It's Time

13502 Charter Bend

Have you ever made a big decision, then thought of it later with a big sigh of relief and feelings of “this just feels right”? Deciding to sell the Charter Bend house feels just that way.

We have tossed around the idea for years of “downsizing” into a smaller one-story house, but never did anything but talk about it. Our financial advisor asked if we’d thought about moving into a smaller place, outside the city (smaller mortgage, no city taxes). Well, yes, we said, but we hadn’t gotten serious about it. “Maybe this is the right time.” (Bruce is gradually transitioning to work from home, so the commute will be non-existent.)

We knew, right from the start, that the house is nowhere *near* ready to list. Carey’s mother Becky is a real estate agent, and she was kind enough to come over one morning, walk through the house, and let us know what needs fixing/repairing/replacing, and what can stay “as-is.” (We want the house to be “sell-able,” not the jewel of the neighborhood.) She also had a favorite contractor, who visited soon after. We now have a list of projects and a budget.

A lot of junk accumulates in a backyard after 18 years. Headed to the dump.

But it’s not just the work on the house; it’s the whole “decluttering inside” required before we move. A family (even an empty-nest one) builds up a *lot* of stuff over 18 years. We’re systematically going through the house and sorting things into various categories: keep, save for Sean, give away, yard sale, trash. It’s not a fun project, but it has to happen. Fortunately, we are in no rush and have the time to properly work the issue.

Bruce is trying to weather the maelstrom that is me when I have the “project bit” between my teeth. I can be a little---um---over-enthusiastic.

We were blessed and lucky in our choice of home. Since we moved here in 1998, Wurzbach Pkwy has been completed, HEB/Alon opened, NW Military has been upgraded, the Jewish Community Center was built, and Hardberger Park and the Salado Park Greenway opened. All directly touch/border our neighborhood (the Salado gate is less than a quarter mile away).

Salado Creek Greenway; gate is an easy bike ride away.

Next up: exterior work (replace trim, power washing, remove deck), then interior painting. I’ll post updates here as we go along. We hope to have the place listed by the spring.

Wish us luck!