We closed the deal and moved in on Thursday, August 20th with the immense help of my family and friends. Over the next weeks my parents made us VERY happy that we moved to a place so close to them by coming over frequently and doing inordinate amounts of work around the house including garden work, lawn mowing, gutter cleaning, weed whacking, pressure washing, trash disposal, and countless other tasks.
The empty space inside the house quickly filled with our things and became our own. It took time for most of our boxes to become unpacked, and we've still got some painting and decorating to do here and there, but by-and-large we're moved in. So far I've succeeded in replacing some windows, and I learned a bit about maintaining the pool. I cleaned and reorganized the work bench in the cellar so we know where to go when we need a nail, or screw, or circular saw or blowtorch head. Which reminds me, we've managed to inherit a bajillion things leftover from the previous owner and her ex husband. So... since lists are fun:
- Somewhat expected: refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher
- 1 snow blower
- 1 reversible leaf blower / mulcher
- 1 very nice patio set
- 2 auxilliary patio sets
- 1 big play structure with slide, climbing wall, and swingset
- 1 heavy duty 2-wheel barrow
- 1 treadmill
- 1 air-hockey table
- 1 trash barrel enclosure
- 2 trash barrels
- 1 extra long hose
- assorted pool supplies
- rakes, shovels and brooms
- 1 tree trimmer
- 2 ladders
- 1 circular saw
- 1 drill
- 1 electric sander
- 2 toolboxes chock full of tools
- ~8 box cutters
- tons of latex gloves
- 1 frozen turkey
- 2 air conditioners
- 1 tape recorder
- lots of cans of paint
- extra floor tiles and a tile cutter
- 1 christmas tree stand
From the date we moved in, we still had a solid 8 days of vacation to get settled. I'd highly recommend this to anyone else who moves into a new house in August. I was worried it would feel like a wasted vacation since we didn't go anywhere, but the newness of our home, and the fact that we had a pool and a beach nearby just made it perfect. We felt like we were staying in a vacation home, and since it was August a lot of friends were able to find time to come by and join our little fantasy.
Now it's safe to say that we are cozy with the idea of this being our permanent abode. Our thoughts are now turning to closing the pool, and putting out autumnal decor. I am also taking full advantage of our proximity to the beach by making frequent trips to Hampton for a little surf and peace of mind. Besides the beach, so many of our favorite places are within 10 minutes drive of us, like Cinnamon Rainbows surf shop, food at The Secret Spot, KBs, Tripoli or Dairy Queen, bluegrass music and apple picking at Applecrest Farm, downtown Newburyport and Amesbury, Maudslay park, and my parents and grandparents houses. And who can deny the importance of the other contrasting locales such as Kittens, Joe's Playland, Tens Club, and the good ol' Seabrook Market Basket! We're creamy coastal, country living, with a bits of white trash sprinkled on top for flavor. Come visit sometime!
