If you’re buying a house you might need an ‘in-between’ space. Maybe just for a few days, or maybe for a few months…

Cue the panic.

And the resistance.

Noooooooooo!…..

Often there is considerable stress about timing when it comes to real estate. People selling their houses are worried about being able to find something new, so they won’t put their house on the market until they’ve found ‘the one’. The trouble with that is that great spaces sell extremely quickly, and the market is competitive enough right now that most sellers also won’t accept a home sale contingency {that’s when you as a buyer submit an offer, but on the condition that you have to sell and close on your own house first}. I don’t blame a seller for not wanting to deal with that if they don’t have to, it’s additional risk.

So what to do?

First, take the time to look at some options, get a feel for the market, what’s available, and get to a mental place where you are ready to ‘pull the trigger’ as soon as you find the right place, and then get your house sold! {or at least under contract}.

Then, if the absolute worst thing happens and you haven’t found your new home before you close on your current one, you might have to get a space that’s temporary. But I don’t think it’s anywhere close to the worst thing that could happen, I actually love it and here’s why.

It gives you flexibility. 

Selling your house first and living in a temporary space gives you the flexibility to buy the right thing when you see it, and not feel pressured to just put an offer on something because you feel like you are running out of time.

Now, don’t let that be an excuse for you to become the pickiest buyer out there. But it can take the pressure off and let you both to find a space that you really love when it comes on the market, and potentially get a better value by purchasing during a less busy time of year. Which leads me right to…

You can potentially get a better value

If you have a home to sell, it’s best to sell it in the spring, hands down. But I wouldn’t buy in the spring if I had a choice, because it’s not necessarily when you get the best value in terms of price alone. You get that during less busy times of year, mid to late summer, the fall, and certainly the winter. Basically any time other than the spring!

So sell your place and get cozy with the idea of a temporary space so that you can get a better deal on a great new space {and added appreciation just from timing. who doesn’t love that?!}. Now, there is typically less inventory during the less busy times of year, so there are pluses and minuses to this, but it’s something to consider, especially if you are someone who craves an amazing deal {you know who you are!}.

It could help you bring your physical space into present time.

We all have a tendency to keep things that aren’t working for us longer than we should. Either because we get stuck in a little bit of tunnel vision thinking those bangs from the 90’s are still the most flattering look, or because we’re just too lazy to get rid of the sofa that’s seen far better days and it’s just easier to keep it then go out and get something new. {but I spent so much money on… sound familiar??}

Moving into a temporary space motivates you in a unique way to get rid of things that aren’t working for you {it doesn’t work for haircuts though, unfortunately} and bring in some new things that are a reflection of who you are and your style ~ now. Our homes, energetically, are all about safety and security, so we get them all set up the way we like them ~ and then they don’t change… ever…. while the familiarity might feel nice and cozy, it’s important to have movement in that space as well, so that it’s always working for you and feeling great to be in. So while you might not need or want get rid of everything and start from complete scratch {even though it’s a bold move I totally support, and maybe that’s what needs to happen}, it’s important to have your space and energy in movement, and in present time, so that it’s really working for you. Trust me, it’ll feel amazing.

It will help your purge. 

Now, this one really only counts when it’s a happy coincidence, and I wouldn’t move into temporary housing just because I was doing a purge. But one thing I’m taking advantage of as we move into a temporary spot for the next eight months, is the gift of putting most of our possessions into storage. I’ve purged a lot already, but some things I’m still a little unsure about, so being able to put them away for a while is turning out to be a great way to see if I really do love them. If I don’t think about them or miss them for eight months, it’s time to let them go, and I’ll have more permission to do that without fear or hesitation. But if I do think about a certain item that was a maybe, or miss something enough to go get it out of storage and start using it again, I haven’t gotten rid of it and there are no regrets.

Also, once we pull everything back out, we get to re-assess everything with fresh eyes. We’ve gotten rid of a lot of furniture, and we won’t really be buying any in-between pieces since our new place is furnished. It’s really the perfect palette cleanser and a rare kind of fresh start when we do buy our permanent spot. We can spend this temporary time getting inspired and figuring out what we want our style to be, as a couple, in a new space, without our existing stuff affecting our perception of what might work or even what we genuinely love. Then it’s easier to know what of our existing things work with that vision and what doesn’t, and keep things accordingly.

 

So what camp are you in when it comes to the temporary space? Have you ever had to {or chosen to} do a temporary space in between homes? Was it bliss or did you hate it? I can’t wait to see how ours goes, and if it’s as great as I’m expecting it will be!