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On the moment of a newhouse
I’ve been quiet for the past weeks. It’s been a busy time, chez Swenson-Tiano preparing for my fourth move in 10 and a half months. That’s a move every 2.625 months, or about three moves too many.
We take possession of the house tomorrow.
In many ways, I’m not ready. I’m not packed. I haven’t organized every detail. I don’t know when the movers are coming – or even if they’re coming. I don’t know where we’re going to park. Or when we’re going to have time to paint over the sponged walls in the living room.
I don’t know how we’re going to train the dogs to not dig up every patch of gravel in the back yard. Or where we’ll get them to do their ‘business’ when they are let out in the mornings.
What I do know is that this is the first house that is truly, in every sense of the word, ours. We picked it out together. We went through this arduous process of financing, insuring, and purchasing it together. We worried, together, about the 12 other offers and whether ours was the best; it was. Together, we wondered if the appraisal would show we overpaid; it didn’t. And yesterday, we cursed and screamed and cried, together, about the unexpected Land Title Transfer taxes, over $12,000, payable to the Ontario and Toronto governments.
The house is far from perfect. It’s 120 years old, with a 6 foot basement, and countless quirks. But it’s our house. And I wish it was tomorrow and the keys were in my hands.
October 15th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Congrats on the new house. Guess this means the whole “moving to Toronto” thing is pretty permanent, LOL.
October 15th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: congratulations. I really am happy for you, and can’t wait for your new adventures to start tomorrow.
Of course, I’m going to need your new postal address now.
October 15th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
So awesome. Congrats to the whole gang!
I like the chalkboard in the kitchen, and you can’t go wrong with a gas stove.
I will be going through the exact same thing in eleven days and am super excited and emotional all at the same time. We’ll have to swap stories sometime over coffee at the Purl.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
congrats! i’ll be thinking of you tomorrow.
October 16th, 2009 at 4:37 am
It looks glorious and should be a grand adventure
here’s hoping for a bright day tomorrow to match your bright spirits
looks like it will make a happy home (the very best kind)
October 16th, 2009 at 6:46 am
So much character in this house! Good luck with the move!
October 16th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Congratulations! Buying your first house together is an exciting milestone. I hope your move goes smoothly and that no-one loses a box of pots and pans. (Twenty five years later and I’m still pissed off.) Your kitchen looks really neat.
October 16th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Many congrats! Moving in will just be the beginning, but I hop you’ll enjoy all the while working together on your own home! Yours!!
October 16th, 2009 at 11:33 am
can’t wait to see it
October 16th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Congratulations on the new place.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Congratulations! That is a gorgeous house. I’d leave all the walls as is, but my style is probably not yours!
October 17th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Buying a home is NEVER easy.
We purchased our third home just 4 1/2 yrs ago.
It was an hair pulling event.
But in the end it was ours.
The feeling is wonderful and so very scary.
So congrats to you and yours.
Take your time and live in your new home for a year or more before you take any decorating steps.
Get used to when and where the light shines in the Winter and the Spring. It will take the pain out of painting and then having to repaint.
All the best and I look forward to reading your new home adventures.
October 18th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
How wonderful for you! Paint as soon as you possible can. 11 years later I still haven’t painted the damn kitchen!
October 20th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Congratulations on your new home! You might want to read your fellow Torontonian’s blog from the past few days (Yarn Harlot) if you dare… old houses are definitely the best, but always have a surprise or two
November 1st, 2009 at 9:07 am
the house is gorgeous. You will be so happy and all the moving will be worth it: I know — I have moved around the world, for 50 years. Yep — can you imagine? But I’m done, and I love it. And yes, we painted before we moved into our current and last, I hope, place!
November 10th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Hooray! It looks perfect for you both and the doggies (and your back yard is what I’m aspiring towards for my place).
November 10th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Congratulations, it looks perfect for that old age. Enjoy your new home together and now you have all the time in the world to take care of the paint or other quirks.
S