Shortly after this posts publishes, we will be off to do our final walkthrough and then close on our new home! It’s a very exciting day, but also a bit stressful and overwhelming!
As we have gotten closer to being able to move, I’ve started counting down the days until I am out of our current apartment. It’s small, old, and there’s alot of traffic nearby. Parking can be a pain and we don’t have any outdoor space. And the stairs…ugh so many stairs! Every week after going grocery shopping and having to lug everything inside I think about how nice it will be to carry groceries directly from a garage to the kitchen. And don’t even get me started on cooking in our current kitchen…I never have enough room to do anything!
Despite all of that, I am going to miss this place. We have lived here for 5 years and I am trying not to wish away the last few weeks that we have here. (We are renting through the end of April so we can move gradually into our house). Here are some of the things I am going to miss about living here.
1. A 3 minute commute to work. I work less than a mile from where I live (I need my car at work so I still drive) but it is the easiest commute ever. Rob walks to work and takes him 8 minutes. It is going to be quite a transition to start commuting every day!
2. Being able to walk places. We are far enough away from the bars that we don’t really hear noise from our place, but it’s easy to walk out to grab dinner or go to the harbor.
3. This was our first apartment together! We moved in together after dating for 5 years.
4. We got engaged here! Yep, Rob proposed inside of our apartment. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, but it’s weird that we will never be able to come to the spot where we got engaged.
5. Our first kiss was steps away from this place. When we met 10 years ago my friend Alli was living just around the corner from where we live now.
6. It’s not very big, so it doesn’t take that long to clean. On the other hand, it never actually looks clean so it is very frustrating.
7. THE RUNNING. I am really gonna miss being able to run around here. At least I will still be working down here so I can probably work out getting some runs in around here even after we move.
8. Being able to walk to yoga. I think I will still be able to go to Charm City Yoga once I move, but it was really nice to be able to walk to classes, especially when the weather is nice.
9. The freedom of “renting” vs “owning”. Whenever something went wrong, we called our landlord and she took care of it. Having never owned a home before, there’s gonna be alot to learn.
10. Not worrying about breaking things, spilling things, etc. I am rather clumsy and I am really worried that I’ll cause some problems in our brand new house. At least we have hardwood floors so I don’t have to worry about spilling red wine on the carpet!
I’m gonna miss this place, but we are on to bigger and better things. That’s pretty marvelous if you ask me:)
What was the longest time that you lived in one place?
I think it is a great idea to write up the things you loved about this place – so often we get hun up on forward motion and just put the past behind us … but every place has good memories, because we make it our home, however imperfect.
We moved from our first to second apartment just before getting married so one apartment is our ‘engagement place’, the other our ‘first married place’ … also where we had many struggles with fertility and miscarriage. Then we bought our house where we lived for 15 years, making *so many* changes. Now out in NY for 7 years there have been fewer changes (benefit of ‘new’), but that makes it a different experience.
Enjoy!
Thanks! It’s definitely so important to reflect on the memories as we move forward, both good and bad. I know I will miss a lot of things about this apartment, but it’s time to move on!
Oh, how exciting. Having moved around loads in the last five years, renting all the time, we finally bought a place a couple of months back. Being able to hang paintings without worrying about leaving holes in the walls and not freaking out if you drop something on the carpet is such a treat when you’re no longer renting.
I wish you all the best in your new home.
Now just the packing and unpacking to look forward to!!
Thanks! Ugh the packing and unpacking is the worst…but it will be worth it when its all done!
Congrats Lisa! Love this post. I’ve owned my condo for three years now, but when Brian first moved in he was living in an apartment not too far from me. I missed that place when he moved out because we spent a lot of time there early in our relationship. Even though it wasn’t mine, I still look back on his place with fond memories and I was kind of sad we wouldn’t be able to go there again.
It’s always weird moving to a new place. I tend to get really nostalgic when I know that there is a big change happening!
Aw, so exciting! Wishing you the best today! I know that feeling of being excited to move yet missing those memories – had the same when we bought our first house. And what’s funny is that my last move is one I didn’t want to make yet I LOVE where I live now and it would be really hard to give up my running path and gym a few steps from my front door lol.
I think that there are pros and cons to most places. It’s all about figuring out what fits our life best at the time.
All very good points, and of course you will miss things, but you are starting the next big chapter, ad I am sure there will be more good than bad in this one 🙂 You and Rob have a HOME!
