GIVE ME THE KEYS!
Oh, imaginary friends, how I have missed you! I took an unplanned hiatus for the past few days because of a few things that were going around ’round these here parts that made our lives a little extra chaotic.
First, we’ve been in Vacation Bible School mode here at our house. The kiddies are in the nursery (Bean can attend next year when he’s three) and I am volunteering with the four-year-olds. I really love it, but it is exhausting! When we get home around 1:00 every day, the afternoons have been spent doing one of two things – either working on homework for my education class I’m taking for my teaching certificate (this is my last class this summer!!) or reading and doing lesson plans for my classes next year. I am geeking out a bit over a teaching strategy I just found and am really spending some time thinking about how my classes will function next year.
Oh, yeah. And we closed on our house on Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The closing itself went pretty smoothly. We signed our lives away and then our realtor gave us a gift basket with cheese. That’s pretty much how closings go, I guess. I was a little weirded out to find that the seller was at the closing with us. When we closed in Connecticut, we never met the seller or buyer. But she was nice and so it wasn’t a big deal. She didn’t have the keys to the house with her though (first red flag) and when I asked politely about how we could get them, she said that we could follow her over to the house and she’d give them to us since they were still getting some things finished up (second red flag). I thought it was weird that at 5:00pm on the day we closed, she was still getting stuff finished, but didn’t think too hard about it.
But then we got to the house and found that she didn’t need to “finish up.” She needed to get started! The house was still full! There was furniture everywhere, boxes everywhere, a Pod storage unit in the driveway. Chris and I walked through the house with her, pausing in each room as she explained about the things still in there. In one room, there was stuff that belonged to one of her son’s ex-girlfriends who now lived in Russia. They were trying to get in touch with her, but hadn’t had any luck. “We’re trying to figure out what to do with her stuff,” the woman told me.
TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT?!?!? You’re out of time, lady! That’s MY floor it’s sitting on!
Then, when we were upstairs, I started to open one of the bedroom doors to check out the space, but the woman stopped me.
“That’s my son’s room,” she said. “He’s taking a nap.”
WHAT?!?!?!??! WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING ON HERE?!?!??!?!
As we walked through the house and listened to her excuse after excuse, it became very obvious that not only was she not going to be out of the house today, but she didn’t seem to be in a rush to be out any time soon. She kept using vague time phrases like “soon” and “in a little bit.” The weirdest part of the whole thing was that no one was acting like this was a big deal. Neither of our realtors said anything about it and everyone just kept nodding and “Uh huh”-ing when she’d say something, like it was totally normal to STILL BE LIVING IN A HOUSE YOU JUST SOLD!
To pin her down a bit and to gently let her know that we would be needing her to leave, like, soon, I mentioned that we had a short period of time for us to do some minor renovations we are planning and when exactly could we expect to have full access to the house?
“Oh, come whenever you want!” she replied. “You can just work around us.”
Okay. Wait. Something was very wrong here. Did this woman not understand that this wasn’t her house anymore? When exactly was she going to be leaving?
Chris and I got into our car that afternoon feeling excited because we’d just bought a house, confused because someone was still living in the house, and angry that we weren’t able to run around the house with our kids and family that night to celebrate. We both fumed and ranted and raved in the car to each other, but then decided that we were being totally unproductive. And a little bit immature. So, we put on our adult panties and called the woman’s realtor. Chris very nicely, but firmly, told her that we would give the woman until 5:00 the next afternoon to get moved out, but that at 6:00 the next night, we were having the locks changed. The realtor tried to explain that the woman was just “making a few last decisions about the house before she left,” and Chris firmly said, “It isn’t her house to make decisions about anymore.”
And that was that.
We called a locksmith and scheduled to meet him at the house at 6:00 the next afternoon. When we pulled into the driveway on Tuesday, we were a little relieved to see that at least the Pod storage unit was gone. We were still worried, though, about what was left inside. But we were pleasantly surprised to find the house was completely empty AND cleaned. Which only confirm what we had suspected – the woman who sold us the house was a really nice person, she was just having a hard time letting go of the house she had raised her family in. Which is understandable, but Chris and I were liable for that house as soon as those papers were signed. Heaven forbid there was some kind of accident while they were moving. We would be the liable party because as of 5:00pm on Monday, we owned the house. So while I’m sorry for her situation (which I understand was a very nasty divorce), it was a business deal. Plain and simple.
