Downsizing
Okay, so if you read some of my old posts you know that we had contemplated downsizing and moving last year but ended up needing to cancel that first sale due to a whole host of things not working out.
It was absolutely the right decision and we enjoyed a quiet few months just enjoying the Fall/Winter holidays in our own home.
It felt good to put up our Christmas decorations, settle in and relax again.
But the stirring and prompting was still there. My work also began to pick-up towards the end of the year and after some contemplation, Matt came to me with the decision that he was leaving the fire department. At first I was shocked as I thought that was a non-negotiable in his life but after listening to his reasoning, which included freeing up more time for our family and to pursue some of our side passions, including our non-profit. I really respected the careful thought that he has given this and although it was a very hard decision for both of us, we both know it was the right call for this season of our lives. I am so very proud of him for his 7 years of service and have a sneaking suspicion that he will circle back around to that line of work sometime in the future.
However, with the location restriction out of the equation, our house search took on a whole new dimension. Then one day in February, we decided to head South down to Northfield to check out a pizza place for lunch. Well it turned out that the pizza place wasn't open until 5 p.m. but we decided to drive by a house that we had been eyeing online. We absolutely fell in love with the neighborhood and ended up coming back later that evening and within 24 hours we had submitted an offer.
The house was not my favorite layout, it was a bi-level split but a bit of a nice compromise in some ways between what Matt and I wanted. It was built in 2005 which was actually newer than our current house and while the upstairs needed some updating, the basement was unfinished. It was also one of the oldest houses in a neighborhood filled with beautiful, larger newer construction homes and tons of young families, something both of us wanted. And there were sidewalks, a big item on my wish list.
The backyard was fenced and overlooked a park/field that was owned by the City and would never be developed.
On the upper/main level, there was a living room, kitchen, two bathrooms and three bedrooms. Just enough space but still allowing us to downsize. And since the basement was unfinished, it was a little like living in a tiny house with an escape clause. I could be very intentional about what came upstairs into our smaller living space and store the rest of our "might need/still need to purge" items in the basement space. Plus if we realized we needed more space we could always finish the basement more quickly. And for the price point, we had room in our budget to cut down our mortgage payment and fund some renovations, including new carpet, trim and baseboards.
Matt also agreed to humor me and take down the popcorn ceiling which I had disliked in our old house which immediately made me disproportionately happy. It's the little things, I swear!
We had narrowed in on Northfield because of the great schools but smaller in size than the ones in the burbs. (300 per graduating class vs. 700-1200). But we weren't compromising on quality of education or options for activities as they still offered unique options like ski club and gymnastics. We also loved the idea of being part of an actual community vs. living between Cities. The downtown area is also very picturesque and a Hallmark movie was even shot here at Christmas time, I mean c'mon!
The town has a good mix of people as well, lots of young families like us, a healthy retirement population and two vibrant colleges. Then there's the Malt-O-Meal/Post factory which gives it just the right sprinkle of industry and leaves the town always smelling faintly of cereal. Add the rolling Cannon River through the middle of town and a historic bank raid with the James Younger game and you've pretty much got middle-of-America perfection!
We were a bit nervous about going from 2,600 square feet down to less than 1,300 but were mostly excited by the challenge. We really wanted to stop living so much for "stuff" and "mortgages" and the things that so often we think we "must have" in this life and simplify. We wanted to free-up more of our income to give more as well as create more memories and experiences for our family.
We ended up doing some construction before we moved in and I'm glad we took the time to put up the new trim, paint and carpet as it helped the place feel more like "ours." The previous owners had multiple dogs and cats in the home and in such a small space, it made for some unique, ehem, odors. We got the air ducts cleaned and that helped as well!
We sold or gave away a lot of our furniture as it didn't fit the best in the smaller space and it was fun to pick out some new pieces to change up the decor. Our new master bedroom setup is my favorite and I feel like we created a true oasis!
We moved in the end of May and we all have truly adjusted really well. We actually enjoy the smaller space and the less stuff is so freeing. I now know where everything as 95% of everything on the upper level is here very intentionally. We still have some work to do on the stuff in the basement but are making progress a little at a time.
The girls also adjusted pretty well to sharing a room and after several months I can confidently say there are more sweet moments than stressful ones. They are developing more of a closeness which we hope that carry throughout life.
We truly do love the community and have started attending a smaller satellite version of our previous church. It is great to maintain that connection. I've also started to meet people through my 5 a.m. workout class which has been great. And are neighbors are wonderful and it's been great to get to know them.
We also experienced our first Defeat of Jesse James days and had a blast! The town is awesome and has been fun to explore!
My only complaint has been the commute. I now have a 45-50 minute drive which is a solid 30 minutes longer than I had before. I think it won't feel so burdensome though when my job slows down a bit and my meeting schedule can better accomodate the commute. Starting meetings before 8 a.m. and going until 5 doesn't really leave much time to drive. The days have been long but I feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel!
