Selling your home can be pretty stressful

 

Dear Bloggers,

 Yes we are moving again and our house is for sale at the current time. And no we did not find a new place yet although we are having a Plan B to live somewhere in a holiday park for the time in between homes. We did a lot of work to make it our forever home and yes we succeeded pretty much. There are some points that still need attention for example the bathroom needs to be redone to make things more into todays color schemes. That is something for the new owners to do. Our house

 

Our current home is for sale 

Selling a home can be stressful from start to finish. There's so much riding on a home sale that many homeowners spend the time selling their home sitting "on pins and needles," as they say. It's hard not to worry. From the moment that a home is put up for sale, homeowners must ask themselves: what will we do if the home doesn't sell for enough money? What if it takes to long sell? These questions and concerns are valid.

 

Everything outside the house was freshly painted last year by my wife

Fortunately, there are things that you can do to make the home selling process go more smoothly. If you're a homeowner who would like to sell your home sometime in the coming months, you can make the process easier on yourself by working with a professional real estate agent. Below, I've listed the top 10 stressors that homeowners experience when trying to sell their home.

The new staircase was installed

Selling Within the Timeframe

Most homeowners need to sell their home on a deadline. If they can't sell their home by the time their new job begins, or by the time they've started to pay the mortgage on their new property, they could experience hardship that could lead to loss of money. Homes tend to sell quickly at certain times of the year. Putting the house up for sale at a time of year when buyers are looking can help the home sell faster. Homeowners can also help their home sell more quickly by pricing the house right.

 

New powerlines, telephone, gas and also the sewagepipes were renewed

A house that is priced too high for its worth could take a long time to attract the right buyer, and may never attract the right buyer if it remains priced too high. Incorrect pricing can be avoided by working with a real estate professional who understands the real estate market in the area and who knows how to analyze the prices of comparable homes in the area.

 

Selling for the Desired Price

Most home sellers have a target price they're aiming for when they put their house on the market. They often feel anxiety when they wonder what will happen if they don't sell their home for the right price. When an offer comes in below the expected price, this can create feelings of hesitation. Do they accept the offer or not? This is another reason to work with a real estate professional who knows how to analyze the price of comparable homes in the area. 

The rebuilding of the garage after being on fire as the powerlines were not installed according to standards. everything inside was burned. 

A capable real estate professional can help set expectations so homeowners know what to expect when they put their home on the market. Although a real estate professional is not able to predict the future, they can often help homeowners decide what price is realistic, so hopefully the homeowner won't be expecting a price that is much higher than it should be.

 

Handling Home Improvements & Home Selling Preparation

Homeowners often feel a lot of pressure to make their house look "perfect" without really knowing what buyers want. They often put effort into home improvements without knowing whether those improvements will pay off.

 

Homeowners can assuage these concerns by setting up a consultation with their real estate professional before listing their home. Their real estate professional can give them advice that can help them decide what home improvements are most important to do now.

 

The garden has been finished and landscaped this year a costful operation

Fear of Offers Falling Through

Once an offer does come through, it takes a while before the home is officially sold. During that time, the offer can always fall through. Homeowners who are in a hurry to sell their home quickly often feel anxiety that they will not be able to stop the offer from falling apart. A good real estate professional can help with any negotiations that could prevent the home sale from falling apart. An experienced negotiator can help keep buyers interested. Even if their enthusiasm for the home buying process begins to wane.

All the walls have been redone as the former owners only lived here for 40+ Years

Timing the Sale of the Home with the Purchase of a New One

Selling a home and buying a home at the same time can be an especially touchy process. Usually, home sellers want to sell the home shortly before the purchase of their new home is final. Home sellers often feel worry that their home will either sell too soon before the purchase of their new home, or that their home will take a long time to sell after their new home has been bought. Both situations can lead to financial hardship for the homeowner. Homeowners who want to time the sale of their new home purchase properly should work with an experienced real estate professional for both the sale of their old home and the purchase of their new home. Having a partner who can help them at both ends of the transaction can help with the timing.

