Monday, October 12, 2009

stress!!!



i am here to report that it's very stressful to sell your house. or actually, to get ready to sell your house. you find yourself watching your husband doing all sorts of things that should have been done ages ago--painting those closet doors, finishing up the baseboards, pudsing the outside of the house (like stucco without the swirly frosting-like look--it just covers up the bricks), painting all that 70s brown wood on the outside of the house black, cleaning like mad (or having the cleaning girls clean like mad while you tidy like mad), trying to keep the kids entertained and from making too much of a big mess, baking gingerbread, lighting candles, making a new table runner (because you felt you must for the photos).



and then, the photographer (whom the realty company made you use) shows up two hours before you expect her and she wants drawings of the house and you can't find what husband has done with those notebooks of the drawings and you try to call him 15 times, but his phone is on silent, so you not so silently take his name in vain while you frantically try to locate the friggin' drawings with visions of his blood satisfyingly splattered on the walls above his desk swarming in your head. and the guy who makes the report on the house is here too and he's asking you to make copies of things. and you just want to get the studio ready for photos after three girls made new plushies creatures all weekend.





which turned out very well, but left a sea of bits of fabric in their wake. and you thought you had 'til noon to get it ready, so you were really, really surprised to find the photographer, who incidentally, has a canon (insert huge sigh here), at your door at 10. and you're not sure about the angles she's taking and she won't really listen to you as to what the best angles are in YOUR blue room and it seems she doesn't really want to take more than 1 picture of each room, which you think is really pretty poor considering the small fortune (equivalent of 3 50mm 1:4 nikkor lenses) you are paying her to take these photos of your house with her friggin' copy machine.


#77 - reversible table runner

all you can say is that they'd better be better than your own photos or you are definitely going to be filling that grudge book that spud gave you. because you already devoted several pages to husband and his lack of answering his phone and telling you the wrong time for the photographer lady. and in fact, you actually told him when he got home that you were breaking up with him. at least 'til 4, when you're going to meet him at tivoli.

24 comments:

Polly said...

The table runner is lovely, so it was well worth it. But was it worth spending money on the photos if you could have done the job, and most likely better?

Now rest...

MissBuckle said...

I agree. You should take the photos yourself. But eh house looks good (but then again I reckon it did before too).

Suecae Sounds said...

What does Spytning mean? Even though I am swedish, I cannot seem to find the right word. Running?

I am impressed by your house by the way. Especially at the choice of colors.

Lisa-Marie said...

Your houes always looks beaufiful, and your perfect up of it makes it stunning! Also, do estate agents not take pictures of your house when you self in Sweden? In the UK they come round and take pictures!

Gaia said...

You have a beautiful house, I just love the colours they are so bright and cheery. My kind of DREAM home. Can only dream, too much clutter in my house right now to make it happen at the moment.

will said...

The next level of stress is when visiting realtors proclaim after touring your house all the flaws and shortcomings of the house as they perceive it. Following that is yet another stress level - when prospective buyers casually remark their views, which invariably seem negative. Subsequent levels of stress include: making changes to the house because someone says it will help sell the place... negotiating with a prospective buyer and finally moving out.
We're in house No. 3 and I don't think selling a house ever gets easy.

d smith kaich jones said...

I had to laugh - sorry! - but I had a week like this all last week which is why I didn't get your film shipped - sorry again! - but I will definitely get it out this week. But also because one of my friends who's a professional photographer, back in the day when it was all film, showed up to shoot an architectural commercial job with his 5x7 camera. He usually shoots one shot only on stuff like that because that's all he needs, he's done it a zillion times - and hopefully the photographer who took pictures of your house does also & things will be just fine - but anyway, this just pissed off the folks who had hired him, who told him that well, the girl they hired the last time had a 35mm (which, at that time, indicated you were not all that professional on this type of shoot, unless you had one of those billion dollar tilt-shift lenses) shot tons of pictures, not just one! Which, in turn, pissed off my friend, who just said "right" and packed his stuff back into his car, called me, and we went out to dinner. LOL!

:) I'm sure it will all be fine. I hope it's better now?

:) Debi

f8hasit said...

I love those little dolls! I'm a big fan of the ugly dolls, but they've got nothing on those!

Are you selling them? Could I commision one?

Oh, and btw, your house is gorgeous. I'm sure it will sell in no time flat. If I were in the market, I'd buy it 'just because'.
:-)

christina said...

hopefully that great canon camera, will do all the work for her! : ) they won't be as awesome as your pics though- you really rock the lens.
your house is absolutely gorgeous.
xo

Zuzana said...

