SOLD!

It's done. My house is sold. If I still had any doubts about whether I was really committed to this whole venture, they have to be gone now. As of May 31st, I'll officially be unemployed and homeless.

The sale process was pretty painless and quick - exactly according to plan, in fact. Showings started last Friday, with an Open House on Sunday, and a call for offers on Wednesday night. Between the pre-arranged appointments and the open house about a hundred people came through, and my agent worked really hard for me. In the end all those showings generated two offers, and two is all it takes for one person to get nervous and dig a little deeper, and that's what happened. I ended up getting just a little bit more than my asking price, and the sale comes with no conditions, and a very convenient possession date. In fact, the buyer even wants to know if I'd be interested in selling any of my stuff too, which could be quite handy for both of us.

I was really pleased to learn that the successful offer came from a first-time home buyer who is reportedly really excited about the house. I like this because this was my first house, and I put a lot of work and a lot of love into it, so I want it to be special for someone else too. It's a great house; I hope he appreciates it as much as I have.

It's bittersweet though. On one hand, I'm happy and relieved that it's over and I can now concentrate on prepping for the trip instead of spending all my spare time with sawdust and cans of paint. On the other hand, it's my house. I've loved it and cared for it and worked on it for 11 years now, and it will be really really sad to let it go.

It's another milestone, and they're coming fast these days. There's still a lot to do, and I think these last two months will go by incredibly quickly. At least now I can get on with some of the fun stuff like actually buying a plane ticket!