Another delay - trying to be patient - RV-Dreams Community Forum

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Another delay - trying to be patient

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Awww you're so awesome and have incredible energy. We couldn't have done it (at our ages) while still working! You deserve major Merit badges!!!

Hint: hire as nuch done as you can!

Sherry

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sherry - we just told the real estate agent (a personal friend) that it's good enough. He's arranged a few friends to help with the final "staging, touch up, etc." the night before pictures will be taken of the house by the real estate photog. We've had enough, we are soooo ready to get back to "real life" whatever that is, that will NOT entail 18-20 hour days. We're so tired and out of energy, not sure how people 20 years older than us deal with this, but we're glad we're almost done with this during our mid-life crisis and not dealing with it when we're retired.

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hang in there! The pain is short lived... Looking forward to meeting you on the road.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

There are always challenges, the ones who do best are the ones who deal with the challenges the best. It has been interesting watching Tioga George change in his two blogs. For years he wrote about the most popular full time RVer blog, http://blog.vagabonders-supreme.net/ , but once his son was dead things changed. Lately he started a new blog, http://challengetruth.blogspot.com/ , to explore becoming a more positive person and having a happier life. For him, it seems to be working.

When you find some free time (ya, right), figure out what you need to do to cope. But, it sounds like you already know.

A lot of worse things can happen than delays. Last Tuesday we lost my father-in-law to a sudden heart attack. Diane is in California helping her mother get their motorhome to Oregon and I am dealing with my own mother's honey do list in Washington.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Bill for the reminder that a lot worse things can happen, I know that, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded. It's amazing how all the little distractions and disappointments can make it so we no longer see the more important things.

So sorry to hear about Diane's Dad, our thoughts and prayers are with you two, wishing Diane and her mom safe travels. Hoping the time you get to spend with your mom is good.

Loretta · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill, my condolences to Diane.

NWescapee, you talk about energy. When I put my house on the market I thought we would have several months to downsize. I was blessed to get an offer 5 weeks into the listing. That meant, while still working full time, I had to empty the house and get a MH. The three we had on the list were all sold when we went there to purchase one. We were lucky that day three more came in and one was meant for us. So, within a month , we closed on the house, got the RV and I retired. Alot of changes. I fell right into the retirement thing with being able to relax. On our 'maiden voyage' we had a major blowout. We felt after that we were initiated into the RV life. Little things keep popping up but so far we have our health and nothing has happened that can't be fixed. Once you get going, all of this will be behind you and you will think about it while sitting on your lounge chair sipping a glass of wine and making new friends while watching a fabulous sunset. Hope to meet up with you down the road.

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

The way you have been handling all your challenges has been a continued inspiration to me. At least you're so much further ahead in your dream than i am. I planned to go F/T in 2010 and began to prep the house to sell. Unfortunately, living here for 21 years and not having made any improvements other than fixing things that broke, required a lot of cosmetic upgrades just to make the place look nice enough to sell (we attempted to sell "as is" but couldn't get any offers that would even pay off the mortgage). Since we need to sell the house in order to buy the RV and truck, investing the 10-15K to make those repairs was our only option. Since we didn't have that kind of money sitting around in the bank, have no rich relatives, and have very poor credit, there are no loans available. Also, since neither DH nor I can hit a nail with a hammer (well, exaggerating just a bit for him--but he's a genius in the technology field, not handyman) we need to hire people who can do the work. So the plan became every time we had enough saved up to do a small project (ie replacing the 30 year old carpet with flooring and painting the walls in one room at a time), we would do so.

But as you know from your own experiences, obstacles just keep getting in the way. Almost every time we have a few dollars saved up, something else comes up: the car breaks down, unexpected medical bills arise (DH knee surgery, my appendicitis), not to mention our daughter's wedding in October.

I would say that we're about halfway towards our goal since we started in 2010, but considering we wanted to do it right away, it's very frustrating, especially when I see it as we still have halfway more to go. At least your delays are in days, and not years!

Good luck, though. I'm sure that some day down the road we will meet on the road and laugh about all this!

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sorry for your loss Bill, these losses always put everything into perspective...

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cheryl,
One way we were able to get some of the work done on our place was to barter. For example, the guy who re-roofed the 2 sheds we have (lawn care items and storage) was happy to do that in exchange for the hot tub heater and upright freezer. We had electrical work done in exchange for all our patio / deck furniture and an outdoor canopy that we're not taking with us. We were very fortunate in that we knew someone who was willing to help and they suggested bartering. However, if we hadn't had as much in savings to do the rest of the work, I probably would have figured out how to barter for more. We're getting rid of a lot of "stuff" that has value and is of use to other homeowners. In fact, if, when we sell our house and the new owners decide there are any of the appliances they don't want, I already have new owners lined up and they are all willing to help us with all the final clean up and clean out of the house. One of the guys mentioned an online service that helped match up people willing to barter, it was specific to this region, but wonder if you have anything like that available in your area?

