I think it is rather official at this point, and we can call it: The Ipes have moved into our new home. We have spent the past two months cleaning out our townhouse and migrating the majority of our wordly possessions into a large climate-controlled storage unit, boxing and decluttering our home. Everything was packed and labeled, ready for the move.
We did all this and simultaneously staged our house for open houses and individual showings, and closing on the new house. We have been running this marathon for months as was expected, checking off items on our various lists, and providing documentation to the mortgage company as requested (and often on short notice.) Here’s the rundown of major events in the past week, including snide commentary:
Thursday 7/17: My last day at work for a week, and it was a busy one. We also had a final walkthrough of the house at 7pm. This is also when we unfortunately notice the carpet is more stained and worn out than previously seen. We decide to not hold up the closing. We also notice that there really were limited rooms with overhead lighting, so we decide we need a “lamp budget.”
Friday 7/18: We drive around like mad that morning to find a bank branch with an available manager who could authorize our bank check for the mortgage down payment. Unlucky for us, all area branch managers were on a conference call, and couldn’t step away. We finally found a somewhat available branch manager in a neighboring town. Our closing was scheduled at 11:30 AM at our attorney’s office in Princeton, and we were now going to be late to meet with everyone at the closing.
Who “everyone” was turned out to be a big nothing. The sellers were not attending, and had given power of attorney to their own attorney, who would be coming an hour later to sign some paperwork. Our representative from the real estate company hung around in order to sign one document and collect a check. We (as the buyers) spent the first hour signing our life away. Very anti-climatic.
Afterwards, we drove over to briefly greet my wife’s friend Shannon who worked in a neighboring office. Then we two drove to a nearby Pei Wei chain for a late lunch and to plan what was next. Mostly, we planned to finish packing and get ready for Sunday’s open house at the townhouse.
We were also notified by the home owners association that our parking lot was scheduled to be paved next Wed and Thurs, and would be completely unavailable. But we are moving next Wednesday!
Saturday 7/19: Too much running around. Between separate new washer, dryer, and refrigerator deliveries, we had an appt with Closet Factory to design new closets for the kids, and still lots of packing and cleaning up at the townhouse. Just after 1pm, we received a call from a realtor that someone was interested in seeing the townhouse at 5:30 PM that evening, so I raced home to clean everything I could. Somehow, I leaped out of the house a full carload of stuff to bring to the new house.
Sunday 7/20: Open house at 1pm, and back to washing windows and other last minute jobs that morning. We had a handyman painting rooms at the new house that morning, so Namita went over to let him in.
Around 11 AM, I left with the kids to buy ice cream for our “Sundae Sunday” fundraiser during fellowship hour around 11:45 AM. You would have been impressed to see an Indian man and two kids flying through Stop N’ Shop that morning as we bought supplies. We made it though!
After that, more running around, of course. One note – the agent assigned to run our open house never showed up to put up signs or showed up at 12:45 PM as expected. My wife was waiting at 1 PM with a car loaded up and two cats in their carriers. We contacted our agent, who also starts calling the other agent. We find out he overslept (!) and would get there around 2:30 or so. We were livid.
Monday 7/21: HVAC maintanence appt at our townhouse, plus more set up at the house, and packing. AC unit is frozen solid from Sunday, need to reschedule HVAC for Tuesday. Also had the electrician over to price out wiring the house for ethernet and installation of lighting.
Tuesday 7/22: Return of HVAC guy so he can sell me a new system, kids’ bedroom furniture delivery.
Wednesday 7/23: The Big Move! I drove out early to pick up the 24′ U-Haul truck from a location nearby in Monmouth Junction. The fellow provided me a number of warnings about the truck’s key features, such as bad brakes and issues with the AC, refueling, and that it shakes a lot. With all that, I drove back and met our StrongMile movers back at the house.
Due to the repaving job in our parking lot, I parked the truck in an adjacent lot, and the movers had extra walking to do for two hours. Namita went to the house and I drove the truck to the storage unit, where we proceeded to continue loading the truck. Almost everything fit — but the bottom half of the dining table went in the movers’ minivan.
At the house, the unloading went well, and the entire move took about 6 hours, under budget and in less time than expected.
As for the rest of the week, it was mainly unpacking. My in-laws came over with dinner Wed night, and my father-in-law blessed the house. We had guests, including my sister and her family over before the week was up.
The Ipes have moved into the neighborhood! Be warned.
Our new LG refrigerator
It’s so pretty inside
Our new LG washer and dryer
Not to make it too easy on Moving Day, but our parking lot was closed due to repaving
Driving the rental truck, which I call “Large Marge”
Loading up Large Marge
I hit a large bump in the road on the way back to returning the truck, and 2/3 of the dashboard popped out!
