Week 10 - The Countdown Begins

We made the decision to sell our lovely home in Colorado while we were in Florida. Mr. Dreamy has COPD and the altitude makes him miserable. There just isn't enough oxygen up here. His breathing troubles are compounded by trips to sea level, so his body never has a chance to build the red blood cells he needs to carry more oxygen.

For weeks before we arrived home I would go to sleep, counting things to do instead of sheep. It didn't lead to a restful sleep. I guess while I've been living a dream, our junk has multiplied. I can't believe how much stuff we need to deal with!

One week ago today we arrived home. We hit the ground running. Within a few hours we unloaded all of the clothes and food and assorted other stuff into the house... the one that is already crammed with too much!  By the end of the next day all of the bus linens (including a blanket and quilt)  and towels had been washed and taken back out. The next day the dog beds and the couch cover were taken care of and our laundry was washed and put away.  Once we had the way clear to begin the process of selling the house, the real work began....

• We met with two realtors. One came prepared with comps and displays of their color brochures and fancy marketing information. The other walked through the house taking copious notes and will get back to us next week with her presentation. Both realtors gave us some suggestions for things to occupy our time and get the house ready to sell.
• Mr. Dreamy called 4 driveway guys. The drive needs cracks sealed (a new 1"+ crack that goes across the drive has appeared in our absence, along with other small cracks here and there. Once the cracks are sealed the driveway needs to be coated so it will look all black and beautiful! The driveway guys must be hungry. They all came by to give estimates. Mr. Dreamy went out to look at the job one guy had completed. He wasn't impressed, so will be visiting another job site.
• We had an estimate to tear out and replace 4 sections of our parking pad (which were cracked), and a patio in the back by a concrete guy. We hired him on the spot and he will do the job next Thursday... maybe! Rain is in the forecast, so we will have to wait and see. 
• Mr. Dreamy set up visits by a handy-guy to put down baseboard molding in the basement (after carpet is replaced) and to complete other odd jobs around the house.
• An electrician is coming to bid on creating a chase for the power supply line in the garage. The current situation with bundled wires will not meet code in today's world. The electrician will also fix a 3-way switch we have never been able to figure out and work on the bathroom fan that has been in the process of falling out since we bought the house. 
• A landscape worker came by to give us an estimate on doing all of the spring yard work I normally do - getting all of the flower beds cleaned up, putting mulch around trees, turning the vegetable garden, adding more rock to beds around the house (where does the rock that used to be there go?) etc. While he was here we had him give us an estimate for cutting down the 20 dead and dying scrub trees and re-sodding the little front lawn that we have.  We have at least one other guy coming to give us an estimate on the yard work and an arborists to give us an estimate for the trees.
• The furnace will get its annual cleaning and service next week. 
• We began cleaning up the basement so that carpet can be installed. But, Dreamy realized before we could stash everything in the finished side of the basement into the storage area in the basement, the storage area would need some rearranging and organization. So Christmas decorations were repacked and consolidated (and Christmas decor in the living room was finally taken down after two years!!) and items on the shelves were moved to maximize the space we have. 
• A few items were put on Craig's list and one (rug hooking frame and bags of wool) has gone out the door.
• Dreaming called a few estate sale companies. Then we Dreamers visited some estate sales to get a feel for how things might go down here. We weren't impressed with what we saw. So, Dreaming did some more Internet research and made a few online inquiries over the weekend. 

A panorama of the basement

Ten weeks from now we hope to have the house show ready. We have almost 4 weeks of travel that will interrupt our preparations (although contractor work could go on while we are out of town). That will put us in mid-July. Here's hoping!!