It did put a big cloud over our actual closing day. Chris and I weren’t completely excited because there was still someone living in the house we just bought, but last night when we finally got into the house for ourselves and Chris and I could walk through the rooms, arranging imaginary furniture and arguing over paint colors for the kid’s rooms, it did feel like ours. And that was pretty freaking awesome!
Chris’s sister, Annie, came over to see it last night, too, and so we got take out dinner and all ate on the floor in the kitchen last night. Once the kids were all loaded up in the car so that we could head back to our rental house for bath and bedtimes, Chris stopped me, kissed me, and gave me the key to our new house.
“I’m glad we don’t have squatters anymore,” he said.
“Me, too.”
80 Comments
Jenny @ Fondant is Gross
Congratulations! Reading this post makes me even more excited to buy a house, I just hope that we don’t have squatters when we do! 🙂
I can’t wait for the saga to come about decorating the new house. I LOVE DECORATING!!
Congrats again!
Leslie
I hope you guys still had/will have the locks changed! No telling how many Russian ex-girlfriends of the son may show up someday and still have a key! Congrats on the new house!
Mindee@ourfrontdoor
Yeah, that was all kinds of crazy. I’ve never heard of such a thing. If someone did that here, they’d have to pay rent. I think you and Chris handled that situation absolutely perfectly. Congratulations!
Persnickety Hall
Congrats! That is crazy though. I would have flipped out at the lady. Who in their right mind would DO that?! As stressful as it was, you’ve got another story / memory to share with your babies in the future. 🙂
Jessica
Congrats guys! That is the best feeling ever!
Enjoy 🙂
Rachel
Weird!!!! When we’ve bought/sold houses we’ve had a final walk through the day before the closing and the houses were empty during the walk through, so no additional damage would be caused during the moving process. We haven’t met the previous owners, nor did we meet the people who bought the house we sold… but we’ve only bought 2 houses/sold 1. I’m glad you don’t have squatters either! Enjoy!
Alyssa
Now I’m DYING for photos! Just do a post of photos of empty rooms! 🙂
Ann G-B
Congratulations! But OMG! I have never heard of such a thing! But you were gown ups – I think I would have called the police and had her hauled away!
Lisa
Yikes! I’m glad it wasn’t a long drawn-out ordeal to make her leave. As if buying a house isn’t stressful enough!! Congrats on the new digs. It will be fun to hear about your new adventures!
Stefania
I can’t believe she was so nonchalant about the whole thing. I thought you had to do a walk through before the papers were signed as a rule. Just goes to show you that being firm is the way to go. You did the right thing.
Britt@knewlywifed
Congrats on your new place! That is such an exciting time for you all. Those keys are all yours now!
Kimberly @ The Sparks Life
I was about to call a lawyer for you! Chris and you handled it perfectly. As y’all said, not her house to make decisions about anymore. Glad it all worked out and you get to move in soon! And yes, please change the locks!!!
Jess
Congrats! Thats great. PS Chipolte is my FAVORITE!!! Great choice for the first meal in the new house!
Jen
First…Congrats on buying the new house. Cant wait to see pictures of it.
Second….that is the weirdest story ever. I cant believe that the woman was like oh my son is sleeping….why is he sleeping tell him to get moving!!!
But glad to hear that everything worked out and that you get to enjoy your new house!
Brooke
I agree completely with Mindee – you guys handled that very well.
Melissa
So excited for you guys and glad you got rid of the squatter! Enjoy your new home 🙂 Pics soon please!
Kat
I keep going between horrified at that situation and laughing because it didn’t happen to me. O h m y. So glad your adult panties are so mature and know what to do. Lol
MistyK
We had a similar situation when we bought our home. We came do a final inspection the day we closed and there was still so much to be moved out… and the womans ex husband was there having to supervise as the owner ‘couldnt be botherd’ um sir? then he showed us how hed wired outdoor speakers using orange extension cords. Definetly not code! But we moved in, and have been happu here for 5 years come october. Congrats on you new HOME.
Kara
Wow! What a nightmare! But I’m so very glad it worked out!
Waiting for Bulgaria
Oh my gosh! That is ridiculous. I understand holding on to something that’s hard to let go of, but when you sell a house, you should get your behind out of there before closing. Good job standing up for yourselves.