We had to put in a new kitchen as well as the wooden floor was in that bad condition that you actually could fall through. We now have foam concrete floor with underfloor heating. Best decission i made

Anxiety Over the Unknowns in the Selling Process & Timeline

Lack of control over the selling process and timeline can make some homeowners feel like they're out of control generally, which can lead to overall feelings of anxiety. Homeowners who feel anxiety over the home selling process and timeline should write down a list of questions for their real estate professional at the start of the home selling process to help them feel like they know what to expect throughout the transaction. It's important to find a real estate agent who is a good communicator, who can help the home seller understand what's happening throughout the home selling process. Most home sellers have a greater feeling of control over the selling process if they know what to anticipate every step of the way.

Our diningroom and coffee kitchen counter we had plenty to remodel this to our home.

Being Unsure if Buyers are Interested

Sometimes when a house sits on the market for a long time, home sellers may become concerned that buyers are not interested in their house. This can happen for many reasons. If the house is priced incorrectly, or if the house is not in good condition, then buyers can be hard to bring to the table. Often, sellers find it hard to believe that their home is not attractive to buyers. Sellers expect their house to be attractive to buyers because it is attractive to the sellers. This kind of perspective can make it difficult for sellers to make their home more appealing to buyers. Sometimes, painting a room can be helpful. Other times, the house needs to be repriced. For home sellers, the best way to attract buyers is to work with a real estate professional who can make recommendations for repairs or changes that can bring buyers running.

 

The bathroom stayed in her retro look all the pipes have been checked by a pro, so everything is functional but out of date. 

Handling Negotiations with Buyers

Negotiating with buyers is one of the key parts of selling a home, but many homeowners have little or no experience selling much of anything. This makes negotiating with buyers stressful because most home sellers feel unprepared and unable to handle the negotiations themselves. The best thing that home sellers can do to negotiate with their buyers is to work with a trustworthy real estate professional. It's also important to listen to that real estate professional as they often give advice to sellers. However, it is the seller who is ultimately in control of many of the actions that the real estate professional takes when trying to sell the house. Working together as a team, the real estate professional and home seller can help make the negotiating process better overall.

 

Our backyard and garage we loved to sit outside during the summertime

Difficulty Keeping the Home Clean for Showings

Sometimes, it takes several home showings before a buyer makes an offer on a home. In between those tours and showings, home sellers often spend hours cleaning and staging their house. This can lead to wasted time, stress over keeping the house looking its best, and even fights among people in the household as everyone feels pressure to keep their house looking its best.

For many homeowners, the solution to staging and preparing the house between home showings is to have the house professionally cleaned on a regular basis. Some homeowners will even hire landscapers to cut their grass, water their plants and weed their garden to boost curb appeal. Having professional resources on hand can help reduce the anxiety out of maintaining a home.

 

The Masterbedroom Which is for Dutch standards not to bad.

It's also helpful to work with a real estate professional. A capable and skilled real estate professional can make recommendations that can help homeowners know where to direct their energy when staging their home. This can help homeowners feel some sense of relief that, even if their home is not in perfect condition when home buyers come to see the home, the house is still tailored to the needs and tastes of home buyers. This can help make the experience of preparing for home showings and tours easier overall.

Getting Out of the House for Showings

During tours and open houses, the homeowner leaves their home open for anyone who wants to come in and take a look at their possessions. For some homeowners, doing this can be very challenging. Leaving the home open for anyone to wander in means making the house vulnerable to scrutiny and perhaps even security concerns. This is not easy for some homeowners.

 There are many things that home sellers can do to assuage their own concerns. To begin with, listening to their real estate professional about staging tactics can leave the house seeming less vulnerable overall. Most staging tactics involve putting away personal items that would make the home seem a little less generic and a little more intimate. Not only does this make the house more secure, but it can also lead to bigger offers from home buyers.

