If These Old Walls Could Speak

We went out with a real estate agent today. We'd put house hunting on hold for six months or so. Things are slowing down again so we're gearing up to find a place. Oak Park or River Forest is our destination.

We saw three places today, one of which had a perfect ground floor, basement and back yard. The second and third stories, not so much. One bedroom was weird in that you had to walk through it in order to get to the stairs that led up to the play room in the attic space. Also, the master bedroom had a tiny bath with only a shower and the closet space sucked. I was excited, however, this was the type of place that we are looking for and it was well within our price range. It was also in the best grade school district in the area and within walking distance of the Synagogue.

I'm feeling overwhelmed from the trip today though. It's crazy to walk through a house, currently loaded with another family's life, and think about how the space will work for you when your two year old and a potential child yet conceived are teenagers. This place had a living room, family room, rec room and play room. I plotted it out in my head. So, C could be downstairs with his friends playing Wii in the rec room, but only on weekends, so I wouldn't be disturbed in my office. And then, Kid #2 could hang with his/her friends in the family room. B and I could be reading the Economist and the New Yorker respectively in the living room in front of a fire. Then, we'd all gather for a huge dinner in the dining room.

Uh...you talkin' to me? How in the hell did I get here?

Baby C stayed with T, M & the kids while we were out house hunting. We took him in and he immediately ran after Coco (one of their kitties) yelling "Coco! Coco!" He barely waved goodbye to us as we walked out the door. He had such a good time with them. And, they wore him out! He FELL ASLEEP in the car on the way home. He hasn't slept in the car since he was nine months old.

Next topic of discussion: potty training! (Or "potty learning" as the books say.) He seems to be ready to go in that he's exhibiting all of the "signs". B and I are both cautious (scared shitless - pardon the pun). Evidence indicates that potty learning has broken better parents than us. Anyone know the patron saint of the potties that we can pray to? We're going to need all of the help we can get.

Comments

[cadiz12]

i'm trying to sell my place right now (it's a tiny condo downtown) and my realtor keeps telling me i have to make it look like a fabulous model home. i mean, i get the reasoning for stainless appliances and hardwood floor, but what if i paint an accent wall gray and potential buyers hate it?

as a buyer, are you more interested in seeing a place that's all white so you can envision the place as you'd decorate it or is it more appealing to see it all decked out according to somebody else's inspiration?

i hope you find a house you love. i love oak park/riverforest.

[Sabina]

Cadiz - How do I keep missing your comments? Oh yeah, I guess if I checked in on my blog once in a while that would help!

My preference on house buying is to see something white unless it is just so stunning that you would pay a million dollars for the owners to sell you their furniture and personal belongings with the house because they have much better taste than me. ;-)

That's always a crap shoot though. There is no accounting for taste. So, I'd go w/ white walls. I will say that, despite my best intentions, coffee table books, art and clutter free houses ALWAYS get me.

Where are you moving to?

[cadiz12]

i agree. i've been turned off to places just because i didn't like their orange and black curtains. i haven't decided where i want to live yet; i'm totally open to anything within walking distance to a not-scary El stop. i used to have my heart set on Lincoln Square, but i think word got out on that and the prices are sky high now! any suggestions?