Like I mentioned on Friday, the past couple of months have really just been a whirlwind. What started as a casual, “looking into things” quickly evolved into an “oh, we’re really doing this” and that’s when the craziness began.
So we started looking into a couple of different houses and home scenarios towards the end of February and went to meet with a realtor a couple of times. Assuming that nothing was really going to come of it (because we didn’t ever think it could all work out at the time), Jay and I were both pretty nonchalant about the whole thing.
After meeting with the realtor the second time, we started to realize, okay…maybe this IS doable? So we started going over all sorts of things, crunching numbers, writing out spreadsheets…the whole nine. And every time we listed out a pros/cons list, it always came back to the same thing. Eventually we realized, okay, I guess it’s time to put our home on the market! Our original plan was probably to start listing it sometime between now and the middle of May so we could try to get our pool open and ready to show. But the timing worked out a bit differently than we first thought and our house was listed around mid-March.
I swear, I don’t think I’ve EVER seen my house so clean!
Within a couple of days being on the market, we had about a dozen showings which got a little interesting. You may remember (although, probably not) that we were spending a little extra time with family over one particular weekend, and that’s because we basically had to be out of our house the entire time.
Lo and behold, two days after our house was listed, we had two offers on the table…and never in my wildest dreams would I have thought anything was going to happen that soon! We negotiated a bit back and forth and soon after that, we had a contract and a buyer. Crazy.
So I’m sure you’re probably waiting for me to answer the big question…where are we moving to??
Well, in terms of location, we’re really only moving about 15 minutes away from where we are now so there won’t be too many changes in that regard. But we’ll be closer to our jobs and both sets of parents (to say the grandparents are thrilled would be an understatement) and we’re going to be in a good school district, which was very important to both of us.
And the most exciting part of it all is the fact that we’re building our new home!
This was the aspect that Jay and I were really unsure of and weren’t positive whether or not it’d be possible – or if it was the right thing for us, for that matter. But in the end, when we kept going back to those pros and cons, we always came back to building and we made the decision that that’s ultimately what we should do.
The process has been…interesting. It had its ups and downs, plenty of frustrations, but also a lot of excitement as well. We’ve been to a number of meetings and appointments where we’ve had the opportunity to pick out basically every little detail of our home… kitchen cabinets, floors, carpets, lights, siding, toilets, appliances (<—that was actually this night)…you name it! And as someone who is as indecisive as me, it’s certainly come with its challenges. BUT, we are very fortunate for the fact that Jay and I tend to agree on just about everything (and when we don’t, he usually lets me make the decision, smart man) so in terms of us butting heads in the process, it really just hasn’t happened. We’ve had so much fun making all of our selections!
So they actually started clearing our lot and digging the hole for our foundation this week, which really struck us both with one of those “umm, ok it’s really happening” moments.
And since our closing date is scheduled for the end of May, we finally realized that we needed to get a move on with the packing…
Unfortunately, as I’m sure you can assume, our new home is definitely not going to be ready by the time we need to be out of our current home, so things are going to be a little hectic for a couple of months. Luckily, we have some amazing friends and family who have generously offered to let us stay with them during our couple months of transition, so we’re working on finalizing some details on all of that. Regardless, it’s all going to work out in the end, but it’s still giving me a bit of anxiety thinking about it all!
The whole process has been pretty emotional for me. Some of you probably already know that the home we currently live in is my grandparents’ old home, and one that I’ve been coming to since, well, I was born. I have SO many wonderful memories of being here as a little girl, swimming in the pool, watching old home movies in the basement, having sleepovers with grandma, grandpa, and my brother…but then there’s also the 6+ years of memories that Jay and I have built here as a family, too. And all of the home projects we’ve done and are SO proud of…like a brand new kitchen, a remodeled bathroom, replacing all of the doors and trim, and a new back deck, to name a few.