In addition, it's also important to work with a real estate professional who will keep a watch over the belongings in the house while the house is being toured by potential buyers. This helps keep the items safe and can even help keep the house itself safe.

 

Our garage and our backyard seen from the sidewalk

Work with a Real Estate Professional

When the time comes to sell your home, the most important thing you can do to make the home selling process easier overall is to work with a real estate professional. Your real estate professional can help you by providing advice and guidance throughout the home selling process, interacting with potential buyers, and by serving as your guide while the house is being sold. 

 

An impression of our groundfloor done by our real estate professionals people

In most of the cases that I know as we have been viewing some new homes for many sellers "...it would make sense to step aside for a little fresh air and let the professionals do their magic."

By working with a real estate professional, you can alleviate much of the anxiety you might feel while the selling process is taking place.

The Old Sailor,

 

 

Nature is beautiful and it is not on your cellphone

 

 

Dear Bloggers,

 

Today driving the commuter bus through the beautiful country sides of Groningen and Drenthe both districts have lovely roads that are surrounded by nature. I saw a squirrel on the bicycle lane and a young female deer that just crossed the road and all my passengers simply missed this as they were to busy with their phones.

As we become more and more detached from nature, we start to realize how much we depend on it. Nature is our primal home, our roots, and our remedy to heal our soul. In search of valuable lessons in life, we ask for wisdom, experience, knowledge, and intuition. And who’s been around in this world longer than mother nature? Everything comes from the Earth and goes back to it.

Thinking about the fascinating effects nature has on our mind and body, I’ve decided to reflect on what lessons nature can teach us. 

Nature is flexible and resilient. Flora and fauna tend to adapt to the conditions they’re in. For example, take something as fragile as a leaf. Its flexibility is what helps it endure. If there’s a lot of sun in the area, the leaves of a particular plant will be smaller, thicker, and will change their pigmentation. Leaves growing in the shade, on the other hand, will be larger, greener, and thinner, so they could absorb more sunlight. Flexibility and adaptability are two things all life has in common–plants and animals alike. Water lilies are aquatic plants that mostly feed on water nutrients, but they get the necessary amount of sunlight by stretching out their leaves to the surface of the water. Saguaro cactuses can stand to go for months without a drop of water in the desert. Flexibility and fluidity are what makes us strong. The ability to adapt quickly and take what’s best for us is an important ability.

 

Nature knows what’s good for her. In the world of nature, everything revolves around self-preservation and reproduction. Plants need sunlight, soil, and water to survive, while animals strive to feed themselves and their young. These processes help preserve the ideal balance in their habitats. Thanks to its cycles, nature succeeds at balancing its constructive and destructive tendencies. As humans, we have a strong potential to be constructive. We are creative, able to connect   with each other, and live through life-changing experiences. We can become fused with nature. We can also enjoy our solitude. But, sometimes, our destructive side can dominate within us, and we might engage in things that are harmful to us or our environment.

By listening to our intuition, developing a growth mindset, and doing the inner work, we will be able to understand our intentions, values, and purpose better, recognize and respond to our emotions adequately, and maintain a balanced life.

 

Nature is ever-changing. As the daily, monthly, and yearly cycles change, everything in nature changes, too. Leaves change their color, flowers turn into fruits, some animals sleep throughout the whole winter, and when they wake up, it’s spring again. Time for a new beginning. We, on the other hand, cling to things. We want to eat fresh tomatoes and lettuce in wintertime. We want to stay young forever. The fact that we’ve evolved to this level of self-awareness is both a blessing and a curse.

It’s a blessing because we are able to experience so much, have fun, and change the world by our ideas, but it’s a curse because, at the end of the day, that’s what makes us aware of our own mortality. We can find it difficult to embrace change even when we deeply desire it because change reminds us that everything is transient. What we need to learn is that that is a good thing. Accepting change makes us more adaptable, and that sets us free.

