HaleyMany people have stopped us to ask when we’re hitting the road on our epic year-long RV trip. As February is drawing to a close, we are inching closer to spring and our anticipated leave date.
Prepping to Sell
We continue to get our house in list-ready shape. I spent last weekend cleaning out the garage (for the umpteenth time) only for it to feel cluttered again two days later. We’ve taken more items to store in my Grandma’s basement, and have another truckload ready to go. I am so tempted to narrow down our wardrobes for the RV now, because the amount of laundry I do each week is ridiculous. But with the seasons changing soon, I know it’s best to wait until the last minute.
When we bought our house nearly three years ago, we had the entire interior painted, installed granite countertops, replaced the aging sliding back door with a new one that has blinds between the glass (lifesaver with kids!), restained back deck and updated our appliances after our fridge quit working a few weeks ago. We’ve also tackled smaller updates such as replacing all.the.brass: door knobs, door hinges, faucets, bathroom light fixtures, bedroom light fixtures, bedroom fans, etc.
Now that I’m typing out all the updates we’ve made, it sounds like a lot. But we still have a few more updates to go. James has a friend with skills (contractor) coming by soon to do a few more handyman jobs and we will have new carpet installed next week. After that, we’ll put the house on the market by the second week in March and pray the Rowdy boys don’t ruin the new carpet!
We know of a few people who have listed their houses in the last couple weeks, and most sold in just a few days. Eek. Mentally, I’m much better prepared for a few months, but am now getting myself geared up for the possibility of a quick sale. Buying and selling a house is such a process, but I know that once we get past that hurdle we’re practically home free.
Buying an RV
Buying the RV will be the fun part. It’s still a hefty purchase, but nothing like buying a house with drawn out inspections and negotiations. For now, the plan is to buy the RV when the house sells, or at least when it’s under contract. We would love to buy by-owner, but are also enticed by dealership RVs that carry warranties. Because our travel time is limited, a warranty gives us peace of mind because the last thing we need is to spend a huge chunk of our time or money on repairs.
We know what type of layout we want–bunkhouse–but are open to several RV makes and models. We are still teetering between travel trailer vs. fifth wheel. Most likely, everything will come down to what is available when the time comes and what is the best bang for the buck. Because we plan to resell the RV after our trip, we have to think long term about not just what we want, but what other potential buyers will want.
Hitting the Road
James is running another Atlanta Affiliate League event April 30 and May 1, so regardless of when we sell the house, we won’t officially hit the road until after his event wraps up. This timeframe gives us roughly two more months to get all the details ironed out: insurance, snail mail, park pass and boondocking research, what stuff to take with us, a rough itinerary, etc.
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