Lindsay (Young Married Mom)
Congratulations! I only yet know the joy of signing a lease, with an option for a second year, so I can’t really imagine how wonderful it must feel to own a house. But I’m pretty sure “doggone incredible” would sum it up. I’m not sure when I started using the word “doggone” though . . .
Jen M
congratulations! That is so exciting! I can’t believe the seller though. Just goes to show there are still people out there that just don’t get it. But sounds like it all turned out.
Monica Godwin
I love reading your blog. It always makes me laugh 🙂 I’m glad everything turned out okay with the house. I would probably freak out if that happened to us! Congrats on the new house 🙂
Candice
I LOVE how authoritative Chris was when he said the house wasn’t hers to make decisions about anymore. That’s just wonderful. And it makes perfect sense when you consider you guys are liable at that point.
Congrats on the house! I hope it is a dream home.
Maggie
You handled that far more gracefully than I would have! As you said, there were legal liabilities that transferred when the papers were signed – she needed to be out! In any event, so happy for you all that you have the keys and that there are no more squatters!
Michelle @ Mambo Gook
Congrats!! That lady sounds a tad off her rocker, but I’m glad it all worked out! I’m moving into my new place in a week and plan on making a fort in the living room the first night b/c I won’t have any furniture! Haha! Oh the good ol’ days!
Ange
Holy moly. I would have lost my MIND if people were still in the house. Wow. You guys handled it really well – I probably would have called my lawyer and lost my sh*t.
halcuri
I know how you feel! My husband and I just bought a house and the only real problem we had with the sellers was pinning them down to a move out time. At first, it was supposed to be August 15th. Then they wanted the 16th. Then they wanted to be out by early afternoon although we had agreed on 9 am. Finally, like Chris, my husband called our realtor and said, “They MUST be out by 11 am on the 16th!” It’s even in our contract. Have fun getting settled!
Jen @ caved in
I remember closing day at our first house. I spun in circles while yelling “it’s mine! All mine!”. Then my pessimistic hubby reminded me how much work we had to do. Men are such downers sometimes. So glad you guys got your house! Dont let this bother you. The quirky stuff makes for the best stories later. Can’t wait to see pics
Kristin
Wow.
Alaina
Dude, I would have been so pissed if someone did that to me at closing. That and at the realtor b/c it was his/her responsibility to make things ready. I’m just glad you no longer have squatters! Enjoy your new home!
Katy @ MonsterProof
How ridiculous! I’ve never heard of anything like it!
Stephanie @ Our Marriage Adventure
Congrats on your house, but that is so stinkin’ weird that they were not out by closing. I can’t wait to see picture tours of the new house!
Deepa
My jaw DROPPED when you said her son was napping in a bedroom! Dropped. I am so proud of you guys for acting like adults; i would have thrown a fit. Literally. Yay new house CONGRATS!
Anne @ Apricot Wallpaper
Hi Katie – I just found your blog a few days ago and have really been enjoying it. Thanks for the great post, and congratulations on the new house!
Meredith J.
YUM Chipotle! 🙂 I’m so excited to pics of this new exciting house of yours! And babies rooms and colors etc. 😀
Katie
When we moved to Ohio we were shocked to learn that the seller had up to 4 days to stay in the house post-closing – it was part of the standard sales contract and our agent told us it was perfectly normal. News to us. We’ve lived in five states and never run into that before or since. I’m surprised your agent didn’t schedule a pre-closing walk-through to get that all taken care of ahead of time. BUT – all’s well that ends well…or something like that. May your family be truly blessed in your new home!
Lisa
Congrats!! And that is totally crazy. Glad you finally got your keys 🙂
Annalee
Whoa… I have never heard of that happening. Good thing you guys figured it out! Congrats!
Angie
Yea!! Congrats!! Chris was completely right to request her to move out, it’s uncomfortable but it has to be done…unless they are paying rent. Our sellers were at our closing too, which was weird…but kind of nice, since we could ask some questions. Goodluck at the new house!!
Rachel
Holy cow! Good on Chris for being firm! I think I would’ve flipped a gasket if someone was living in MY house once it was my house haha. Glad to hear the squatter has vacated!!!
Erin
Is it wrong to be completely jealous of someone I don’t even know but feel like I do?
