Our last house had been on the market for just over a year when we purchased it in 2011. Because it had been for sale for so long we were concerned that something was wrong with it, but as our realtor explained to us, “not everybody’s looking for a house this big.”
And big it was. While 4,200 square feet is far from a mansion, it was nearly twice as big as our previous house, and roughly three times larger than the house we owned before that. (It was actually 100 square foot larger than our previous two houses combined.) It had five bedrooms, three living rooms, three bathrooms, two dining areas, two home offices, and a gorgeous upstairs deck that overlooks a backyard pond. It was larger and had more space than any home we ever thought we would own (or could afford).
After seven years of living there, we decided to downsize. The house is really too large for only four people, and with Mason only a year away from graduation, before long it’ll be just the three of us. The large house gave us plenty of space, but we often felt disconnected from one another. There were two or three rooms that nobody ever went in, and Mason and I (who were typically upstairs) never knew what was going on downstairs (and vice versa). We found a new home for sale nearby, and decided to trade some square footage for a larger backyard. We bought the new house, assuming that the old one would sell quickly.
It’s been six months.
Before listing the house, we replaced all the carpet and had the house repainted. (Neither one of those things are cheap when your house is 4,200 square feet.) We cleaned. We made repairs. We did everything we could think of to get the house ready to sell.
There were initial hopes that the house would sell before the holidays. (It’s fantastic for entertaining.) Then there were hopes that it would sell when spring hit. Now, it’s almost summer. As we received comments from potential buyers, we made additional changes and repairs. When people complained about the cabinets, we had them sanded and re-stained. When we were told empty houses sell better, we made sure the house was empty. When we were told the house seemed too large when it was empty, we had it staged.
As of this month, we’ve been making two separate mortgage payments for six months. Financially we are not in trouble, but the cushion we had set aside in case the house didn’t immediately sell has run out. (Not to mention that whole “not getting paid during the furlough” period was pretty stressful.)
Recently, there have been additional expenses. A critter got into the attic; that had to be repaired. Last weekend, a beaver (a BEAVER!) gnawed down one of the two large cottonwood trees out behind our fence. The beaver has built a dam off of our property so trapping it is out of our hands, but having the tree removed was our $800 responsibility. (It seems they charge more when they have to use a chainsaw in two feet of water all day.)
After completing a six month contract, we have parted ways with our old realtor and signed a contract with a new one. We’re crossing our fingers that she, along with all the repairs and upgrades we’ve had done, will lead to a sale.
It’s a fantastic house and we dearly loved it, but unfortunately, not everybody’s looking for a house that big.