I’ve always had a hard time with change and big transitions, and I know this won’t be easy. But we knew that this wasn’t a home that we’d stay in forever (we’re very quickly running out of space!) and we both know that this is the best decision for our family. We are absolutely thrilled for our next big step, and I’m sure I’ll be sharing many more details and house updates along the way!
CARLA says
IM THE QUUUUEEEEN of the moves these days.
(to my dismay :-))
if you need any tips—give me a shout!
Britt@MyOwnBalance says
Congrats! This is so exciting!! Your new home is going to be wonderful. I can’t wait for the grand tour! How fun that you get to pick everything out!
Danielle @ Little Mama Big Life says
Congrats on your new adventure! I’m sure its all very exciting and overwhelming! Excited to see the new house!
Brynn says
Congratulations! How fun you are able to build your dream home. I was wondering how it was going leaving your grandparent’s home (long time reader alert!!). I am sure it will be difficult, but what an amazing adventure you have ahead.
Ash Diamond says
Congratulations!! Good luck with everything these next few months!
Katie @ life's next big step says
congratulations!! I could have written this post myself (actually, I probably will soon) but we did the same thing – someone bought our house without us putting it on the market (unreal) and we are also building our new home! So exciting! Ours will be ready at the end of August or so – so fun and crazy and hectic! Good luck with everything :)
Kelsey / A Turquoise Lining says
How exciting!? This is quite awesome! I’ve actually haven’t followed a blogger yet who has built their own home, so I think it’ll be interesting to hear your journey! I hope you share some of the details with us!
Sarah @ Sarah Sincerely says
Ah! SO exciting! Congratulations! I can’t believe your house sold in just a few days. That’s crazy! I can’t imagine how hectic and how many decisions must be made when building a house. As someone who hates making decisions, I wouldn’t be in love with that part of it, but how nice that you can have a say in literally everything about your new home!
Becky @ Olives n Wine says
Congrats!!! Leaving a home with so many past memories is never easy but it sounds like you are making the best decision for your family! We considered building before buying our home a month ago but all of the decisions left me extremely overwhelmed, haha. I give major kudos to anyone who can go through that process! I can’t wait to see the new place :)
Shel@PeachyPalate says
Oh wow that is super exciting!!! Can you stay in your current house until the new one is built?
Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat says
Oh my goodness, how exciting!!! Congratulations!
Jenn@Mark My Miles! says
How exciting!!!! can’t wait to see the finished product!
Linz @ Itzlinz says
Congrats!! That’s so exciting!! You guys will build all new memories in your brand new home!!
Melissa says
Congratulations on your new home! It sounds so exciting and I cannot wait to hear more about it!
Colleen @ The Lunchbox Diaries says
YAY! Congratulations! Building is so fun (and kind of stressful) — I can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
Stacie @ SimplySouthernStacie says
Congrats!! I think it’s even more exciting that you are building your home, so it will be exactly what y’all want!
Lauryn Massey says
Congratulations to you all! What an exciting time for you! Good luck with all the moving and all the transitioning. :-)
Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says
Congratulations! I’m not a huge fan of change either, but this sounds like a great opportunity for you guys!
Torry @ A World Without Wheat says
Congrats!! I am so excited for you and cannot wait to watch this journey of you guys building your house!! I have always thought when I move into my own house that’s how I want to do it! Good Luck!!
Lauren says
Oh girl so exciting! Congrats! I remember when my ex and I built our home, we had to live with my parents for a few months and I was super worried about it, but it all worked out. The time flies! :) Good luck with everything hun.
Beks says
That’s really exciting! I know all about many memories of a house. After college, I moved back in with my parents (as a renter/daughter), and we had to move last August. I can’t even bring myself to drive NEAR that area of town because the memories are still kind of painful. But it’s such a good thing for you and your family, and the home building process is pretty exciting (We built our home that we had to sell, so I feel pretty attached to it). Good luck with everything!
Marielle says
How fun!! Can’t wait to see all the details when it’s all finished!
