It’s Friday! Do the happy dance! 
Cody and I were chatting at dinner a few nights ago about how busy our November will be this year. The holiday season is here which makes it busy in itself, but we are also starting to prepare for baby, family is coming into town for Thanksgiving, and *big breath* we are putting our house on the market at the beginning of December. There, I said it. And I’m nervous as heck about it! I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to selling a house, I’m anxious as to how quickly it will sell, and I have mixed feelings about leaving our cute first home together. You may be wondering why in the world we’re hoping to sell our house, and that is a whole other story in itself. Hopefully I’ll get to share that one in the semi near future if things work out how we are praying and hoping.
Needless to say, we have a lot to get done these next few weeks before family comes into town for Thanksgiving and we put the house up for sale at the beginning of December. I made a little “to-do list” for us to get through within the next few weeks before Thanksgiving to help us out.
- Organize office
Cody uses our office when he works from home time to time, but other than that, it’s pretty much our book storage/miscellaneous room where things go if we don’t know where to put them right away. Needless to say, it needs some major attention at the moment.
- Take photos of our yard
A few people have recommended doing this before the grass turns yellow and the trees turn bare so that we can show potential home buyers what our yard looks like during the warmer months. This is something we need to get on pronto because winter is right around the corner!
- Patch walls and touch up paint
There are a few places where we need to touch up our paint and cover up a few little dents in our walls.
- Vacuum and clean up basement
Our basement is unfinished for the most part, but it needs to be swept/vacuumed and organized to make it a little more presentable.
- Deep clean
This includes all the stuff I don’t do on a regular basis like dusting blinds and light fixtures, cleaning baseboards, washing walls and doors, etc.
- De-clutter rooms
Our house isn’t too cluttered as it is, but there are a couple rooms that could use a little extra attention. We want to make each room look as open and spacious as possible to appeal to potential home buyers.
- Prepare for family to come into town
My family is coming for Thanksgiving so the guest room needs to be ready, the house needs to be cleaned, and food needs to be ready to cook for our Thanksgiving meal.
- (Continue to) research baby items
I started to research a little bit this week, but I have a long ways to go in terms of figuring out what car seat, stroller, and other baby items we’ll need and want.
- Register for baby
We’d like to get this done before December because our families are having a big baby shower for us when we go to Arizona for Christmas.
Whew! Writing this list out makes me exhausted just thinking about it all. I’m sure there’s several odds and ends that will come up as time goes on, but this will give us a start.
Well, you know what we’ll be doing this weekend! 
Catch ya later!
Questions:
- Do you have a busy November?
- If you’ve ever sold a home, what are some of your tips to help it sell better?
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{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
Okay CLEARLY we have not been talking enough lately. Putting your house up for sale? This is not something we have discussed!!!
I was just thinking the SAME thing! We all need a group gchat, like, yesterday
HAHA ME TOO!!! Girl you need to get on gchat soon because I need to hear about all of this!
Not gonna lie, I know SOME details b/c I was with her at the Simply Bar convention (and why haven’t I seen you since then?!), but we didn’t get enough time to talk, so I want IN on this gchat! Pronto.
But excited for you all nonetheless!
Oh gawsh – I’m tired just reading all that. haha Have a great weekend, and don’t work too hard!
Haha you and me both! We made some good progress this weekend though, so I’m happy about that.
Wahoo for Friday!!! Definitely dancing over here. I’m looking forward to chilling out with my favorite bottle of wine later and maybe some baking if I feel frisky. Good luck with all of the house stuff. It seems like a lot now, but later on when you look back, you’ll say, “Oh that was a piece of cake!”.
Our November looks busy too. Thank goodness red cups are back at Starbucks to get me through!
I’m sure you’re right! I’m just glad we’re getting a start on it now!
Sounds like November will keep you wonderfully busy! I have a lot to look forward to as well and I have a feeling it will be gone before I know it!
