Last night around 5pm we finally got the keys to our new place. Or should I say key? The owners were super considerate and left ONE count ’em ONE key and ONE garage door opener for us. Oh, a one and a half rolls of toilet paper.
We were also greeted by a couple of giant holes on the wall as soon as we walked in the front door from some expander screws they decided to rip out of the wall yet decided not to repair.
Nothing says welcome home like a couple of good ole’ holes.
Did I mention I have exactly ONE day to unpack? Yep. Chino the Handyman and his crew start remodeling our house tomorrow and I’ll need to clear at least one of the three garage spaces for the dump truck they’ll be parking in the garage during the demo. Luckily my buddy Hulda from the old neighborhood will be coming by this morning for a few hours to help me unpack. With Monkey Boy off to school, the HH off to work and Lucy the puggle dog off to doggy daycare, I’m hoping to get as much as humanly possible accomplished today.
Because basically if it doesn’t get done today… It won’t get done until this weekend {because of the work crew}.
And, well, I don’t know about you, but a pair of clean clothes and a mattress to sleep on tonight would kind be cool.
Wish me luck!
~Mavis
Jayme says
Good luck 🙂 we just bought a home too and were greeted by a sidewalk full of trash not to mention a trash can full of cigarette ashes and various surprises all over the house, I totally understand where your coming from. Although we dont have the added pressure of a work crew. Your going to rock this day and full that home with love. Congratulations on your new home 🙂
Jenn says
I can commiserate a little. Last year my hubby and I bought a foreclosure that needed major remodeling. After 4 months of the remodeling we moved in. Almost a year later we still have little stuff that needs to be completed by our contractor. he day we moved I was lucky enough to pack us an overnight bag and clean sheets, but I forgot to pack our towels from the old house. So we had to go back and get towels before we could even think about taking a shower. Can’t wait to see pictures of the new house and garden!
Beth says
Good luck!
Jane says
Ahhh, the worst. Find out where they moved and put that 1.5 rolls of TP to good use.
Leslie says
Haha!
Madam Chow says
Good luck, but don’t feel too bad. What greeted us:
No shower curtains. They even took the clear plastic cheapo liners.
$3,500 chimney repair because of a cracked flue.
$5400 to insulate an enormous attic, because they put the cheapest stuff in and it had deteriorated.
$1300 to fix the ducts for the HVAC system which are improperly connected.
An additional $8200 of repairs on top of all the above, of which $7000 is escrowed for repairs.
The house is only 6 years old, but they always intended to flip it so they did things as cheaply as possible or didn’t do them at all.
A friend of mine bought a house in the past year and a pipe burst in sub zero weather while she was gone for Christmas, two weeks after she moved in. The pipe burst because the previous owners had remodeled, put the pipe in an exterior wall, and failed to insulate it. This caused a chain reaction, and caused $300,000 worth of damage to her $550,000 house. Everyone is getting sued (the owners had done a lot of remodeling, NONE of it to code, some of which could have killed her, such as a whirlpool tub that wasn’t grounded), and she had to fight her insurance company to pay. Another friend moved into a place a month ago, 9 months pregnant, and her basement flooded with over a foot of water. They had asked the owner about water issues, and he had lied. The neighbors told them the basement floods all the time.
All of us got good home inspectors, some of these people are lawyers, and everyone was very careful. Be careful out there!
Wendy Steele says
Jane–You’re bad….but I wish I had thought of that…..lolololol!!!
Carol says
Onward, Mavis! No one can manage this stuff if you can’t. I like the suggestion Jenn gave about pre-packed overnight bags.
Best of luck!!!
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
Good luck!! You might want to have Chino change your locks. I never trust when just one key is left behind. Actually I would tell you this even if they left 10 keys. I just feel like it’s safest to always change your locks right away.
KK @ Preppy Pink Crocodile
Leanna says
I agree change your locks.
Kathy says
Yes, change the locks immediately. Trust me, I speak from experience on this one.
Teckla says
Yes, change your locks! ASAP! Always good policy and highly recommended when only 1 key is left behind! Mavis, you’ll knock this one out of the ball park! You might not be able to move tomorrow, but you’ll rock this! You go. girl!
Dale says
Better yet Save some money and just have your locks re-keyed. 1/10th the price and the same result. Home Depot or Lowes can do it. Simple!
RebekahU says
I am so sorry! But take heart! It was so good of you to leave your old house in a welcoming state for the new family. We moved here a little over a year ago. When we walked in after closing, we were so sad to see holes in the walls from wall mounted tvs, wall deals that were just ripped off, gallons and gallons of paint that needed to be disposed of, etc. etc. etc. I always leave our houses as perfect as I can (we’ve moved 13 times), but after this last experience, I am going to try to do even better.
Debbie says
I agree with the advice to change your locks including the garage.
Who only has one house key anyway?