Stacey M. says
I am SO excited for you, Jay and Lucas! How awesome that you get to design your new home – I don’t know as if I’d have the patience to go through it all, but it’s definitely the best way to get exactly what you want. I can’t wait to hear more about your big move and see your new home when it’s complete! Good luck to you all!
Brittney says
Congratulations, Courtney!! What exciting news for you and your family! Can’t wait to follow along as you build your new home and make it your own.
Sarah @ Blonde Bostonian says
Congratulations! I’ve always wanted to build my own house. I love the idea of making it exactly what I want from the beginning!
Melissa @ Freeing Imperfections says
How exciting! My parents built a house when I was about 9. It was really exciting as a kid. although I’m sure I didn’t realize how stressful it was. I will never forget moving into that house and being so happy that we were the first people to live there. I’m excited to hear about how it goes!
cait @pieceofcait says
so awesome!!! what a fun adventure.. can’t wait to read the process of it !
Sarah says
How exciting! I’m a graphic designer at a Real Estate Company that works directly with a builder… it’s always fun to see people building their own homes. You can get so creative with everything!
Sarah
Midwest Darling
Morgan @ Managing Mommyhood says
Congratulations! Such an exciting time!! We started the buying/closing process on our home a week before my son was born, and we moved in when he was 5 weeks.. I definitely get the whole moving/packing being stressful and emotional! It will be so worth it in the end though, enjoy!!!
Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday says
Congratulations! I love the idea of building my own home, but I’m not sure I could actually make that many decisions ;) So excited to read about your adventure! Good luck!
Melanie @ BeautifullyNutty says
A HUGE congrats! Guess what?! We are in the EXACT same boat! We put our house on the market in March and it sold in a day and a half and we will also be building a new home! We break ground as soon as we close (closing date is still TBd) in either May or June and hope to be in our new home come fall! I totally get the craziness of all of the decisions especially when I, like you, have a hard time making decisions. Can’t wait to get updates on your progress!!
Catherine Cormier says
Congratulations – how exciting!! It’s crazy how everything is falling into place for you. I know the next few months will be hectic but it’ll all be worth it in the end when you have a new house that is built to your specs and for your family :)
Alyssa @ RenaissanceRunnerGirl says
Congratulations! The idea of building my own home has always been a lovely dream, just to have everything the way you want it to be and to be involved in the creative process is amazing.
Claire @ Keeping Up With Claire says
Congratulations!!!! I’m so happy for you guys! :) You are going to really enjoy the process of personalizing and building your house. We just went through it (for a townhouse) and I LOVE our house. We also lived with Nick’s parents while our house was being built and trust me – the time FLIES. I’m so, so excited for you all and can’t wait to see the final product!
Ashley @ A Lady Goes West says
Change is good, Courtney! And that’s awesome you’re able to build the house of your dreams in the right neighborhood. I love that you live so close to family and have always been nearby. I wish I was closer to mine! You’ll need a lot of wine during the moving process, I’m sure. GOOD luck! :)
C. says
Congrats! I’ve been getting my toes wet in the home buying process locally and I’m glad to hear it went well for you!
lisa valinsky says
Wow, congrats! That’s huge news – and so exciting that you’re building a home. My husband and I rent currently, but we love to look at both home and land listings to dream away for our one day home.
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says
Eeeek! I’m thrilled for you guys! Congrats on the new house! We built our house in Utah and I loved being able to pick everything out. Not to mention having a brand new house was nice … nothing hardly ever broke while we were in it! Now that we’re in a little bit of an older home (which has its advantages too I suppose), I’m realizing how spoiled we were in our brand new home in Utah. Ohhhh well. ;) Regardless, I’m so excited for you!! So glad things have been going relatively smooth and that your house sold fast!
Courtney says
Oh, I never realized you built your house in Utah, so fun!!