Christy
Congrats! I love this state but I swear it’s cesspool for crazy people. Since we’ve been looking for a house (months now) we’ve seen houses in really bad shape where people seemingly just took the necessities and left, leaving clothes in closets and their kids’ toys all over the house. One house had a 12 pack of beer in the porch. Things that make you go, “hmm”. Luckily, we have not run into any squattors or vagabonds whilst looking for a house. Although we are friends with proud squattors….
Rebecca @ The Reluctant Housewife
OH MY WORD! So that’s just hilarious and wrong all at the same time! what on earth was that lady thinking! And the realtor?!?! I wouldn’t have had a CLUE what to do.
Margaret
Katie! That is INSANE. Also, didn’t you do a walk-through BEFORE you closed? Every house we’ve bought (ok, the two) we’ve had to do a walk-through before closing. That’s a funny story with a good resolution. Our current house closing was a nightmare. The sellers called a week before closing (Sunday before Thanksgiving) and told us they wouldn’t be selling us the house because the former owner of their NEW house (who, just like your seller, was still living there!) had committed suicide in it. Nightmare of a holiday week. We eventually got the house, but with threats of lawsuits, it was almost very ugly. So the moral of the story is ENJOY YOUR NEW HOUSE.
Katie N
Omgosh what a crazy story! My blood pressure definitely just rose while I read that story! You guys are so sweet; while I know my husband would have taken a similar approach to yours, I would have had a harder time being so understanding…which is why our marriage is the perfect balance 🙂 CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW HOUSE! I’m so excited to see pictures of the new digs!
Nikki
Congrats on your new house, Katie! I’m sorry that there had to be a bit of drama along with it, but it made such a great story! I’m impressed with your composure. I would have turned red and started talking very quickly and with a higher pitch to that woman until she got the heck out. That’s why I leave important conversations for the future husband!
Nate's Mom @ Nate is Great
I would not have been as graceful as the two of you were. I think I would have lost it on all of the agents and the woman who was clearly in denial that she just SOLD THE HOUSE TO YOU. Way to manage the situation well and congratulations on the happy dance in your new HOME!!!
Jessica
You definitely did the right thing giving her 24 hours to get out! It’s good to be compassionate about other’s situations but it was officially your house. She knew what day you were closing and she should have been able to hand over the key. But yay! New house! Congrats!
Andrea in NC
Ahhhh!!! SOOOOO excited for you & your family!! I’m also very jealous – I can’t wait to be able to buy and not rent…. Congratulations, Katie! You deserve it 😀
Rachel @ The Ongoing Planner
We had a almost the same situation for us, except we did an inspection before we closed. We when pulled up there was a ton of stuff piled up along the side of the front steps to the house and the POD taking up the whole driveway. We were relieved when we went inside and there was not anything left (She did leave the patio furniture which she said at closing we could keep). I was still worried since we already had our UHaul packed and ready to move in after closing. It all worked out since the POD was gone when we got back, but it did put a damper on our closing (that may have been the pouring rain as well). Very exciting! Best of luck with moving in 🙂
Kristen
Such a crazy ordeal for you guys to go through! Wishing you many wonderful and happy memories in your new home!
Chloe
Are you kidding me?! You are waaay nicer than me. I would have said many not so nice nor appropriate words to her.
Dawn
Crazy experience with your squatters! Brings back memories of buying our current house – quite a similar situation with a seller who thought there was no problem with the fact that he still had ROOMS of furniture and crap in the house as we were signing papers, and had infact LIED about it both before the closing and that night after it was ours.
Cindy In Owensboro, KY
I think that sounds totally crazy but my best friend told me that she was given 30 days to move out of her last house and 30 days before she moved in the one she lives in right now. When I told her that we were expected to move out before our closing on July 29th she thought we were crazy. I think that I agree with you that the seller should be out of the house and you should get the keys at closing.
Ashley @ A Recipe for Sanity
So glad you guys finally have your house and that there is no one else living in it! You all did the right thing by speaking to her realtor. As hard as it is to let go…you guys are putting out the big bucks for a new house, so you need to be able to run around in it and have a picnic on the floor if you want! 😉 So happy for the new chapter in your life!
april in TX
Can I ask what the reading strategy is you discovered?
