Moving… A Whole Range of Emotions
Recently, my husband and I moved inland from the Scenic Rim (Gold Coast hinterland) to the Darling Downs; a 1.5-hour drive west of Brisbane.
It certainly is true that moving (selling a house and buying another one) is one of the top stressors. The last couple of weeks, of a 60-day settlement, could have been completely nerve-wracking if we had allowed it to be.
Thankfully, my husband and I are still talking to each other despite riding the whole range of emotions that went hand in hand with the occasion! In fact, the number of different mini-projects that have arisen at our new property has invigorated us now that we are finally in our new place.
And what prompted this whole moving thing, one might ask? Well, this was for two very good reasons… our four-year-old and 20-month-old grandchildren. Of late, it was becoming more and more difficult to think of ways to answer a four-year-old’s simply phrased questions, such as: “When will I see you again, Nonna?” “Can I come to your house, Nonna?” “Can you stay at my house, Nonna?” And the one that tore at my heartstrings and made me feel guilty: “I have missed you, Nonna!”
Well, the photos show me on the front steps of our house in Boyland and the cats enjoying the morning sun whilst the other image is at our new place with the mischievous pair that prompted us moving. They look like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths!
Basically, for the last three months, though, this whole moving thing has had us yoyo-ing through a whole range of emotions. It commenced with researching and then contacting an estate agent whose online reviews met the requirements we had identified. Thank you to Kevin Blanc, from TMG-Ray White, Canungra, who did an extraordinary job of trying to minimise our stress and snagged a reasonable offer (in the current market) at the very first Open Home (which we accepted). An Open Home is demanding in its own right, as you want everything to be as close to perfect as possible, and then you want that ‘dream couple’ to be the ones who make the offer. Everyone’s dream couple is different, I suppose, yet for us, it was a couple or family who were looking for a place on which they were really keen to make a life for themselves, at least for the next few years. Luckily, we found them!
Then, you don’t have to worry about opening up your house to people anymore, but all the organisation from there, to do with packing up, change of address, booking all the services, etc. Well! And, for us, we hoped to find a house to buy so that we could move into it as soon as settlement went through. This was so as not to have to move twice and to ensure there was the least amount of trauma for our two big dogs and our rather fussy cats! Additionally, we were sad to leave our beautiful Queenslander where we had spent 11.5 years, putting our own stamp on it, and of course, living in the stunning Scenic Rim. Nevertheless, what was to be gained was worth all of this.
If anyone out there who is reading this is thinking of selling up and moving… all the very best to you! And know that you can do it, and with careful planning, you can sell and buy and make the dates match up.
One glitch, in what we hoped would be a smooth transition, was that the cleaner arrived 1.5 hours later than booked, and we had already left the house. Thankfully, our amazing estate agent came to the rescue, as he had organised with us to collect the keys from the property. After we left, following the removalist, the delayed cleaner arrived at the same time as him, and she could be let in to do the job!
I wonder what my mother would have thought about all of this. She would probably have expressed her sympathy but also reminded me about her experiences of travelling all the way from Italy and Africa, as recorded in Ciao! We’re in Africa.
We're travelling the same road, Marisa, for the same reason, and experiencing similar highs and lows. It will be worth it in the long run, but wow, it's hectic!