Yes, I think so too! I always get a little sad when I move but I know we will be really happy once we are settled!
today is such a big day for you!! Eeek! Congratulations!! You’re almost there!
I love how you can find awesome things about your current home! You named some awesome stuff! I can’t even begin to imagine running through a city like you do… It sounds so cool! Also the 1 minute commute thing is pretty amazing!!
Have a wonderful day!
1 mile, oops!
Thanks! I am really gonna miss those things but I think that once I am settled in the new place I will get used to the changes.
Closing time! Loved that song 🙂 Good luck to you today, it’s stressful and exciting and wonderful! And it really will begin a new chapter for you – my past is always defined by my moves and where I lived. Especially moving to my current house (our only) because it marked “settling” for me and we really aren’t going anywhere. Excited for you 🙂
Thanks! I always think about where I was living during defining moments in my life. This move is also special because we plan to be there for a long, long time!
I do get sentimental about moving, especially now with kids. So many milestones happen in one place. I’m with you about lugging groceries up and down stairs. We live in a 4 level townhome. Good luck with the closing!!
The stairs are the worst! But on the bright side, it was definitely a good workout:)
Awww. And Closing Time, for real! In so many ways. It has always seemed like you had a really great apartment, I can imagine it will be tough to leave. I get someone sentimental, but much more so after the fact–I remember it with greater sentimentality than with I leave it.
That’s why I wanted to really take some time to reflect and enjoy the things I will miss before it is time to leave. But whenever I start to miss it I can just think about all the things I didn’t like:)
How exciting!! This post was so sweet 🙂 As much as it will be hard to leave behind those memories, you’ll make plenty of new ones in your new home! I also find it hard to leave places. Leaving my apartment in Towson where I lived for just two years was so hard!
Even though you made many wonderful memories in your first apartment together, just remind yourself that there will be even more new ones at your new home. That’s the beauty of life! <3
I totally get this! I can remember standing in my first house after it was all emptied out and we were ready to leave and crying. Houses/apartments are more than just buildings, they are homes where many milestones occur. It’s only natural to get sentimental. Best of luck moving forward–it’s an exciting time for you!
Thanks! It’s so true…the places where we have lived are always filled with so many memories. I think being sad is a good thing in that I showed that a lot of good things happened there!
Congrats on moving in to the new house! It sounds like you had somr great years in your apartment! Plus it is nice to have a landlord fix stuff that goes wrong! Moving always brings out sentimentality for me also—like you my husband and I live in the first apartment we lived in as an engaged/married couple.
I don’t know what we are gonna do when we need to fix our own stuff! Im scared just thinking about it!
Congratulations on this big life event!! I’m glad you’re reflecting on the good moments…those will be lifetime memories! 🙂
Thank you!:)
I am so excited for you! I get really sentimental too and cried when I moved out of my apartment and into my home with Paul. It was a very happy time in my life- buying a house and getting married, but I am a homebody, an that apartment was my home!
At this point, I can’t ever picture myself moving out of our current house. It truly is my home and I even miss it when I go on vacations and stuff. It would take a lot to get me to want to move. Paul feels the same way.
Awww this post is so sweet! You guys have so many great memories there! My husband proposed in our first apartment together too and I know that odd feeling of never being able to visit again (unless we want to be weird and knock on the door). Congratulations on this new chapter of your life though! You are going to make so many wonderful new memories in your new home! <3
Thanks! At the time I was happy he proposed at home but I never thought about how we could never go back!
Congratulations on your new home! The last time I moved, I was leaving the first home I ever owned to relocate out of state. It was bittersweet and kind of scary! But looking back, it was a good move 🙂
Aww…that is tough! We sold our house that we lived in together for 6 years (and now we are homeless because our new house fell through) and although I wanted to move so bad, I’d do anything to go back to it! We put so much TLC into the house and put an addition on. ALL of our memories were there. Now when I drive past it, it is an eerie feeling to know someone else is in ‘my house’. But, we will eventually move on to bigger and better things! (hopefully soon)
Good luck on your walk through and closing! It can be overwhelming! Hang in there!
Congrats! I’ve moved around the same area so I’m still near my favorite places, but each time I moved I was ready for a new apartment.
I have moved once a year for the past 8 years. Mostly around the same places, but just different houses/apartments. Now that I am getting married this year my fiance and I are looking to settle down and buy a house. I don’t think I get sentimental because I haven’t had enough time to make all the memories like you listed. Just think about all of the new memories you haven’t made yet! Good luck with your move!!
