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Home > We finally closed escrow...

We finally closed escrow...

September 7th, 2011 at 01:36 am

on our California condo... three weeks late, but at least it's done. We had to be patient due to buyer's loan issues that necessitated signing FIVE extensions to the contract. It's a good thing we knew and liked the buyer otherwise we would have gone with the backup offer and would have had a speedier close.

It's been over a month since we moved our belongings from the condo. Although we really loved our home, we decided to sell because we just didn't use it enough to justify the expense of keeping it. It will be nice to save the money we've been shelling out each month for expenses plus the substantial equity from the sale. Moving and consolidating two homes into one was a project I do not want to repeat anytime soon.

We hired a nationally known company because we thought they would be more reliable. Wrong. The movers showed up 12 hours late. We had to stay in a hotel an extra night because they started the job at 9:30 p.m. and worked until 12:30 a.m. Then they started at 8:00 a.m. the next day and finished at 1:30 p.m. We spent the next night in Nevada because we left CA too late in the day to make it all the way home. Of course, the final cost was MUCH more than the estimate, and even though the movers were respectful and friendly, they were not as careful with our furniture as some of the local movers we've used.

All in all, we survived the move and the furniture survived, although with a few more scratches than before. The task of blending two households into one involved sorting items for donation, giving away loads of extra furniture, household items, and clothes, putting some furniture into storage for my stepson, and shredding old financial records and personal papers. Whew! Glad that is behind us but it has given me renewed motivation to streamline financial record keeping and to think twice before buying anything new for the house.

2 Responses to “We finally closed escrow...”

  1. patientsaver Says:
    1315400598

    I've heard a lot of bad stories about moving companies. I thought that most contracts would limit the amount the actual price could exceed the estimate by x percent.

    I've also heard you should always pay be credit card, so that you can challenge/dispute the fee after the fact, through the credit card company. So your stuff wouldn't be "held ransom" should the movers demand more money before releasing your stuff to you.

  2. Jerry Says:
    1315605019

    We are going to be moving next year and I am really nervous about movers in this part of the world (SE Europe)... even ones from a major chain would not lead to a lot of confidence, I'm afraid. Still, I can't rent a van myself because the rental companies will not allow me to take their vehicle through Serbia or Macedonia. They will only allow cheap little cars into those countries, and even that is only after an exorbitant insurance upgrade. I'm glad that your stuff all got there OK!
    Jerry

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