So all in all, this has been a great move and we are just starting to see the financial momentum build. It's amazing what you can live with and more importantly, live without!
It was absolutely the right decision and we enjoyed a quiet few months just enjoying the Fall/Winter holidays in our own home.
It felt good to put up our Christmas decorations, settle in and relax again.
But the stirring and prompting was still there. My work also began to pick-up towards the end of the year and after some contemplation, Matt came to me with the decision that he was leaving the fire department. At first I was shocked as I thought that was a non-negotiable in his life but after listening to his reasoning, which included freeing up more time for our family and to pursue some of our side passions, including our non-profit. I really respected the careful thought that he has given this and although it was a very hard decision for both of us, we both know it was the right call for this season of our lives. I am so very proud of him for his 7 years of service and have a sneaking suspicion that he will circle back around to that line of work sometime in the future.
However, with the location restriction out of the equation, our house search took on a whole new dimension. Then one day in February, we decided to head South down to Northfield to check out a pizza place for lunch. Well it turned out that the pizza place wasn't open until 5 p.m. but we decided to drive by a house that we had been eyeing online. We absolutely fell in love with the neighborhood and ended up coming back later that evening and within 24 hours we had submitted an offer.
The house was not my favorite layout, it was a bi-level split but a bit of a nice compromise in some ways between what Matt and I wanted. It was built in 2005 which was actually newer than our current house and while the upstairs needed some updating, the basement was unfinished. It was also one of the oldest houses in a neighborhood filled with beautiful, larger newer construction homes and tons of young families, something both of us wanted. And there were sidewalks, a big item on my wish list.
The backyard was fenced and overlooked a park/field that was owned by the City and would never be developed.
On the upper/main level, there was a living room, kitchen, two bathrooms and three bedrooms. Just enough space but still allowing us to downsize. And since the basement was unfinished, it was a little like living in a tiny house with an escape clause. I could be very intentional about what came upstairs into our smaller living space and store the rest of our "might need/still need to purge" items in the basement space. Plus if we realized we needed more space we could always finish the basement more quickly. And for the price point, we had room in our budget to cut down our mortgage payment and fund some renovations, including new carpet, trim and baseboards.
Matt also agreed to humor me and take down the popcorn ceiling which I had disliked in our old house which immediately made me disproportionately happy. It's the little things, I swear!
We had narrowed in on Northfield because of the great schools but smaller in size than the ones in the burbs. (300 per graduating class vs. 700-1200). But we weren't compromising on quality of education or options for activities as they still offered unique options like ski club and gymnastics. We also loved the idea of being part of an actual community vs. living between Cities. The downtown area is also very picturesque and a Hallmark movie was even shot here at Christmas time, I mean c'mon!
The town has a good mix of people as well, lots of young families like us, a healthy retirement population and two vibrant colleges. Then there's the Malt-O-Meal/Post factory which gives it just the right sprinkle of industry and leaves the town always smelling faintly of cereal. Add the rolling Cannon River through the middle of town and a historic bank raid with the James Younger game and you've pretty much got middle-of-America perfection!
We were a bit nervous about going from 2,600 square feet down to less than 1,300 but were mostly excited by the challenge. We really wanted to stop living so much for "stuff" and "mortgages" and the things that so often we think we "must have" in this life and simplify. We wanted to free-up more of our income to give more as well as create more memories and experiences for our family.
We ended up doing some construction before we moved in and I'm glad we took the time to put up the new trim, paint and carpet as it helped the place feel more like "ours." The previous owners had multiple dogs and cats in the home and in such a small space, it made for some unique, ehem, odors. We got the air ducts cleaned and that helped as well!
We sold or gave away a lot of our furniture as it didn't fit the best in the smaller space and it was fun to pick out some new pieces to change up the decor. Our new master bedroom setup is my favorite and I feel like we created a true oasis!
We moved in the end of May and we all have truly adjusted really well. We actually enjoy the smaller space and the less stuff is so freeing. I now know where everything as 95% of everything on the upper level is here very intentionally. We still have some work to do on the stuff in the basement but are making progress a little at a time.
The girls also adjusted pretty well to sharing a room and after several months I can confidently say there are more sweet moments than stressful ones. They are developing more of a closeness which we hope that carry throughout life.
We truly do love the community and have started attending a smaller satellite version of our previous church. It is great to maintain that connection. I've also started to meet people through my 5 a.m. workout class which has been great. And are neighbors are wonderful and it's been great to get to know them.
We also experienced our first Defeat of Jesse James days and had a blast! The town is awesome and has been fun to explore!
My only complaint has been the commute. I now have a 45-50 minute drive which is a solid 30 minutes longer than I had before. I think it won't feel so burdensome though when my job slows down a bit and my meeting schedule can better accomodate the commute. Starting meetings before 8 a.m. and going until 5 doesn't really leave much time to drive. The days have been long but I feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel!
So all in all, this has been a great move and we are just starting to see the financial momentum build. It's amazing what you can live with and more importantly, live without!
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