Nature is never in a rush. Nature never hurries, and yet, everything is accomplished sooner or later. When you spend time in nature, by the sea, in the forest, or in the desert, you’ll notice nothing really happens in a rush. On the other hand, human beings are always in a hurry. We overload ourselves with work that we can’t fit into 24 hours and then we get stressed out. Stop for a moment. Breathe. Disconnect in order to reconnect with yourself. Set your priorities and change your life’s tempo.

In nature, everything has a purpose. Humans tend to value nature and things in general by the level to which they help their own survival. This kind of fixed, self-serving attitude is how we’ve managed to endanger so many species that are crucial for the survival of a healthy ecosystem (like bees, for example). If we observe nature more closely, we’d come to realize that everything in it has a purpose. Every single movement is geared towards preserving the homeostasis within the system. Some animals feed on other animals, but they never eat every potential prey. This has the purpose of maintaining a balanced habitat and ecosystem.

Humans sometimes spend their entire lives trying to find their purpose in life. We think that it must be something very deep and difficult to comprehend, so we often focus on the wrong things, like thinking that work and career are everything and that our purpose can only be accomplished if we succeed professionally.

 What we often forget is that there is so much more to life. We can sometimes seemingly do nothing, like lying on the grass gazing at the stars, or chilling by a lake on a hot summer day, and this can suddenly give us a sense of meaning and purpose. How? Because our purpose hides in things that are closer or inherent to our nature: connection to other beings and nature, creating and executing ideas, helping others find their happiness, and genuinely enjoying life.

 

What goes around, comes around. In nature, everything circles back to where it came from. All the actions have their natural consequences. If you know how the system works, it’s not too difficult to figure out what the right thing to do is. This is something we often forget in life. We can’t just do whatever we want. For example, living a careless life in which we don’t care about our environment has to backfire sooner or later. Irresponsible consumption, lack of care for our personal environment, and lack of sustainability consciousness and sustainability practices in many industries have led to the environmental changes we are facing today. The principle of endless circulating of energy applies to everything. Whatever we do, positive or negative, it will eventually come back at us. People who are genuinely happy and satisfied with their life are the ones who change this world, by empowering and supporting other human beings find their meaning and joy.

An ocean is a sum of water particles. We often feel alone in this world. This can make us anxious, lost, and disconnected from our purpose in life. In nature, every individual thing is a part of a larger system. An ocean is a sum of the many waterdrops, and each drop is equally important in making an ocean what it is. Humans are no different. After all, we, too, are nature. Each and every one of us has a role in this Universe, no one is “a surplus.”

Nature is collaborative. More often than not, surviving in nature means collaborating with other members of the same species or even with other species. It’s not survival of the fittest–it’s survival of the most adaptable. Humans sometimes forget about the importance of working in groups. Our current society teaches us mostly about the values of individual success. So many people want to be the best, the number one, the game-changers. Many of us fear blending in with the crowd, so we want to stand out, be seen, and be remembered.

Spending time in nature makes us better humans. It helps us relax, disconnect, and discover the depth of life. Nature is also an incredible and wise teacher. Unless the human factor changes the balance of a certain natural habitat, in nature, everything functions flawlessly and in perfect harmony.

All elements of nature are resilient in their flexibility; they’re intuitive; they take their time; they have a purpose. There are so many useful takeaways from our primary home–nature. It’s the matter of paying attention and acknowledging those lessons that nature teaches us.

 

The Old Sailor.

 

Old Sailor's and old traditions

 Dear Bloggers,

 

I am not a very superstitious guy, but some old traditions are still very alive on many new ships and somethings have surprised me. In my early years of sailing, I did not know much about these old habits the only thing that I knew was that were laying a coin in the keel for good luck and that new ships are christened with a bottle of champagne.