We did hire the carpet and bathroom flooring replacement and had to hire a company to replace the furnace. Everything else we've done on our own with my husband taking 4 months off of his normal day job, he's an artist, so now we're getting ready for one of our biggest art shows over Memorial Day weekend with low stock on several of his best selling designs, but we decided it was worth it.

So almost 5 months from when we started, 7K in expense (biggest hits were the furnace and carpet) plus some bartering, and we're almost ready to put the place on the market. For us bartering help shorten the time frame plus it eased the cash flow issue. Not sure if that's an option open to you, but it really helped us with timing and cashflow.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yes!!! Happy to report the 5th wheel is back in our driveway, we managed to get all the boxes that were filled with things from our old TT loaded into it tonight, I know we'll have some rearranging to do, but it's so nice to be able to walk through the garage again!! Now to finish packing while at the same time continuing to empty the garage and our storage room. Hoping to be living in our 5th wheel on our driveway by this weekend!!

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

We know the feeling! 😄 You're getting close!!!

Sherry

Trix · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm really glad things are looking up for you once again. I remember the struggle all too well, TG I didn't have a job to juggle at the same time. I would have been at my wit's end.

Hope to see you on the road soon, Gabe and Francesca send their best to Tazzycat. Did I tell you I took your suggestion for a scratching post? I found one with a small platform on top, that just fits under my cantilevered table in the Born Free. Now when the cats jump down from the upper bunk, the table is supported and they are delirious to have a scratching post they can really get their nails in.

All the best,

Kyra

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey Kyra - glad our idea worked for you. We were just looking at our new home, trying to figure out where Tazzy's scratching post was going to be placed. We introduced her to her new home last night, something tells me we are going to have some issues with the wood blinds and a kitty who thinks blinds are a nuisance on the window behind the couch. Glad your kitties are settling into life on the road.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Remember the cat owns it all and you are just the servants.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill - so true, dogs have masters, cats have servants!!

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cats are conspiratorial creatures.

Never, ever trust them.

Terry

Loretta · RV-Dreams Family Member

Our cats seem to be doing fine. Every once in awhile Goldie acts up but for the most part they are OK. They don't bother the day/night shades but sometimes go after the side valances. We have a scratching pad on the floor and they seem to tear it up after awhile. Better that than the furniture or the rugs.

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ruth, that's a terrific idea, bartering for work done.

Our cat thinks the valences are her scratching posts (even tho' we have on of those too) so we keep squirt bottles within arms reach. She sees us lift a bottle and she goes running.

She hasn't managed to dominate the pup yet, Sadie appears immune to her nails and teeth. Pup seems to think Kitty is her personal squeak toy.

Sherry

Trix · RV-Dreams Family Member

One of my cats licks the day/nite shades (blech!) but nobody has clawed them yet, thank heavens! They also have one of those cardboard things from Trader Joes that they love to scratch up. Makes a mess but oh well you can clean it up again.

Like Bill said, I'm just the servant here.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

OK Kyra, now you have my attention again, what cardboard thing from Trader Joe's? Of course for us, just bringing a paper bag home from Trader Joe's instantly becomes a kitty hiding place / play place until the bag gets so worn out I throw it on the fire or in the recycle bin. BTW, Dale says Hi!! He's was looking over my shoulder when I was looking at Facebook earlier and was jealous to hear you were somewhere warm!!

cejones4210 · RV-Dreams Family Member

NWEscapee, we can so relate with all the prep. We retire one week from today, house has been on the market for three weeks and not much action. House is 80% empty in anticipation of a quick sale. I am so tired of packing!!!! Obviously the quick sale hasn't happened.
We are still planning to have a house as dear Hubby doesn't want to be without one. i would fulltime in a heartbeat! So we will fulltime part time. We are planning (hoping) to move closer to our children, so when we are in the state we can see them more frequently. But if/when house sells and until we get another, we will be living in the Airstream. AS is in the driveway almost ready to go as soon as we sell. I am so anxious to get on the road.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Candy - can totally relate, just finished a horrendous week at work and tonight we managed to get 3 boxes packed for storage, 6 boxes of "stuff" to donate and one more room staged and ready to be photographed next Tuesday. We're also hoping for a quick sale, plan to be moved into the 5th wheel on our driveway this weekend, mid-week next week we move across the street to a neighbor's who volunteered to let us park on his extra driveway. That way we are close to the house but our 5th wheel with all the slides out isn't filling up 2/3rds of our driveway. Our real estate agent didn't think that was a good idea, something about drive up appeal.

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

I keep hearing the market is picking up and the selling season is certainly about here. I think your timing is going to be perfect.