Hello Friends!
I can’t believe it’s been four months since we moved to Virginia. A move we knew was happening for almost two years, so you can imagine how freeing it is to know it’s finally behind us.
Note: I started this post in July. It’s been sitting on my laptop - one I haven’t touched for months.
It’s a long post but worth the recap….
In October of 2018, we spent a week in the DC area, part city tour, and part home tour. Thankfully DC reminded us of Minneapolis. We also looked at about five homes to get a sense of the market.
During that visit, we happened to find a home, one we looked at four times over the months to follow. At one point, the homeowners were updating something in the home and asked for our input, thinking we would likely make an offer. The house was on the market for almost three years(!), and they wouldn’t budge on the list price. In the end, they decided to rent their home to a family friend.
27 days over three months
From March to May we packed up the dogs and drove to Virginia six times. Sometimes staying for just one day since we were juggling
- A home for sale in New Jersey
- Bill was on crutches/scooter
- Professional commitments
- Launching a business
Preparing for the move itself (and saying goodbye to the last items from the Frank & Barbara collection)
Our realtor told us that McLean/Langley would be a good match, yet we were being pulled towards Great Falls. After looking at 36 homes, it’s clear we do not have a personal style (farmhouse, modern, traditional). From day one, we wanted a few acres of land, an outdoor space to entertain, an open concept, and a 20-30 minute commute for Bill. She often told us we confused her… We just weren’t willing to conform to the local market.
Towards the end of May, I had ‘search exhaustion’ and flipped the script. We had spent a month living in hotel rooms and I was used to walking the dogs throughout the day and late at night - I told Bill that I wanted to give urban living a try. I even found a lovely place in DC, on the 16th floor. I had made peace with a decision to walk away from living on acres of land, but Bill was a bit shaken by my decision… I was done looking for homes and time was running out.
The very next day Bill found our home, and we moved three weeks later.
Looking back... we have fond memories of Bill crawling up flights of stairs to look at homes, our realtor damaging her car on a driveway after telling us the driveway wasn’t steep, and the hotel crew was always happy to see Lily and Phoebe week after week.
Moving day
We drove two cars from NJ to VA. The dogs and I followed Bill, who was driving the Tesla (needing power mid-trip).
A lot happened in four months
Two weeks after moving in we hosted a BBQ for fifty. We have had family and friends visit, painted rooms, and explored northern Virginia. I launched a business, Bill was sick (for five weeks) and we fit in three weeks of travel. Now I’m looking forward to a change of seasons. I find myself nesting which tells me I’m settling in.
We found a home that feels good to us. On four acres of pasture, with a hundred-year-old farmhouse at the front of the property. A neighbor recently told me that our front yard was a cornfield and dairy cows roamed in our backyard until 2002.
Life is good.
