December seems like a bit of a blur doesn't it?! I'm sure many of you would agree that for some reason it feels like ever year the holiday season flies by quicker and quicker. Just as we close the door on one year, another exciting one opens! I've always believed in the philosophy that if an opportunity comes knocking, you answer...even if it means overcoming challenges you've never faced before. Besides, isn't the reward so much sweeter when it's not all easy-peasy??The start of 2018 has been quite eventful in our household. For starters, we decided to sell our house on a bit of a whim at the start of December. Nothing like planning for open houses and keeping a house clean with a 4 month old right in time for the holidays. I try to keep my potty mouth to a minimum these days but the expression FML really comes into play here. What were we thinking?! Thankfully we enlisted the help of our amazing realtor who has a little one of his own (and another on the way!) and made the process as easy as it could be. I have to give him a shout out because honestly guys, he is as skilled as they come with an incredible work ethic. Thanks again Julian! Aside from doing your research and finding a great realtor, here are a few other tips that worked for us should you find yourself in a similar situation.
Tip #1: leave your house! And I mean for a few days if you can. Pick a weekend or take a few days off work and skip town. It is much easier to leave a clean house at the hands of your realtor than trying to keep it in pristine (and de-cluttered) condition on a daily basis. Especially when you have a little one who refuses to nap in anything else then a bulky swing that takes up most of your living room! It's also the perfect excuse for going on a roadtrip and spending some quality family time together.
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| Maman by Louise Bourgeois outside of the National Gallery of Canada |
Tip #2: drive, don't fly. Unless you have a baby that responds well to airline delays and endless crowds at the airport, save yourself the added stress and stay (somewhat) local. EMM and I tagged along on my husband's work trip to Ottawa which is approximately a 4 hour drive from Toronto. Earlier on in the year we had gone to visit our family in Rhode Island for the American Thanksgiving which was a 10 hour drive so we knew what we were getting into. Luckily she is a great car-sleeper so we planned our trip according to her feed and nap times. Once we knew her nap was coming to an end we would pullover at the nearest ONroute station to fill up EMM's tummy as well as the car with gas and an obligatory Starbucks run for us. I opted to bring my nursing pillow with me so that I could feed her in the car in the parking lot. Glamorous right?! Do whatever works for you! In our case, the munchkin does not wake up gracefully so I wanted to avoid transferring her straight into the cold when she's hangry. Once we were done the feed we pulled up to the parking spot nearest the entrance and then headed into the station in order to change her and get her to stretch out a little from being in the car seat for so long. After that, back on the road! It took us longer to get there (obviously!) but the experience was pretty painless overall. BONUS: I finally got to read something other than a baby book (yay trash mags!) and Dennis did all of his work calls from the car. Once in Ottawa, we stayed at the Westin right in the heart of it all which is also conveniently connected to Rideau Centre. There were a few things we had forgotten (baby wipes, #newparents) so having mall access within our hotel was a real treat. For the duration of our stay, EMM and I went on long walks downtown Ottawa while Daddy worked. We would all meet up in the evenings and either pick up take-out from the plethora of restaurants near our hotel or call in room service. One day we got a little overly ambitious and ventured to a restaurant only to return 30mins later with a crying baby and take-away containers.
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| Take-out from Joey Rideau |
Tip #3: go old-school and grab a map to take advantage of the route home. Rather than doing the full 4 hour treck back home, we decided to break up the drive a bit and head to Prince Edward County for the weekend. There are a number of beautiful B&B's in town, alongside some lovely hotels like the Drake Devonshire and Cribs on the Creek, but we opted to rent an Airbnb in order to have a spacious kitchen and accommodations for mom & dad to enjoy a few of the local bottle(s) of vino when baby went to sleep for the night. We found some great finds which included a delicious sparking wine from Hinterland Winery called Sacrament as well as a chardonnay from Grange Winery.
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| The Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards and Estate Winery |
All of the winemakers were incredibly knowledgeable and appreciative of the spike in tourism that The County (as the locals call it) is experiencing. Part of this renewed interest in the wine region is undoubtedly owed to the opening of the Drake hotel which attracts a large following wherever and whatever it touches. We wanted to see what all the fuss was about so we ventured over on our last day and had brunch in their restaurant. I must say, I was impressed! It's situated on a bit of an odd side street downtown Wellington but once you get there the view of the lake is breathtaking. Impeccably decorated and filled to the brim with art (as to be expected!) it exceeded our expectations. Not to mention that I had chicken and waffles that morning that I still dream about to this day. We'll definitely be back to the County soon.
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| Chicken and waffles at the Drake Dev |
Tip #4: plan ahead! Returning back home and feeling refreshed and rejuvenated we knew that we would still likely need to endure many showings so we sat down after the baby went down for a nap and decided how to proceed next. We made a (mental) plan of the sequence of events that would take place if there was a prospective buyer that wanted to see our place. We de-cluttered our house as much as possible of all the baby gear but there were still large items that were necessary on a daily basis that we simply couldn't put into storage. This included the bulky swing that EMM cannot live without (for now!) as well as her Pottery Barn activity gym and Skip Hop bouncer chair. Dennis was tasked with putting away all of the gear and I tidied up the house every night before bed. We also opted to use only one of our bathrooms and kept the other one sparkly clean in order to cut down on cleaning time. We also made note of a good breakfast and brunch spot in the area which we could take the little one to in the event that it was too cold or windy for a walk. The timing of our sale coincided with the holidays so it was also necessary to cut down on the decor. I absolutely LOVE the holidays but I knew that this year we might need to (gasp!) not have a Christmas tree. West Elm had these gorgeous accordion paper trees this year which were a lovely substitute for the real thing. A small price to pay for getting the most value for your home.
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| West Elm |
Tip #5: be patient. This is probably the hardest but most important tip I can give you. If you choose to or need to sell your home with a little one, understand that it will be difficult at times but it too shall pass. Both you and your partner need to be on board with the approach you take, otherwise you'll run the risk of unnecessary stress and heightened tension. If you've gotten through childbirth, this is honestly going to be a breeze! Also have your realtor to put in a clause into your contract that asks prospective buyers to give you at least 2 hours notice of any showings. That way you can do everything you need to do with the little one before they arrive.
At the end of the day it took us just over a week to sell our house and I can tell you first hand that everything we went through was definitely worth it! We are now eager to move into our new home next month and instead of tidying up the house for showings, we've started to pack up. Life will always throw unexpected experiences your way and it's up to you to decide whether you want to embrace the change or succumb to the challenges that may arise. I say, embrace it and see how much stronger it makes you! You've got this. Our newest challenge...sleep training. More about that next month.
Happy New Year everyone!
-Yvonne
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