Selling a home has got to rank as one of the top most stressful life events, right behind getting married or moving across the country. We spent all weekend at my condo, painting, cleaning, staging.
What drives me nuts is when people guarantee a deadline, then don’t meet it. Maybe I don’t completely understand because I’m not a contractor, but if I’m constantly late, then I’d probably build a buffer into my timeline and say, “Well hell, I typically don’t deliver on-time, so instead of being done on Wednesday, let’s just say I won’t be done until next Wednesday for good measure!”
Right? Wouldn’t you want to underpromise and overdeliver? Isn’t that the basic tenet of contracting?
But no. Come Friday night, we’re nowhere near done. Come Saturday when I’m expecting my real estate agent to come by, we’re nowhere near done. It’s now Monday and we’re still not finished.
Throughout the weekend, I started hyperventilating, thinking, what would Jesus do? That’s my Lenten promise, to take a deep breath, calm down, and think of Jesus. But every time I thought of Jesus, I thought about the time he went to the synagogue and saw that people had turned the place into a Biblical Walmart. He opened up a can of whoop ass and went postal! He was so mad at these people for disrespecting the temple of God, for taking advantage of the poor, and profiting off of the lowly.
And I thought yeah. Jesus got mad and I can get mad too, because I feel taken advantage of. This isn’t Monopoly money we’re talking about. This is tens of thousands of cold hard cash. This is my blood, sweat, and tears. This is the only home that I own, this is my savings. And people are telling me they’re going to be done on a certain day and they’re not. So every single day we’re late is money down the F*ing toilet.
So yesterday my husband Dean’s telling me to chill out, it will get done when it gets done, and I went all Jesus on him. Not loaves and fishes Jesus, but protesting, tirading, anti-Walmart Jesus.
“WHAT PART OF LOSING MONEY DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?!” I screamed in my sacred Lenten voice.
That didn’t help any. I tried to simmer down. I walked out of the apartment and downstairs into the backyard (which also needs work, but I cannot even deal with that right now). I walked back upstairs into the apartment and sat down on the couch, twitching with subdued rage. Since I can’t assist with the painting and I cleaned everything I could possibly clean, I’m completely useless. I pick up our book club book, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, hollering at Dean, “Well I’m just going to sit here and read my book club book about a man who murders his wife. You let me know when it’s time to go home.”
Wow, there’s a mouthful! I think it’s good you spoke your mind and let your voice be heard. As someone who does residential painting, I do my best to finish on time, especially when nothing out of the ordinary pops up. How’d everything work out?
Ryan, it all worked out in the end. I sold my home for $25k over the asking price. But it was very stressful at the time, especially feeling helpless like I did.
“Anti-Walmart Jesus” — I’m going to remember that one.
Glad to see in your comment that everything worked out well. I hate waiting on people. It’s in my top ten peeves. I think since you didn’t throw anything or hurt anyone you handled it amazingly well. Good for you!
Thank you Robin. Sometimes I do throw things and hurt people, but not this time! Luckily, I held back!
Love that Lenten promise and your interpretation of it 🙂
Happy SITS day!
Thank you so much, Tricia for stopping by. Hope you’re having a fantastic weekend!
I can completely understand EVERYTHING you are saying in this post! Husband and I just bought a home and the blanket-y-blank bank people took 4 MONTHS to get the paperwork through. Not 30 days 4 MONTHS. So yeah. Dumb people. Anyway, visiting from SITS! Hope you have a great day!
Thank you Kendra for your support during your SITS day. Glad you got to read my post and hope it brought some levity to your day!
Laughing out loud right now! Anti-Walmart Jesus…your outburst at Dean at the end was hysterical too! I totally get the stressed at contractor thing though…when we did our addition on our house, they would tell us they were coming and never show up…like I had nothing else to do that day besides wait around for them! It was infuriating!
Michelle, I was seething at the time, but glad I was able to make people laugh with my post. I’m sure you can relate, having worked with contractors before!
Amen, SITStah! You had me at the first line.
Haha, Heather, glad I was able to make you laugh!
Good thing the book wasn’t about a woman murdering her husband. Time can be so frustrating. I have enough to do for four lifetimes–trouble is, I don’t believe in reincarnation. Have a great SITS Day.
Thank you for showing me the love during my SITS Day, Sheila!
This is hilarious! I especially love how you distinguish between Jesus’ moods…and of course your subtlety with your hubby at the end. Happy SITS day!
Heather, thank you so much for stopping by on my SITS day. I’m so glad my stressful situation brought laughter to people who read my post!
Ahh, Anti-Walmart Jesus. We have all been there. I love the way that you write. Will be following you!!
Thank you, Lynne. That was such a stressful time, but glad I could bring a smile to people who read the post!
love the way you write!!! you’re hysterical and made me laugh out loud!
stopping by from SITS, congratulations on your SITS Day!
I’m so glad I made you laugh, Patty! I’m typically not funny, but that post seemed to make people giggle!
We are getting ready to try and sell our house this summer. Maybe I shouldn’t have read this!! LOL!
Such a good time to sell, do not let my post discourage you. Haha!
I am actually counting down the days until we are able to sale our house! I can’t wait to build another one it was such a rewarding experience the first time 🙂
Such a good time to sell a home right now. Don’t let my stressful situation and post discourage you. Haha!
I never assume a house project is going to be done when estimated. When you live in an old house (circa 1892), you’re just happy when you can complete anything without finding 10 other projects that just “come up” along the way.
Happy SITS Day!
I love historical homes, so much more character!
I agree! I would rather they underpromise and surprise me by getting it done sooner, I would be so happy! Great post, and you’re right. It’s your money, and you should get your monies worth!
Thank you, Adrienn, for stopping by on my SITS day. Hope you had a great weekend!
This is HILARIOUS and JUST! I could so relate to your anger and I have on many occasions, justified my rage and thought I deserved to be PISSED OFF! That “Biblical Wallmart” comment cracked me UP!! I get you. I really do. 🙂 Good try on your Lenten commitment!! lol
Chris, thank you so much! It was such a stressful time in my life, but I figured writing the post would help relieve some of the anger. Glad I was able to make you laugh! Your comment made my day.
In life you should ALWAYS under promise and over deliver when you can. DUH! Builders and contracts should adopt that as a standard.
Love you blog! Happy SITS Day!
Thank you Sarah for stopping by on my SITS day. I appreciate your support. Hope you had a great weekend.
Hey Vixen! very happy to come across your blog and read this wonderful post 🙂 I liked the attitude of ‘what Jesus would do?” even though you were all mindful of the lent season and was trying to act like Jesus 🙂 I should try it out and see how things will go for me. But when I get mad, Jesus is the last person I will be thinking of.. 🙂 Stopping by from SITS 🙂
Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my posts! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend!
“No loaves and no fishes Jesus”. Oh Lord Jesus they its MESS! Hilarious! I don’t like lazy contractors and I don’t like anyone who does not have good business ethic. You handled it well.
Blessings~
Alethea
Alethea, you are too funny. Thank you for your comment. Hope you had an amazing weekend!
I know I’m late, but happy SITS day, nonetheless!
Thank you Jean for stopping by!