Good luck with the remodeling – it can be a very stressful time.
I look forward to your before and after photos:)
Jamie N. says
Re-key, Re-key, Re-key!!! Went to Lowe’s planning on buying new locks when we moved in our house, especially when the neighbors told us about the fighting going on between the old owners. A similiar lock to the one on the front door alone cost almost $200 and that’s just for one door! Luckily there was a great sales person who told me about re-keying and had every door re-keyed and multiple keys made for about $10 total!
Sharon says
Good Luck Mavis! Boy, I hate the moving process, but love the end result. Your new home will be great.
PS – watched you on New Day Northwest on Monday – good job. Didn’t realize you were so tall!
Alison says
Good luck Mavis! We have moved 10 times in 31 years and we have it down to a science. We pack for 2 weeks and make sure we have food and bedding for our pets. So many nightmare tales that they won’t fir in the space but I hop you settle in quickly!
Love the blog!!!!!!
Shannon says
You may want to change the locks, anyway. You never know who has keys.
Stacy says
Argh, scum bags. Recode your garage door opener, change the locks, and report the damage to the real estate agent or your home insurance company at least. I thought that if they damaged the home and left it unlike the way it was before you had said you’d buy it, they had to pay for the damages?
I hope you enjoy all of the positive changes that are going to take place there, the house and neighbors are probably going to thank you for taking new ownership!!! 🙂
bonnie says
Wow! I’m currently n the market for a new home and all of these tips will be helpful. I thought getting a home inspection done would cover everything I now see it doesn’t. Thanks Ladies.
Cheryl says
Sorry that is happening to you. Fell content knowing you did not do the same to the ones moving into YOUR home. It feels so good to be the good person….and you are.
Bless you!
Cheryl says
*feel*
judy says
I must have missed something. Sounds like you are selling the house in WA and moving to the one on the east coast? I was under the impression that was just a second home. Good luck with whatever it is you are doing.
Mavis Butterfield says
We downsized our home in Washington as well as purchased one of the East Coast this summer. 😉 Still here, just a different house.
Nancy says
Mavis, You never cease to amaze me! Here you are moving into a new house, prepping for television show, packing and unpacking and everything else you are doing and you still take time to write your blog. I am sure everyone would understand if you took a day or two off from writing and tend to your new home.
Gosh girl, you make me tired just reading about all you accomplish.
Best wishes to you and your family.
Joyce Tucker says
Mavis: I hope your unpacking goes without a hitch.
When we sold our home here in WA state, we were reminded by our realtor, that we were legally obligated to relinquish the home in the same condition the home was in when our purchaser viewed the home. Might want to check into that with your realtor.
You are not obligated to leave a shower curtain, or a shower rod, as long as it’s not screwed down.
Lady Chow, if you’re in WA state, you might want to check into filing a complaint against your home inspector, provided he was licensed. http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/homeinspectors/hicomplaint.html
Gracey says
i’m excited for you and looking forward on hearing all about your new garden and whacky adventures. 🙂 makes me look forward to our family moving to a new house also early next year.. i’ll have a lot more space for my garden. 🙂
nicole says
If it makes you feel any better, we bought our house in a divorce bankruptcy sale. The previous occupant didn’t like the fact that it was purchased, so she claimed squatter rights for a YEAR until the Court was able to force her out. In that time period, she managed to rip down walls, peel wallpaper from the walls, unplug a refrigerator full of dairy products a full MONTH before we took possession, took acid to the hardwood floors, and allow her dog to defecate all over the upstairs and left it there- like, there was MOLD growing on the feces, and the urine warped the floors… AND, due to NJ state squatter law, she got to do ALL of this while we paid the mortgage, the property taxes, and the heat, hot water, and electric bills because it would be “inhumane” to our uninvited house guest to turn any utilities off!!!
nicole says
Good luck with your home, though! It is all worth it in the end!!!
Glenda says
So sorry to read about the lack of integrity and character in the people from whom you purchased the house.
We recently purchased a home about twenty miles from where we had lived for thirty four years. We wanted to be closer to our wonderful children and grandchildren. We did a walk through one hour before the closing to check the house out. The people had repaired every picture hole, touched up paint over them, and cleaned the house to a spotless state. I am very particular about cleanliness and, even, I was impressed.
It is always a very good idea to change the locks on every door. Neighbors or relatives might still have keys.
Best wishes in your new home.
Stacey says
Congratulations on your new home, Mavis. I hope all goes well for you from here!
Janice says
Exciting and exhausting all at once, girl! Try to remember to breathe in there somewhere.
All the usual precautions I could think of have been mentioned above, save one,….
The one thought that keeps niggling the red flags into position,…why does a work crew park a dump truck in an enclosed garage where the household goods are being stored in adjoining bays? I realize you already have so much on your plate, and I apologize for being a nervous Nellie.