Even though I technically started looking at condos about 5 years ago, things didn’t really get serious until the beginning of September this year. I wasn’t in a rush to find a new place, but circumstances changed things from how I was doing lazy searching before. Because my parents were helping me with this, we had to have a serious conversation about what the budget would be and what things we saw as requirements. For the most part, we were on the same page with everything. There were a few things my parents saw as requirements that I didn’t think I needed to have. But they were things that were on my list of things that would be nice to have, so I didn’t mind adding them to the requirement list.
And once we were seriously looking, there were a lot of places we went to. When my parents were here, we looked at a bunch of places. I was spending my Sundays going around to different open houses to see what was out there. And I would occasionally go after work for a showing with my realtor for places that were fitting what we wanted. And I saw a lot of places that weren’t bad, but they just weren’t right. Sometimes, you can’t explain why a place isn’t right. It just didn’t feel like it could be my home.
I got ideas of what I wanted and my parents and I talked about ideas of what sort of remodeling work we’d consider. Of course, finding a place that is perfect and move-in ready would have been the top choice, but I knew that wouldn’t be likely with our budget and the style that I like. So finding a place that only needed cosmetic changes was the idea we were thinking of.
I know that there are people who spend months looking for a place, so the time I was looking really wasn’t that long. I was seriously looking for about a month before I found a place that seemed perfect. I wanted to stay in my current neighborhood and this place was only 3 blocks away. It was in the budget. It needed cosmetic work, but nothing major. It had a little outdoor space. The only thing I was hesitant about was that it was not on the top floor, which is something I really wanted. But I also realized I would have to deal with noise from neighbors no matter what floor I’m on when you compare it to my current place.
I had my parents on FaceTime when I was at that place and I arranged to go back for a private showing with my realtor the next day. And he agreed that it was a great place for me and it fit what I was looking for. Then there was a lot of back and forth stuff. We were a part of multiple offers and had to do two different offers before they accepted ours. In the inspection, there were a few things we found that we either wanted credit for or wanted to have repaired. The repairs took a bit longer than expected, but since I am not in a rush to move, I preferred it would be done properly than to be rushed. But exactly a month after the first time I saw the condo at an open house, it was officially ours!
We are still looking at contractors for doing some work, and the timing worked out perfectly because my parents will be in LA next week. So they will be able to help me find a contractor and look for materials that I want to use. And I have no clue how long the work will take to do, but I’m hoping not too long since it’s not a lot of work. I won’t be moving in until it’s done, so I’ll be paying rent plus paying for the condo for a few months. So the shorter time that needs to happen, the better.
So far, I’ve gone over to the condo a few times since getting the keys. I have done a little bit of cleaning with things that I can do myself. And I went around taking measurements so I can plan how my furniture will work in the new place. I’m not worried about things not fitting, the condo is much bigger than my current house. But I still want to plan out how things will fit and what new things I might want to get.
While this place felt like it could potentially be my home from the first time I saw it, it feels more and more like it’s mine each time I go over there. It does help to not see the furniture from the staging company, but there is just something there that feels like it fits me.
I’m sure I’ll be sharing more about the condo as we hire a contractor and once I move in, but for now there might not be a lot of updates as we get things planned and ready to start. But I’m very excited that I will have a new home very soon. I’m a bit sad to leave my current place (I will have been here about 12 years by the time I’m guessing I will be moving out), but I’m excited for the adventure a new place will bring!
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