Ash Z @ Ash's Right Direction says
Very Exciting! I must say that I am soo jealous right now. We have been trying to sell our house for almost a year with not much luck :/ That is amazing it was so quick. We keep going back and forth on what to do – build or buy… We have looked at houses and we have looked at lots of land. I guess we will see when the time comes what we choose to do.
CONGRATS!
Lauren C says
That is SO exciting!! Congrats!
Danica @ It's Progression says
Congratulations!! This is all so exciting, even though I can imagine why it’s emotional, too. Good luck with all of the packing!
Sabrina says
Congratulations! That’s really exciting.
Sarah @ Sweet Miles says
Exciting!!!!!!!! Congrats on everything working out so smoothly! What a blessing!
Melissa says
Congratulations!!! A new home is exciting. Will your new home have a pool? I would have a hard time parting with that!
Courtney says
Unfortunately, it won’t right away (I’m SO sad to be leaving ours!) but it is something we plan to invest in in the next 1-3 years!
Julie says
Congratulations! We are selling our home too and expect to close at the end of May. Man, it was tough having to clean up the house for all the showings with a toddler! :)
Courtney says
Congrats, Julie! And OMG, right?! And of course, Lucas wanted to bring out every. single. toy every time haha ;)
Annette@FitnessPerks says
Congrats! That is so exciting! Building sounds fun (and probably a bit stressful), but that’s awesome you get to choose everything :)
I’m just curious-did you guys not find anything you like, or did you really want to build all along?
We close in a few weeks on our first home, and we’re totally stoked because we found something we absolutely love with a great yard! Now, to pick out paintttttt colors!
Arimey says
Congratulations!! Super exciting! Building is my dream (maybe someday!), but I can certainly see how it would be stressful. Good luck!
Whitney says
Good Luck!! Hubs and I just broke ground on our custom home! We’ve been working with our architect for a year. We are having so.much.fun! Love that we are getting the exact floor plan we want! All the chaos will be worth it in the end :)
Liz says
You are lucky! My house has been on the market for close to a year in your zip code. It is so stressful….
Courtney says
Oh man Liz, I’m so sorry! I honestly did NOT expect it to happen the way it did at ALL. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you! (and HELLO, nearby neighbor!) :)
Char says
Congrats! As exciting and scary as it is, I know it will be one gorgeous house you’re going to move into. Hopefully you make it through the limbo phase with as little stress and anxiety as you can. I know that part will be tough, but so worth it!
Autumn (@Beautifully Gray) says
Wow congratulations on the big news! It is so exciting to be able to build your very own house and make it into a home.
Kim says
Congrats!!!! We built our dream home and it was a journey. One piece of advice, get everything you want now and don’t think you’ll do it later. The wall colors, window trim, flooring, etc. Looking back, those things don’t make a huge difference on the mortgage payment. We should have added the bonus room but the price scared me at first, now I realize it was doable.
Enjoy the process!!!!!!!
Courtney says
Thanks so much, Kim! We really do have a lot of things that scare us for the price, haha, and there are some things that we did cut back on. Hoping we don’t regret them down the road…!
Jen@jpabstfitness says
How exciting, congratulations!!!
Sheena @ Paws and Pavement says
Congrats on the move! Although it’s exciting I know moving can be super stressful. We’ve moved a lot lately and are so glad to finally be in our home.
Good luck with the packing!
Julie says
Congrats!! So exciting!!! Can’t wait to follow-up along with house updates :)
Shawna says
playing catch up on your blog…congrats on building your new home! hope it’s more “sweet” than “bitter” and ends up being a great experience for you guys. there are so many beautiful places to build upstate, and it’ll be great to be closer to your fams.
Amanda Bell says
Go girl! Any kind of change is good, inspiring and positive! You’ve taken a great decision to change the atmosphere and build your new home yourself – it will strengthen your family relationship and you all will make yourselves priceless memories. Thumbs us. Wish you luck!
Courtney says
Thanks Amanda!
Lena Lawson says
Really exciting! I am also moving house soon and I am very nervous about it. :) I wish you all the best in the new home! :)