You've missed all that talk of paint, haven't you? I am here to help.

Hey look!  I'm at it again!

You know a few things when 10pm is your starting point.

Number one, that if you're going to paint all of the white trim in the house because you're obsessive about selling a house that boasts the cleanest door frames ever (you know, because that's on every buyer's top ten list), and you have two children four and under who love to touch and eat and slather themselves and your relatively new furniture in paint, then you and your wet paint must take the night shift.

Number two, make lots of coffee.

Number three, take the camera away from Sister Blur Factor.

Because her clearest shots are of your shoes.

Number four, make more coffee.

***

So the weekend was impeccable.  Kevin and I have been running on an adrenaline high for three days.  We worked on house stuff almost around the clock because we decided that a week more to wait for listing time was just more than our dying-with-anticipation minds could bear.  The cleaning and packing and painting? 

ALL! DONE!

I woke up this morning and wondered who's house I was in.  Then, of course, within five minutes of my children waking, I felt much more at home.

The landscaping, powerwashing, bathtub scrubbing - every bit of it has been crossed off the list.  Today, I dust ceiling fans.  (And strip beds and wash sheets and blankets since everyone woke up covered in pee from head to toe, but really, what else is new?)

People, I even mixed my first batch of concrete and did porch repair.  This house?  Ready to GO.

And I'm guessing that the garbage men are ready for us to GO as well.

*** 

While attending an Open House this weekend (for motivational purposes, of course) we met a realtor who volunteered to be our buying representative.  She's already sent me two emails full of great housing options.  It's like feeding a crack addiction, is what it is.  (I'm in crack heaven, baby!)

I also called first thing this morning and left a message with He Who Will Sell What Needs To Be Sold.  It shouldn't surprise you that we spent hours looking through real estate companies and agents to figure out who is both the most motivated and qualified and who might not suffer a nervous breakdown from my phone calls every twelve minutes while we're on the market.  The one we chose is a big advertiser.  He sells all over Northwest Indiana and has a pretty impressive website. 

When he returned my call, he was not only accommodating and to the point, but he also did not need me to give him my address because he had already cross referenced it from my phone number and no worries, he knows where we live.  It's like hearing back from your long lost overly-motivated real estate soul mate. 

I decided to hold off on telling him that I've compiled a cd of 36 cropped and edited pictures of the house and we already know the addresses, prices and square footage of most of our local competitors on the market.  That will come in time.

He will be here tomorrow at 8pm.  And with any luck, bearing a big For Sale sign.

Comments

[Frema]

First of all - and I know you will appreciate hearing this - the first thing that popped out of those "after" pictures was your gorgeous white trim.

Second, TOMORROW? Holy crap! At this rate you'll be SOLD by June 1st!

[sue]

It looks wonderful. Good luck! (Although after all that hard work luck should have nothing to do with it.)

[Silly Hily]

Eeeeeeee! (jumping up and down clapping hands faster than an OCD sprinting to the kitchen for more coffee)
And now I'm totally doing my happy dance for you. (Maybe I'll do the intoxicated version tonight. JUST for YOU.)
Add "Master concrete mixer and pourer" to your "I've got this shit" list. Along with "I only need you b/c you qualify as a real estate professional but give me a few months and see if I don't do the same thing so I can keep the 6% myself because I'm doing all the work anyway because I'm a rock star."
Did any of that make sense. It's my way of saying, once again, is there anything you CAN'T do?
The house looks gooood girl.

[SJ]

The house looks awesome! Can't wait to hear the news of "WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!" It'll come sooner than later with a house that gorgeous!

Good Luck!

[Alexander Pavlovich Romanov, Autocrat of All the Russias]

The house looks great...all the effort is hopefully about to pay off (literally).

Oh, I fired up the blog again, so feel free to stop in.

Seeing as you are in the midst of the home selling process, there is a chapter in the book I reviewed at City of Tiny Lights (that book being Levitt and Dubner's Freakonomics) about real estate agents and how they are like the Klan.

The point made in this rather outlandish claim is that people use information to their advantage, to serve their interests. It is fascinating, if a bit far-fetched.

[auntie betty]

it looks great. did you ever decide where you are moving too?
keep us posted

[Diane]

You're a MACHINE I tell you ... a house-selling-baby-takin'-care-of-cement-mixing MACHINE!!!!!!!!!

Good luck and house selling wishes to you! To you!!!

[Rachel]

You are freakin AMAZING!!! Dude, you poured concrete?!?!?!? That's awesome!

Everything looks great and I predict you will sell very fast!

[debi]

You always inspire me. The house looks wonderful. Love the before and after shots.

[Stacey]

Holy crap, she mixes concrete, too. I bow to you.

[CPA Mom and Soccer Mom Angela]

Is there anything you CANNOT do?