Friday, April 23, 2010

The Pack & Did that meeting really happen that way?!? Really???

So the magic question is:
How many Chiqu*ta Banana boxes does it take to pack up a family of 6?
This picture is very deceiving, because you don't see the additional rows of boxes that are stacked behind these ones. I've been addicted to Chiqu*ta Banana boxes. They are heavy duty and they have handles and my kids can carry them ;0)
Got junk?
My friend, Lisa, made the comment to me that you just don't know how much junk you have till you put it in a box. & boy was she was right!

Yesterday was the scheduled day for the buyer to fly in from NY to look at what he was purchasing. He had never seen our home. His wife did the house shopping and apparently he was just there to witness that it was in fact a house and to write the check.

This was a day I was dreading. I had heard things through the Realtors and was expecting an asshole to show up at my house. I was really not in the mood because we had wanted a later closing and rumor had it, he wanted it ASAP so we could pay him rent with a deposit and all that other bullshit that you pay out when you 'rent'. So with that being said, I was going to try & negotiate some extras for us to stay through the end of school, rent free.

When he came in with his realtor and the inspector, it was obvious we were both uncomfortable. After a few uncomfortable minutes, I just shook his hand and asked him if he'd like a tour of his new purchase. We went from room to room and he repeatedly told me how impressed he was. He admitted how shocked he was, how different it looked in person and how he loved every bit of it, including all of my furniture and what was left of the decor. I have already packed up most of the wall art, frames, mirrors, table decor, plant shelf decor and everything that is considered non essential. By the end of the 3 hour visit, he was inspecting my dishes, silverware, pots & pans and the photos that were previously taken while it was completely decorated. He wants it all, as is. He wants all of the furnishings from the furniture to the bed sheets. I swear to God he might have bought the panties out of my drawer if I'd opened it up.
So today he called with the website I had posted all the photos on for him and his wife to review. He & his wife are going to spend the weekend reviewing and crunching their numbers and I have spent the last 4 hours making a list of every item up for turnkey. I've stressed to him repeatedly that this is not R00ms to G0 junk, that a lot of these furnishings are expensive, so don't insult me with a low ball number. I won't lose money over it. He will pay for the ease of a vacation home that is all ready to go. He has assured me that he knows exactly what he's paying for....so we shall see when he comes back with his number. I'm anxious to see the price tag someone else attaches to my personal slice of parad*se.

The thought of unpacking all that shit that you see in those boxes and putting it back in it's proper place is mind boggling to me. I'm exhausted as it is. I'm single parenting it because J has been moved into another position and they are training him to head up another division. He thought he would be coming home on weekends, but this weekend he has decided to stay in GA because of the quick turn around to be back on Monday morning =0( I'm so tired.
I've got 4 busy kids, all with scads of appointments, because I'm cramming everything in that needs done before we leave and the golf, school stuff, doing one of J's jobs here because the other employee doesn't start till June and now I get to worry with the payroll dudes coming, the new employee coming to my house every day and all the other bullshit that a move entails. I'm so glad the cleaning is over though. I cleaned out the wazoo for the buyer yesterday and now I'm done. They won't be back till after closing.

SO HERE'S THE FUN KICKER!!!
The guy not only offered me to stay for as long as I needed to in June, but that we can come back any time we wanted and stay in the house to visit and do island time =0)
He hopes a friendship can grow out of it. He even said I could just leave the photo frames up with my kids pictures and they'll flip 'em to their kids when they are here, LOL! He met my kids one by one and made sure he repeated their names to me and asked again which one was who. He sympathized with them & that this had been their home for the better part of their lives. He understood our deep roots in the community and that we'd always want & or need to come back home for something.
This is a 2nd house for them and one they will rarely use because they have two kids in high school up north. Can you imagine me hopping down here for a weekend and walking into my house with all of my furnishings exactly the way I left it? The house I decorated and loved may not be gone to me forever after all. We'll see if it all pans out, but before the end of the trip, we were having cocktails and I was introducing him to some people and he didn't want to leave. Originally he had stated that he would probably only use the house twice a year and after he called me today he stated that he just didn't want to leave. That he felt the labor of love that we had put into this house and he knew why we loved it so much, that it was so nice with the salty breeze flowing through all the doors & windows and the kids all outside playing. He said it felt like home....*sigh*....
don't I know it.

