Well, we’ve done it. The house is officially on the market.
Matt and I have only ever sold one other house. It was easy to get ready. Our timing and location were good. We had one open house, four offers. We’re not expecting anything like that this time around — it’s just a different time and place. But I hope we’ll have good luck again.
A few observations on the process so far:
> Despite the fact that I habitually overshare on this blog, I feel a little bit like my business is uncomfortably on display right now. My whole house online – yikes.
> Speaking of on display: last night someone just parked in our driveway and stared at the house for a while. That was a weird.
> Ten years in a house will give a family plenty of time and space to accumulate stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. So much stuff. Tidying up has been quite a job.
> I’m loving the fact that everything is so neat right now. Note to my future self: keeping it like this is easier than getting it here.
> Our yard is just about to burst into flower. I wish even more than usual that it would hurry up. I want new people to see this house looking its most lovely.
> I feel affection for prospective buyers. I hope one of them will like this house as much as we have, and take good care of it.
> I also feel defensiveness toward prospective buyers. If they don’t like it as much as we do, then they’re making an enormous mistake.
> The sadness about leaving the house, which I’m sure will come, isn’t here yet. It’s all very transactional right now.
Anyway, that’s about where I am right now. I have to go now. Someone’s coming to look at the house.
steady she goes 
We attempted selling an even older, larger house in a neighboring town just before the housing market crashed. The though of having to only prep the place for one open house and get 4 offers is an amazing dream. All your observations strike me as ‘spot on’. And not to creep you out but I did ‘pull up’ your listing and I can say your tidying up results are amazing. I cringe to think how poorly anything I could manage would compare an I do not have a major illness or a young son. People gawking in the driveway is far more uncomfortable for me than the online listing. When we bought our house people did that for a few months after we moved it — nearly 20 years later I still feel the hair raise on my neck when I think of it. May the ones in your driveway actually visit and make an offer. Fingers crossed for you.
Good for you! We are just thinking about moving, Ugh. 13 years and 2 kids later, I know what you mean about “stuff”. Sigh.
Quick note: our last house we sold ourselves. Looking out my office window I saw a car drive by a few times, then they stopped in front. I walked out and introduced myself and invited them in. They were our DREAM BUYERS. They came in, looked around, and bought it on the spot. Wrote a huge deposit. Cash buyers, nice older couple, totally willing to wait until our new home was built.
The point: if you want to sell the house, make it easy for people. If you count on them to write down your address, go home, think it over, look online, call a realtor for an appointment……it might not happen or they find another home online! Carpe diem!
Love your blog, usually lurk but thought you’d like the story!