Traditions dating to seafarer days centuries ago to bring good luck remain alive and well with coins for "divine protection," godmother blessings for new ships, no whistling in the wheelhouse and spilled rum for Neptune. And for good measure, step aboard the ship with your right foot first.

Mariners tend to be superstitious. They do not like to rock the boat, so to speak.

So even in the 21st century, with modern cruise ships sailing guests around the world in extraordinary comfort and guided with the latest in navigational equipment, some traditions linger, dating back to rugged early seafarer days.

Some Captains when they enter a brand-new vessel, said one of the first things he looks for on a ship is a certain bottle of water. "When a ship starts to float, the water that first touches the ship is caught in a bottle and it's sealed. Later it is typically displayed in the captain's office near the bridge. You walk in and think, 'Ah, there's the bottle. Everything is good,'" the captain explained. "If I would walk on a ship and it's not there, I would find that odd."

The captain gets the bottle when the ship has been launched and goes from the shipbuilder to the company – during a traditional handover ceremony attended by all the hot shots.

Other construction milestones are also celebrated with pomp and circumstance based on time-honored maritime tradition.

A steel-cutting ceremony signals the start of a cruise ship's production. A keel-laying ceremony marks the first completed section being lowered by giant cranes onto the building dock. The float-out ceremony takes place when a ship first touches water.

Good luck coins are often involved. For instance, two commemorative gold coins were welded in place to mark the float-out soon afterward of ultra-luxury brand Seabourn's 600-passenger Seabourn Encore. The coin tradition dates to Roman times when coins were attached to a ship to provide "divine protection." On modern ships they are typically on display on the radar mast. Next time you are aboard a ship, head up to the top deck to try and spot the coin or coins.

The most popular present day maritime ritual, developed in the 20th century, is having a notable godmother say a blessing and oversee the smashing of a bottle of champagne across a new ship's hull. The tradition dates to ancient times when wine was used and men did the duties and perhaps, it is said, spilled the wine on purpose to check for cracks in the hull.

When the Koningsdam was christened in Rotterdam on May 20, a Holland America Line tradition was upheld – the Pinnacle-class ship was the 12th in the 143-year-old line's history to be launched with the participation of Dutch royalty. Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands did the honors.

Specific ships have their own traditions. For instance, there may be a bridge mascot.

Always positioned on the starboard side of the bridge on Holland America Line's 1,432-passenger Volendam is Flat Eric, the yellow puppet who starred in Levi's jeans commercials (directed by French musician Mr. Oizo) in 1999, the year the ship debuted. Officers presented the puppet, which they call "Oizo," with a 15-year service award in 2014.

A tradition unique to Cunard's Queen Mary 2 ocean liner is for officers to "mark" the distance of a transatlantic crossing between Southampton, England, and New York with a toy ship that sits on top of a monitor on the bridge. Each day, it is moved a bit further to symbolically coincide with how much distance has been sailed.

Based on longstanding tradition, the crew bar on Cunard ships is always called "The Pig and Whistle," named after the nearest pub to where Cunard ships historically docked in Liverpool.

Other traditions on ships of the venerable Cunard Line include calling the back-of-the-house crew thoroughfare the "Burma Road." On Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America Line ships, the long crew passageway is known as "I-95," in tribute to the highway that passes through Carnival Corporation's home base of Miami.

Other nautical superstitions are more universally embraced. Here are a few examples:

It's considered bad luck to step onboard a ship with your left foot first.

If dolphins follow your ship, it's a sign of good luck.

There is no whistling in the wheelhouse (today's bridge), because you might whistle up a storm.

Toasting with champagne will assure a Bon Voyage.

On world cruises, trans-Pacific voyages, and South America sailings, such as those of Princess Cruises, a favorite maritime tradition is a ceremony for guests as the ship crosses the equator. Originally a hazing ritual for sailors, Pollywogs (newbies) are summoned by King Neptune and his court and ordered to do things such as crawl, kiss a fish or jump into the pool before being able to claim status as experienced Shellbacks.

