movin' on up
We're moving. Finally. At the end of April we'll be leaving Grandma's house for a bigger place.
Due to the out of control housing prices on Long Island we are not buying, but renting. But we are going from a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment in grandma's to a four bedroom, spacious place with a fireplace and two bathrooms and walk in closets. And a formal dining room. And, the best part: it's a split level house and the bottom of the house is already rented out - to my sister and her husband. Built in babysitting!
The rent is astronomical. It's macaroni and cheese for dinner six nights a week astronomical. But it's worth it for the extra bedrooms and bathroom, the bigger space, the huge yard and getting away from the suffocating feeling that comes with living on the same block as 42 of your relatives. Sure, it's only two minutes away from where I am now, but that just means I'm close enough to eat dinner at mom's and far enough so that I don't have people meddling in my everyday affairs. And Justin finally gets a real office with that fourth bedroom (hire him if you need artwork for your next book or album or anything like that!).
I'm excitedly nervous. Or nervously excited. We don't even have enough furniture to fill the new place. We won't be splurging on DVDs and comics for a long time. Money has suddenly taken on evil undertones.
Anyone hiring freelance writers? Need a weekly opinion columnist? I'm available! I'm willing to sell a kidney or even a limb to finance this move.
It's going to take me at least until April to pack my current apartment up. The time to stop being a packrat is NOW.
Comments
Congratulations and good luck!
Posted by: Steve Gigl | January 13, 2004 03:14 PM
Well, congrats and good luck with that!
Posted by: djspicerack | January 13, 2004 03:14 PM
Having just moved apartments over this weekend, let me both congratulate you on the impending move, and commisirate with that particular form of self-inflicted torture known as "moving". It is one of the major stressors of any relationship.
Now, if you are really concerned about the astronomical rent on Long Island (not to mention the bitter weather), you could always move to Mississippi. You could probably buy a great 4 bedroom house on a large block for $125,000. And it doesn't snow in Jackson. Should I tell you it was 46 degrees when I woke up this morning, and it was about 60 degrees when I took a walk at lunchtime.
Posted by: Ken | January 13, 2004 03:17 PM
Ah, the joys of the big city. Moving from Alabama to the D.C. exurbs 17 months ago involved huge sticker shock in housing prices. But I guess things are even worse in NYC.
Posted by: James Joyner | January 13, 2004 03:18 PM
Four bedroom house on Long Island? Around these parts it would go for about 500k. For starters. A two bedroom shack down the block from me just sold for 350k.
Posted by: michele | January 13, 2004 03:24 PM
I moved last April and am still trying to recover! Congratulations!
Posted by: Laura | January 13, 2004 03:51 PM
Congrats!! Can't wait to hear all the packing stories and what you find! I'm picturing a huge garage sale in your future.
Posted by: Beth | January 13, 2004 03:53 PM
Congrats! In my humble opinion living somewhere that you enjoy and can "relish" is worth the money squeeze. I'm doing it myself and despite everything do not regret it one bit.
Posted by: Tammi | January 13, 2004 04:09 PM
Either garage sale it all or ebay it. You can make some cash off old junk. :) Good luck with it all.
Posted by: kat | January 13, 2004 04:32 PM
Yay!!!!!
Posted by: Faith | January 13, 2004 04:37 PM
Congratulations! Although I'm moving in the opposite direction, sick of renting and ready to own, own, own! But I can definitely empathize with the feeling of moving to a place that's cosmically yours.
Posted by: Dave | January 13, 2004 06:21 PM
The house across the street from me is for sale at $190,000 - four bedrooms, two and a half baths, fenced-in yard, and it almost NEVER snows here. A rental? A house with same specs is renting down the street from me for $1050 a month. I hear we're hiring Official Stealth Ninjas by the truckload down here, too...
Come down south!
Posted by: Kelley | January 13, 2004 06:44 PM
I know Todd's already taunted you with Tampa Bay's real estate prices, so I'll spare you! You all must be walking on air right now -- I'm so happy for you! I have a feeling it's gonna be a great spring for all of us... :-) CONGRATS!
Posted by: robyn | January 13, 2004 06:49 PM
Good luck. I won't even piss you off by talking about the differences in the cost of housing here...suffice to say, some parts of the country are off the charts (spent a little time in Marin county and the Bay Area), and some parts are a little more reasonable.
But don't take this one act of kindness as some kinda promise I won't piss you off later.
Posted by: Dave in Texas | January 13, 2004 08:25 PM
Great news about the new place! The packrat may be a way to make money. If you haven't used something in a year and don't plan on using it in the next - someone else might on E-Bay. My boss decided to prune his movie memorabilia for storage reasons. He's now going to Atlantis next month.
Again - all the best in the new place, you deserve it.
Posted by: Mara | January 13, 2004 08:47 PM
Have you thought about being a freelance copywriter? You should read The Well-Fed Writer - I was looking at it this weekend and it sounded like it had some good info.
Becky
Posted by: cyberangel | January 13, 2004 10:16 PM
BTW, those prices sound like San Diego. Homes are going for $6-700K nearby.
Posted by: cyberangel | January 13, 2004 10:17 PM
Congrat's - hope the move goes smoothly.
Posted by: MikeR | January 13, 2004 11:23 PM
Or you could chose to live here in knoxville..and as a bonus, be living near the "Blogfather"...lol
mike
(heh and me:-)
Posted by: mr. lawson | January 14, 2004 02:11 AM
BUILT IN BABY SITTER, MY ASS. It's more like 1/2 price cable and high speed internet for me...
Posted by: Lisa | January 14, 2004 10:36 AM
You're going to have to return the favor somehow...keep your door unlocked, ok? :)
Posted by: michele | January 14, 2004 10:39 AM