"Bedroom 3":

Shot from hallway (windows have view of side yard)


Shot from inside doorway (window to backyard)


Closet (if you look really closely on the bottom left, you can see the back end of Whitney with leash trailing as she heads out the door into the hallway:



Main Bathroom:

Shot from hallway (bedroom 3 is door on left, master is to the right)



Den:

Shot from fireplace(windows on left are to front yard, windows in front are into carport, kitchen is on the right)


Kitchen:

Shot from den (door is to foyer/living room area)


Space where fridge will go (door is to dining area)


Living Room/Dining Room/Foyer:

Living Room & foyer - Shot from in front of exterior windows (opening on left is to kitchen, front door is the one down from that, then there is the closet, doorway on the right is to hallway)


Living Room shot from dining area (window you see is where I stood to shoot the above picture, doorway on left is to hallway and if you look REALLY closely inside that hallway you can see the doorway to bedroom 2...the hinges are what jump out to me)


Living Room shot from foyer area (Kitchen on right, and those are the windows from previous picture)


Carport:


Shot from under carport (the door is the front door, small window is the kitchen window, large windows are in the den)