Never worry if you spill wine overboard at your ship's Sail Away party as it brings good luck – considered an offering to the gods. According to tradition, Neptune also does not mind an occasional shot of rum.

Red sunrise

Sailors are taught if the sunrise is red to take warning. The day ahead will be dangerous.

"Red Sky at night, Sailor’s delight; Red Sky in the morning, Sailors take warning." It may also be said as; "Red at morning, Sailor’s warning; Red at night, Sailors delight," or "Red sky at night, Sailor's delight; Red sky at morn, Sailor be warned."

This saying actually has some scientific validity, although it assumes storms systems will approach from the west and is therefore generally correct only at mid-latitudes where, due to the rotation of the Earth, prevailing winds travel west to east. If the morning skies are red, it is because clear skies over the horizon to the east permit the sun to light the undersides of moisture-bearing clouds. Conversely, to see red clouds in the evening, sunlight must have a clear path from the west, so therefore the prevailing westerly wind must be bringing clear skies. This means if there is a red sky, Sun, or clouds at morning, it might mean there will be a storm, or severe winds will come. Although, if there is a red sky, Sun, or clouds at night, there will be clear skies, soft or no winds, and you have a good day ahead of you.

Albatross

The Albatross as a superstitious relic is referenced in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s well-known poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. It is considered very unlucky to kill an albatross; in Coleridge's poem, the narrator killed the bird, and his fellow sailors eventually force him to wear the dead bird around his neck.

Bananas

Having bananas on a ship, especially on a private boat or fishing yacht, is considered bad luck. The origin of the superstition is unknown.

Sailors have had several patron saints. According to his hagiography Saint Nicholas calmed a storm by prayer. In the Dutch tradition he still travels on a ship.

Brendan the Navigator is also considered a patron saint of sailors and navigators, due to his mythical voyage to St. Brendan’s Island. Erasmus of Formiae, also known as Saint Elmo, may have become the patron of sailors because he is said to have continued preaching even after a thunderbolt struck the ground beside him. This prompted sailors, who were in danger from sudden storms and lightning, to claim his prayers. The electrical discharges at the mastheads of ships were read as a sign of his protection and came to be called “Saint Elmo’s Fire”. Thus, Saint Elmo's Fire was generally good luck in traditional sailor's lore, but because it is a sign of electricity in the air and interferes with Compass readings, sailors sometimes regarded it as an omen of bad luck and stormy weather. The mariner cross, also referred to as St. Clement's Cross, is worn by many sailors to bring blessings.

Sailor tattoos

Sailor tattoos are a visual way to preserve the culture of the maritime superstitions. Sailors believed that certain symbols and talismans would help them in facing certain events in life; they thought that those symbols would attract good luck or bad luck in the worst of the cases:

Sailors, at the constant mercy of the elements, often feel the need for religious images on their bodies to appease the angry powers that caused storms and drowning far from home.

Another example of superstitions is the North Star (nautical star or compass rose) sailors had the belief that by wearing this symbol it would help them to find his or her way home. Sailors designed mariner motifs of their own, according to their travel experiences in the ocean.

The anchor is commonly used in sailor tattoos, which were supposed to prevent a sailor from floating away from the ship, should he fall overboard. The words 'HOLD FAST' tattooed on the knuckles would prevent a sailor from falling from aloft.

In an awkward position

The phrase over a barrel; meaning to be in a dilemma or in "a weak or difficult position", may refer to the first aid practice amongst sailors of placing a drowning  victim's head over a barrel, and rolling his body over it, in an attempt to remove aspirated water from the person's lungs. However, this etymology is challenged, and may come instead from the custom of punishing a prisoner by flogging or paddling him while he is strapped to a barrel; there is no documentary evidence it was actually used specifically as a nautical phrase. Either way, the image created in the mind is that of total helplessness and loss of control, which is a common anxiety of sailors in fear of corporal punishment.

 

The Old Sailor,