21 comments:

Rick and Ellen said...

Oh T, How I hope it all works out and you can still have your slice of Paradise. Carma is a wonderful thing and you are finally getting a nice slice after all the good you have served for so long. I hope he gives you more for your furniture than you even thought of asking for. I think a margarita is calling your name!! Enjoy!
Ellen

Marsha said...

Once again, I'm tearing up! What a great story...I hope you will now find yourself with a vacation home! It sounds like they might just make for a nice friendship afterall. Blessings in things you would've never expected....I love it!

Kim said...

I have tears in my eyes also.. I am sooo glad you have found such amazing buyers. .and you can come back...
Big Hugs my friend..

Jacquie said...

Now THAT is something that would only happen once in a lifetime. Heck, not even that. So happy for ya and hope it all works out.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful News and such a testament to the family you have created! I think you are going to love Georgia. I've got some kinfolk (GA speech) up there and it is beautiful up there. And now you have your original home as a vacation home. Jackpot!! Sounds like you won the lottery_____Melissa

Kayce said...

That is SO flippin cool! I love that his book cover was FAR from who he really is...so cool!

Colleen said...

I am anxious too to hear what he comes back with... He sounds like a smart dude, and I don't think would mess with ya. How cool for a "girlfiends weekend" down in Paradise...

Try to relax this weekend. Cuz next weekend-its party time. Feelin Artsy?

Diana said...

I am SO happy for you!!! I can not imgaine buying a house for 2 times a year..how great would that be. You do know how to decorate and your house was beautiful!! I have happy tears for you:)

Welshie said...

Fantastic Trac, what a great outcome. I can imagine how sad you have been to leave though, but you have your family around you and I am sure you will make a super-duper home wherever you are.

Love

Debbie xx

Isa + Steph + Sijia + William said...

Wow! A wonderful man finally!
Hope you'll be back to enjoy it when you feel like it.

Shari U said...

Sounds absolutely perfect. :-)

Jules said...

Wow, that is a cool story :) Flattering, too...how he loved everything as it was....and so your house can live on and always be as it was...
We are Sarasota---->South Carolina people and have had the chance to go back and see our house and the family who lives there now. It was absolutely wonderful to go back...

kitchu said...

tracy this is really incredible! what an amazing story of this very special home. glad it won't be leaving you permanently...

i'm so out of the loop though and need to do some back reading i didn't know you guys were moving! or probably with mom brain, i'd forgotten?

michelle said...

Wow!! how great!! see - there are still good people in the world! :-)

Briana's Mom said...

I know it is going to be so difficult leaving your beautiful paradise, but it sounds like the perfect person bought your house. You still get to go visit paradise and that is wonderful! I'm so happy for you. Georgia is definitely going to be very different from where you live now. We are VERY kid friendly here and I personally love the changing of the seasons. And you'll have friends in GA that will help you with the transition. :D

4D said...

I am catching up! WOW! That is a lot going on. I hope it all works out and you find peace and happiness in GA.

Keep smilin!

Diana said...

I love the first song that always plays on your blog (Will Young)..I have never heard of him till now. I ordered the CD today and can not wait to get it. I pull up your blog just to listed to him:)
Thanks!!

Kim said...

Wow! Just catching up - what a lot you have happening! But the buyer sounds awesome - I hope it all works out that you can go back and take more gorgeous beach shots of your tutu babe!

Ouiser Wannabe said...

Wow...so many changes. I can tell you I lived in north Alabama and moved to a small town in south Alabama about 18 months ago and it has been a nice change. Hope your move is too.

Catherine said...

Oh T! THat's amazing and oh so wonderful!! What a blessing it will be to have your own piece of paradise still there for you to visit and it will feel like a 2nd home for all of you. Wow...just, WOW!!!

Robin said...

I'll say it again.. it's paradise because YOU made it so! :0) You've even made it paradise for someone else. I'm sure Georgia will become paradise too.. just a different one. :0)

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