Oh my goodness!! Your list is so comprehensive! Make sure that you’re resting as well at some point during this month! Also, I think that procrastination might just destroy you if you indulge … perhaps alternate fun chores and not so fun chores to keep you motivated?
My October was much busier than anticipated, so I really have NO idea what November might have in store. I’m excited, though!!
Gosh that is busy! I guess it’s about prioritisation and not trying to get everything done at once. I love making lists. I just hate getting the stuff done hehe.
No tips for you! But I’ll be keeping watch for yours! We’ll be selling our house in the next couple of years and I hope it goes quickly. We’re slowly but surely doing some upgrades on it (even though it’s only 11 years old), but it’s sad that once everything is finished and looking beautiful, we’ll be leaving!
Good luck!
Congrats!!! It sounds like you got a good handle on the to-do’s. I’m a list maker as well; it always feels so productive when you get to cross things off the list.
Exactly – I’m a huge list person myself!
I’m a little crazy so looking at a list like this honestly gets me excited! You just need to pick something smaller on the list to start with, cross that off, and then get in the spirit and start getting as much done as you can. The more you get done, the easier it will be to fully relax when it’s time to!
My November is not nearly as busy as yours…I just have silly grad school stuff
Good luck with everything you two are doing, I al sure it will all be worth it in the end!
You def. have a busy Nov! Moving is a lot of work, but it’s always nice to have a fresh start.
Yes, we’re realizing moving is/will be a LOT of work! Thank goodness we don’t have a ginormous house!
I think November is always super busy, but add in a baby and selling a house and that’s going to be beyond busy…..but in a good way with all exciting things. I really need to make out an organized to-do list like this one. I think that elevates some of the stress. The fun part is registering for all of the fun baby stuff! Have a great weekend!
I spent quite a bit of time adding items to our baby registry this weekend, and it was SO fun! It makes me so excited for the baby to come!
We’ve never sold a house, but in the next few years we are thinking about moving into a bigger house. Good Luck!
As for November, suuuper busy, my friend’s baby shower is next weekend, then I have my baby shower the following weekend and then its Thanksgiving! Ah time is gonna fly by.. before I know it it will be my due date!
How exciting! Your little one will be here before you know it!
november should be more low key than october… i can only hope!
I’ve never sold a house, but my parents have twice, and I remember how stressed out they seemed. Of course, they had three little kids at the time, and I’m sure that only makes the process more difficult! Good luck with everything! We are going to start looking at houses to buy in January, so I’m nervous about that, as well!
House hunting can be fun though! I’m excited for you guys!
I definitely feel like doing the happy dance! You do have a super busy November-good luck!
Whoa, you are a busy gal! Praying that all goes well with putting your house on the market!
I’ve heard that houses sell better when you take down family photos…I guess a lot of family photos make it hard for prospective buyers to visualize it as their own? Also, take everything off of your fridge–magnets, calendars, etc. It makes it look neater.
I’ve heard that about the family photos too. Thanks for the tips!
Putting your house up for sale…can’t wait to hear the details about this!
I feel like our house isn’t really cluttered per se either, it’s more paper’s and figuring out a filing system that WE really need to work on! I’m glad you put together a list. It always feels so much better doing that even if you haven’t accomplished anything on it yet!! I have my list for the day already done yay!
Yes, exactly. Making a list always makes me feel so much better about what I have to get done!
Sounds Super busy BUT super exciting things too! Yay for your house on the market! I am sure that is stressful but a new home and new baby, how exciting!!!
I got so happy reading all these exciting things, you deserve it girl! <3
Thank you lovely!
We are super excited!
Phew, girl that’s one busy month! But it sounds like you have a lot of really exciting changes coming up, so it should be fun! Just make sure to take some time out to relax too
Good luck with selling your house! My dad is a builder, and growing up he used to show OUR house to potential clients since it was one of the first built in our neighborhood. I have so many memories of my mom running around in a panic, vacuuming and scrubbing things because people would unexpectedly be coming to our house. Holiday decorations might be a good way to entice people to buy your house!