For a long time I moved just about every year. This is the longest I have stayed in a place so I think that’s a big reason why I am so sentimental about the move!
Good luck with the move! I bet you’ll be so happy in your new house!
I’m always sentimental about moving. I hated my tiny apartment with its microscopic kitchen in Germany, but I still miss the view and the corner store…
Aw this is such a good list! I’m with you on the commute/running thing. Every time I think about moving somewhere else when my lease ends in August, I look out my window, see the water, and remember how convenient my walk to work is. I love it. But I feel like the home ownership thing is a natural progression and your new kitchen alone makes it all worth it!!! I am so excited for you but I totally get that feeling of nostalgia/not being able to go back to a place you spent so many years of your life with so many memories.
I agree that its a natural progression…I am so glad that I got the opportunity to live in the city for 5 years, but it’s time to move on!
I did get sentimental when Adam and I moved earlier this year. Since we moved out over the course of a couple of months, at first when we would go back I would get that “ah, I’m home” feeling when walking up to the front door. By the time we went to the final walk through I was totally over it though. We didn’t hire movers so carrying many many boxes from the apartment to the car made me feel less nostalgic and more ready to just be done with the place!
Congrats on your closing!!! I hope there’s another bottle of champagne in your near future 🙂
Yay for new beginnings! But just like you I get sentimental about things, even those that you can find many negatives about. There are always positives.
Owning your own place will give you such a great feeling. Pride of ownership. And it’s crazy how that feeling permeates into your home in ways you’d never expect. You’ll fuss over things you never would have fussed about before, but in a good way. Congratulations! This is a huge deal!
Thanks! I’m sure you’re right- its just weird because its something I have never experienced before!
Sounds like you are in a great location! Brian proposed in our first house and we moved out this past summer. He did it specifically because he wanted it to be in our first home and it was so sweet, but like you said, we can never go back to the spot. We moved this past summer because we needed more space and OMG keeping up with the cleaning is so much more work! That’s awesome that you will be able to move gradually, I hope everything went well today – congrats!
Thanks! I am a little scared for the cleaning but hopefully I will want to make it look clean so won’t mind as much!
Saying goodbye is always hard but it’s always exciting to start new adventures! I can’t wait to hear more about the new place 🙂
This is so exciting! There will be things you miss about your old place, but I’m sure you’ll have even more wonderful times in your new home. Wishing you all the best for a stress-free (or as close to stress-free as it can be anyway) move!
You are embarking on a new chapter in your lives! Home Ownership! When we bought our condo 7 years ago we finally felt like grownups. But I wish we had rented a little longer….
Congrats on the new home! Can’t wait to hear all about it!
Congratulations on the last walk through and closing! You’ve had so many wonderful memories in your current apartment, but I’m sure there will be plenty of new ones in your new home. Plus, you’ll be homeowners! You are so organized I don’t think you’ll have any problems, especially given that the house is brand new. It really is such a great feeling to decorate or put work into the house when you know that it is truly yours.
Haha its funny you said that, because I am trying to be organized about preparing to move but its so hard because I have no idea what Im doing:)
So exciting about your new house! I hated the stairs when I lived in an apartment. Between groceries and lugging all my textbooks up in college, I definitely don’t miss that! You have so many nice memories to take with you from your apartment and I wish you many more in your new home 🙂
Congrats on the new place, but totally understand what you’re saying about leaving your apartment. Good luck on the upcoming move!
I know exactly how you feel, and when I became a homeowner, #9 and #10 were concerns of mine too! When I moved out of my apartment, even though I was ready to move to a bigger place in a new area, I was still a little sad. I mean as you mentioned, you make so many memories when you live somewhere awhile, and you can’t help but feel a little sad to leave it. But like you said, onto bigger and better things! 🙂
Yes, exactly! There are a lot of things about renting that is nice, and I think I’m worried about how much responsibility owning a house can bring!
Being so close to places to walk to is something that I would(do) miss. But I’m sure your new place is worth the sacrifice.
So exciting!! Wonderful memories from your apartment (so neat that Rob proposed to you there!), yet you are going to be building so many new memories in your home!
Congratulations!!
Yay for closing time! I understand how you feel, when I eventually leave my place I will miss it so much for the same reasons (especially the walkability).