Tressa
Soooooooo HAPPY for you guys!!! and soooooo jealous of the food your eating!!! I don’t get that near enough! Welcome Home 🙂
molly
Okay, you are a MUCH better person than me because I might have said something like, “Don’t let the door hit ya on your butt on the way out, lady!” Seriously, you’re biggest purchase ever and there is still something there? ACK! I would have freaked! But I’m glad you eventually got into your home. I hope you’ll show photos of it soon! Give us a “tour” Katie =)
Sonya
That is just weird! I’ve never heard of that before. I can’t believe NO ONE said anything! Congrats and enjoy your new home!
Maggie
Katie, this is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard! Y’all handled that much better than I would have…But despite that, I’m so glad that everything else went smoothly. Congrats!
Shelley
WOW- the most important thing is that it ended VERY well. It’s rare that seller’s have the house cleaned for new owners. I think both realtors knew about the situation and that’s why you didn’t have the customary walk-though. But, you’re in now – congratulations!
Claire H
Congratulations! Such an exciting time for you all, have fun picking the paint colours! Cx
Samantha
Wow. Wow. Wow.
You handled that WAY better than I would have…. I would have freaked out on that lady in the closing. I mean freaked out.
I understand that it may not have been her choice to sell, but she did what she had to do, and im glad you did too!
Tiffany
Congrats on the new house. Glad it all worked out and you guys get to move in soon. Can’t wait to see pics.
Christine
Super duper exciting- congratulations! And you definitely handled that awkward situation very well! Excited for you guys and your upcoming decorating projects!
CAlypso
Buying a house is stressful enough, I can’t believe you had to deal with the previous owner and all that madness!! That’s crazy!!!
Anyways, good for Chris for giving them the ultimatum! Good for you for keepin your cool. Proud of you. I would have turned into the venemous beast that I keep hidden. Congrats!!! Soo stinking happy for you!!! I look forward to all the pictures.
Tara
Oh, dear! Having just bought a house, I can only imagine if that had happened to me! We had a whole plan on the day of our closing to eat take out on the floor with the kids and to let them explore their new digs! I would have just died if there were still people sleeping in our rooms!
brittany
Totally weird! In WA, you don’t meet the buyers or sellers either so I’d be creeped out too! And still living there?!?! Whoa. You two were way nicer then I would have been! 😉 Best of luck in your NEW HOME!!!!
Bec
We were also in the closing with the person we bought our house from. And we didn’t do a final walk through right before closing which we should have done. Because after we got the keys and went into the house, we realized that the dude had just left everything in the house he didn’t want or couldn’t sell in the estate sale. There was ALOT. It took us multiple trips to the transfer station to get rid of it all. We are talking deer hides, pots and pans, shampoo bottles, nails and screws…I could go on and on.
Jody
Oh, by the comments you can see that realty horror stories are not uncommon. I just finished my own nasty, stress-filled, stroke-in-my-dad-causing, farm buying that I was nodding my head as I read your post. I am so glad it worked out so much better! We both are now property owners!!
Jenna
That’s why it’s not called “Show Friends.” It’s “Show Business,” people 😉
Lauren
Glad you’re back! I’ve missed reading your blog (it’s seriously my favorite)! Congrats on your new house, and great job to you and Chris on how you handled the messy situation!
Jenna
Mmmm, Chipotle … oh, and congratulations!! 🙂
Niki
Unbelievable! But I’m glad y’all were able to get in the next day without any further problems. Will there be pictures once everything is painted, situated and decorated?
Lori @ I Can Grow People
Oh man, just reading this I was getting angry for you at the seller! I would have been SO pissed. Can’t believe both realtors let that happen, but I am very happy that you finally have a home to your own in FL. PS: I’m seguing into the mural business so if you would like some painting done in the kids’ rooms let me know! It’d be nice to visit!
Laura
Well played! Congrats to you!!! 🙂 happy decorating. Unpacking can stink but it’s like a new slate to get things organized just how you guys like them. And then you can really be settled there. Yay!
Amber
It’s not personal, it’s business!
Yikes! That would be super frustrating and you are totally right about the liability!
Congrats on your house though, super exciting! Now is the fun part of setting up your stuff and decorating!
Laura
I’m shocked that neither of the realtors didn’t do/say anything (you’d think that they’d be a bit at stake/liable professionally…?). Whatever the case, I’m so glad to hear that it’s smoothed over now, and your house of dreams is really yours! I can’t wait to hear how your projects and moving in goes…! Allt he best!
Lynne
Yikes! What an awkward situation, that you handled very well……side note…..I admit I am somewhat impressed that the woman got everything out of there so fast……