Saturday, February 06, 2010

Moving Makes Me Go Crazy (or Crazier!)

So I bought a new place. The process was like one of those scenes from a HGTV show where everything happens so fast that it's hard to keep up.

Summer 2009: I decide that I want to buy a new property closer to the action. I want to be within walking distance of pubs, coffee shops, grocery stores, yoga studios, parks, paths, restaurants, drug stores and lots of people.

And so my search begins...

Summer and Fall 2009: I look at more than 20 places...I find the building I want. But there are no units that I LOVE. And so I wait...

December 18, 11am: Email listing comes through on blackberry from my realtor as I'm boarding a plane on my way home from Toronto (Where I was speaking at a Special Olympics Breakfast and visiting my old coach, Kelly, and his family).

December 18th, 11:02am: I email the listing to Kristin to have a peek. She checks it out and calls back saying it looks perfect and it is exactly what I've seeking.

December 18th, 11:04am: I phone my realtor and leave a message asking to see the place that day.

I now have a flight from Toronto to Calgary to ponder my options. Of course, in my mind, I have already moved in...

December 18th: 1:00pm-ish: I get off the plane (4 hour flight plus time difference) and listen to my voicemail. We can see it tomorrow. Yes!

December 19th: We go and see the place at 2pm.

I walk in and it feels right. You know when you are buying real estate that when something feels right and you've looked at 20 places, then IT IS RIGHT!

We stay for 1.5 hours, looking at the parking stall and storage unit. It has everything I could ever want! And, many people don't know this, but my fave number is 6 and both the stall and locker are 6. How convenient!

I want to make an offer.

Sunday, December 20:

I make an offer. The sellers are located out of country so 48 hours is requested for response. And so I wait...

Monday, December 21: I get a counter. I don't like it, but I see where this is going...

Tuesday, December 22: They counter. Then I counter.

Tuesday night at 9pm while at a awesome Christmas party for my agency, Agenda Sport Marketing: I get a call. Deal accepted!

Tuesday night at 9:05pm: I have a beer in celebration!

Wednesday, December 23rd: I sign the papers.

Thursday, December 24th: Kristin and I leave for a 2 week vacation to Hawaii!!!

January 8th, 2010: We return from Hawaii and I get an email from a friend, Michelle, who knows that I bought a new place and she was wonders what I am doing with my old place.

I've tried not to think too much about it in Hawaii because I promised myself that I was going to give myself the gift of presence while away. I've gotta admit though, it crossed my mind often (shhhhh...don't tell Kristin...although I think she probably already knows - she is a secret spy/superhero when she is not designing kitchens :)).

I bought my place at the peak of the market in Calgary and if I sold then I would lose a lot of money on it. Selling = loss of money, potential 2 mortgages for longer than I am comfortable with, but on the plus side it equals no headaches when it's gone. I've also been considering renting, but I keep asking myself, "am I up for the task?".

Well, my friend tells me that she knows two girls who live in my building who want to have a look at my place if I am considering renting it.

Week of January 11th, 2010: My potential renters come over, check out my place and love it. They want to rent for a year starting March 1.

I become a landlord!

I am also reminded that sometimes life just works out perfectly. I love it when that happens.

January 26th, 2010: I get possession of my new place and it feels like home from the moment I get the keys.

Monday, February 8th, 2010: I move in!

But today is Saturday Feb.6th and I feel like I've gone mad! So many thoughts have been swarming around my head. I've been running around like a crazy dude. I keep forgetting stuff. I have lost my blackberry and keys about 10 times today! I need to tape my packing tape gun to my leg so I stop misplacing it! I am doing 10 things at once and I often start one thing and then another and then another and then another and then I forget what I started doing in the first place. I am so afraid of misplacing something or something breaking in the move. Is this normal? When did I become so paranoid? How the hell did I ever manage to do this in 2008, only 4 months before leaving for the Olympics. Wow!

I am really looking forward to having all of my stuff in my new place and being DONE!

Sometimes it's hard to enjoy the process...

But I've been very lucky. I've had so much awesome help in getting my old place packed and prepped for my renters and also in getting my new place ready for move in. I need to thank Kristin, Amba, Carol, Maurice and Michelle for all of their professional painting, toilet changing, cleaning, packing, space bagging, sorting, light changing, decision making and support! Thank you!!

I needed to write this so I could go to sleep. All of this was running through my brain and I just needed to get it out.

Stay tuned for new place updates...

And FYI, I am not getting Floors R Us to put in hardwood in this new place! Hahahaha! (refer back to April and May 2008 posts for a reminder of this escapade!)

Kyle