Ah, your house looks absolutely lovely! Are you sure you want to sell?;)
Have a wonderful Monday.;)
xo

http://howtobecomeacatladywithoutthecats.blogspot.com said...

Enjoy your night out at Tivoli. You deserve it!

spudballoo said...

And breathe...oh GOD that's awful. TWO HOURS EARLY? Scream, that would put me in a right old mush (sulk). The house looks lovely, well it IS lovely. I know what you mean about all the frenetic activity that one goes through prepping for a move...we did the same ready for tenants for our house in London. Really wished we'd done a load of the jobs waaaaaay before we left so we had the benenfit of our hard work!

the plushies are just lovely, as is the runner. GORGEOUS work! xx

Magpie said...

i can't believe you're selling that house. it's so awesome.

i love the chandelier over the new table runner.

Liz Fulcher, The Fragrant Muse said...

Wouldn't it be easier just to sell our, um, I mean, YOUR house to one of your bloggers? We already know and love the space so well. God bless you for giving Sabin the sewing lesson with so much on your plate. I like that. I really do.

As for the photos...Seriously, couldn't you just GIVE her some of your photos? Why does she have to do it when you're (practicallY) a professional photographer yourself?

Also, does all this energy on selling mean you've found THE farm?

Now just hop a plane to PA so I can rub your shoulders with hot stones.

Gwen said...

My realtor is showing up in about an hour for picture taking, and I have done nothing, really, not one thing. In fact, most of my house looks like the little engine that could had a wreck in it and spilled all its dollies and oranges and milk. See how I deal with stress? De-Nile! (oh, yeah, it's working)

I love that my daughter has those exact same Ikea pillows (the pink town one and the big butterfly one) arranged the same way. See, even though I'm an I and you're an E, we could still be psychic ..... sisters.

Mari Mansourian said...

oh boy J, as stressful of a day as it was for you... you served it up for us so nicely that it gave us all a big laugh... sorry for the stress.. the runner is awesome... the house looks great... and why are you selling it?? (did i miss a post somewhere about that??)... oh and hey don't take out all the anger on the canon will ya :)

Cyndy said...

Julie,

If I had a job there, I'd take your home in an instant. I have loved it from first glance. Sniff, sniff. So sorry I won't see it in person.

Your pictures will surely show the best of your home and I bet will be used. But it may be good to see what Canon girl saw through her lens (a different perspective?). Sorry, Pollyanna's creeping into the comments...

The sewing projects are lovely. Surely they will go to the new home with new memories to be had.

When we left our last house, we did all kinds of projects the realtor had suggested ~ all which were undone by the new owners. Hmph.

I think I am going to ask TFM for your massage. We all have the flu here and could really use some TLC.

Wish I could tell you the stressful part is over, but you know better, right? Time to get more wine...

Unknown said...

I was wondering where you were! The house looks great so it was all worth it! I can't believe you're leaving the blue room...

marja-leena said...

Oh, you have a gorgeous home, very Scandinavian! Love the table runner. Your photos are excellent, why not use them? I haven't quite figured out which country you are in, I first thought Denmark, then Norway, now Sweden... you see, I'm Finnish so I love all things Nordic!

The Redhead Riter said...

Wow! I love your house!!!

I hate moving too. Selling a house can be a nightmare. All the coming and going while packing and sorting can literally drive you crazy.

Just Jules said...

I am crap. I swear. I have to back the bus up here... you are selling your house? (insert braking sound here) I must become a better reader again... geez, you should add me to the grudge book - really, I deserve it.

I hate when people inconvenience your life so blatantly and don't seem to notice, or worse, care. selfish and stupid of the Realtor since it is their commission on the line

Optimistic Pessimist said...

ouch. i've seen realtor pictures before and they're usually not good. they always seem to skew them. odd. could be just an american realtor thing though.

good luck or good grudge.

Char said...

oh dear.....LOL

hope it got much better

Delena said...

Beautiful house. You really have a knack with decorating. I can see why your kitchen was featured in a magazine.
Yes, selling a house is right up there on the stress level ladder. It drove me crazy when we sold our first house and you couldn't ever let a thing be out of place and not a dish in the sink etc. It was really like putting your whole life on hold until it was sold. Good luck and I am sure it will sell quickly.