Under Contract

It's true! We're buying a new house -- a well-kept, 60-year-old, end-of-group brick townhouse, in a busier suburb with a postage stamp of grass, off-street parking and a significant reduction in square footage.

I know some of you thought we'd never follow through on that threat, but it's actually happening!

We are still finishing up the final details of our current house before we can officially put it on the market in the next couple weeks, but the very right house came along (we toured about 15 similar homes) and we have some time to get ours sold since closing on our new place is not scheduled until July. Of course something could fall through between now and then, but right now the plan is full steam ahead.

And yes, I'll show you pictures of ol' 3820 when it's done! There's a lot you haven't seen yet.

I'll admit to the irony -- most of our friends are leaving their urban and suburban homes to flee to the country these days, in search of bigger, more elaborate houses and more land, while we're going the opposite direction. In fact, the house we're buying belongs to friends who essentially want what we currently have, except not quite so far from the city. We've thought long and hard about this though, and we feel this decision is what's best for our family. And we're very excited!

FAQs

Considering we're going against the flow here, most of our friends, family and strangers think we are crazy. In response, here I will attempt to address the FAQs we're hearing over and over:

Really? After all the hard work you put into your house? 
Yep. After a certain point, the excitement of renovating turned into a slog, as long-time readers know, and it's hard to get the joy back. It's been 6 years. The house looks great, but we're just done. And this move is not just about the house itself -- it's about lifestyle. We want to reduce Ez's commute so that he can get two hours of his life back every day and be a part of our kids' activities. (Johnnie started dance this year!) We also want to move from a place where we'd be considering private schools to an area with award-winning (free!) public schools.

Won't you miss your kitchen/bedroom/custom features?
Yes, to a degree. Mostly, I will miss our bedroom with its high ceiling and beautiful old beams, and our spacious master bathroom. However, we'll be trading those things for other conveniences. For example, I am really looking forward to the more open floor plan in our new house, so I can keep an eye on the kiddos in the living room while I'm in the kitchen, etc.

How will you deal with having less square footage?
Even with another baby coming, our current house is just too big for us -- we simply don't use or need the extra space we have. The new house has a finished basement with a family room and 4th bedroom, so we will actually have more rooms than before. They're just a bit smaller and more efficient. This blog post about downsizing sums up our feelings very well.

Won't you miss your huge yard? 
Not really. Most of our time outdoors is spent mowing, trimming and keeping up the massive yard. Our new yard is small but flat, fenced in and has beautiful trees, so it'll be a fun change. I'm still hoping to find a sunny spot to grow some veggies. Plus, we'll be able to walk to the playground for a change of scenery or visit the grandparents!

Do you really want to deal with having neighbors so close and being in a busier area? 
Yep. We are looking forward to being much closer to a much bigger variety of stores and restaurants, and we're excited to have a more walkable lifestyle again. The neighborhood we chose is very family and community oriented, so there are block parties during holidays and a more neighborly vibe with plenty of kids around. After feeling somewhat isolated out in the country, we are excited for a more energetic neighborhood.

Won't you miss having your family close by?
Very much. This has been the hardest part of the decision. After the baby comes, at this point I am planning to work part-time -- one day a week in the office, and the rest of my hours from home. (Thank you, employer, for being so flexible and awesome!) I still plan to bring our kids to their grandparents' once a week when I go into the office, and we still plan to attend the same church, so we'll still see them quite regularly.

So that's that. We definitely have a lot to handle right now with only 9 weeks to go until my due date, a house to prep for sale and other to buy, but I'm thankful that these are circumstances we chose. Though I feel stressed at times, there is a lot of freedom in being able to choose your future path and work toward your goals as a family.

Are there any other burning questions that I missed?