Just two tasks

I met with my real estate agent the other day about the possibility of putting the house on the market. He gave me two tasks to get the house ready for selling: (1) Paint the new railing at the top of the stairs and (2) Clean out the shop/family room and give it a “purpose”.

I planned to do both this weekend.

But let’s be honest, that stack of cardboard boxes that are broken down for the recycle bin? Paul stacked those up a few days before he died and they’re still sitting where he left them. The treadmill hasn’t been touched since he last used it, and his jacket is still hanging by the laundry room door.

We’d planned to partition the room last summer. The back half was going to be workout space; the front was going to be our old couches and TV (but we never got around to buying the new ones) and that was going to be the kids’ TV/play area.

The space looks horrid right now and I know that Paul would be disappointed. We had just straightened it up and mapped everything out for building the partition and now it’s become a storage area for junk that I don’t know what to do with. Or, more accurately, for stuff that I’m too lazy to put in proper storage under the eaves.

I don’t know when I’ll get around to completing my tasks but if I’m going to get the house on the market I’d best get to it. That said, I reserve the right to change my mind and not sell the house just now. Thankfully, my agent is understanding and knows just how difficult this is for me. After all, he spent so much time helping us find this lovely house!