Yikes! Lots to do this month! At least it will make the month fly by, and Christmas will be here before you know it:) I’m not too sure what November will be bringing for me yet, most likely low key stuff though!
congrats on putting your house on the market, that is a big move but I hope it pays off!
You and me both!
oh man girl! How exciting! Can’t wait for you to fill me in on the details… we need another chat date asap!
December is when it gets busy here in Ireland as we don’t have Thanksgiving. That said I’ve a few nice things planned; bringing my four year old niece to Disney on Ice next Friday! eek! Selling a house so damn stressful but only if you let it be…I suppose it depends upon your reason for feeling and how much pressure you put yourself under. Just make sure to keep you and the baby first! I’ll be praying you sell it nice and quick!
Very true. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers!
Oh my goodness, you’ve got a lot going on! At least it sounds like you’ve got a clear idea of what needs to get done!
Hey lady! Let me know where you guys register so I can get you something for baby
! Also, can’t wait to hear about your house and all your upcomming adventures. Let’s email SOON!
Much love, Kayla
You’re so sweet! We are registered at Target.
Text me anytime about the house selling stuff. We just went through it, and I’m happy to share advice (or just listen to you complain haha!). And my mom is a real estate agent, so I can always ask her questions you might have.
Some tips for a good showing: make sure the house is really clean and smells good. You might even want to have some baked goods out and water bottles in the fridge, with a note saying for people to help themselves. We did that at the very beginning when we first starting showing our house, then we got lazy after a while haha. Also, we gave away some our living room furniture, because having too much stuff was making the room look small. So to make the room look bigger, we got rid of a few things. Good luck!!
That’s right! I forgot about the fact that you guys just recently went through the home selling process. I will definitely be texting you about it.
Thanks girl!
congrats on your baby and good luck with the to-do list
Thank you!
Your home prep sounds perfect! I’ve only bought a home and haven’t sold one yet, however, I work in real estate marketing, so I’ve got a few little tips to make for a quick sale. You are SO smart to take photos of the exterior while your yard is still in bloom, and after you’ve cleaned up a bit. Make sure everything is pruned and leaves are raked, etc. If the office has bookshelves, clear out the shelves as much as possible. The worst sight to see is packed shelves. Keep it minimal, and hide any files or boxes. Basically, make it look like an office out of Real Simple Magazine. Haha! Painting is smart. If you decide to go all out, go for neutral colors. And when it comes to “clutter”, when in doubt…tuck it away. If you (like me) have photos of friends and family around the house, put them away. Keep fireplace mantels clear of anything other than candlesticks or artwork. Bathrooms? Nothing on the sink. Ever. Keep the shower clear of bottles. Kitchen? Nothing on countertops. Splurge on some fresh flowers and plants for living spaces, nothing fake. Faux plants are a total turnoff. Those are my tips for a quick sale. Just think about perspective buyers as being completely incapable of picturing their own stuff in your space. If you have anything personal, stash it away. So many people can’t remove other people’s stuff from their vantage point. Annoying, but true. Make it as easy for them as possible…don’t stress though, you know what to do! Good luck, and have fun over the holidays! =)
Your tips are SO helpful! Thank you so much!
ohh i wish someone would do a deep clean of my apartment for me! hope you had a great weekend
Haha you and me both!
My November is going to be a ton of fun. Lots of family, and lots of food. Good luck on selling your house, you have a good list of to do’s so hopefully life stays pretty organized!
Thank you! Enjoy your November!
Wow, girl, you have a lot on your plate this month! It sounds like plenty of exciting changes are in store though, which (hopefully) will make the chores not seem quite as bad. Hang in there!
I’m swamped with school work from now until December, so my “chores” include writing and researching 10-15 hours/day. I’ll trade you!
Hope you enjoyed your weekend, Ashley! <3
Yes, the excitement definitely helps balance the chores out.
Best of luck to you with all of your school work! I remember the end of the semester is always the craziest. It will be so worth it when your winter break comes!