If you follow me on social media at all, you’ll notice things aren’t only quiet on the blog. Of course, if you follow me on Instagram, you get more of the inside track. đ Things have been hectic to say the least!
Alhamdulilah, we bought a house on the 28th using Ijara for the loan. It was a really rough process, with a lot of doubt on whether we’d be able to get the house. We knew that since we weren’t planning on selling our current home, it would make things a bit more difficult, but we didn’t realize how many hoops we’d have to jump through. Still, at the end of the process, we walked away with keys to our new (to us) 4 bedroom, 3 bath home, mashaAllah. We are all very excited for the upgrade from the 2 bedroom, 1 bath home – one side of a duplex we own. Especially when we get a stomach bug, one bathroom becomes a big problem!
Hubby parents were in town for nearly two weeks to help take care of the kids and get dinner on the table while we worked on the new house. I had no idea how much work it would be! I thought 5 days would be plenty of time to clean and paint the main rooms, but we were highly stressed to get that done, and in turn didn’t get all our packing done for moving day. As of right now, we still have about one van load at the duplex to bring to the new place, and we’ll have to make another trip for the snow blower.
Having Hubby’s parents in town has been such a huge blessing. They got to bond with the kids, take them to the park, and in sha Allah make lasting memories. Since they live out of state, it’s nice to have a few longer visits so the kids can really connect with their grandparents. I’m sad to see them leave, but it marks the next stage of this journey to our new life in a new home. Plus, I do have to admit, I’m looking forward to sleeping in my bed again. They need a nice, supportive bed more than any of us, so we’ve been scattered on couches and single beds throughout the house. It’ll be nice to snuggle up to Hubby again, alhamdulilah.
We have been planning to get the duplex ready for a renter this weekend, in sha Allah. I did a decent amount of deep cleaning while we were still living there, but there’s still the freezer to wipe down, the basement to sweep and mop, and rooms to paint. Everyone’s been dealing with a nasty cold, wiping us out from getting much done. I’m on the upswing, but now Hubby has just fallen ill. It’ll be a tough week to make sure the duplex is ready for the new renter by the 15th!
Buying a home is listed as one of the most stressful events in someone’s life for good reason, and with two little kids, it’s even more challenging! There have been so many times where I’ve wondered if it’s been worth it to make the move! In sha Allah a month from now, it’ll feel worth it. With painting and cleaning still looming over me, I can’t it feels worth it… yet. LOL. The plus side? Freezer cooking has really saved me, and I still have over a week’s worth of food ready for dinners!
What a blessing that your in-laws were able to help! Take it easy and don’t try to unpack everything in a week. đ
You’re right, it was such a blessing! They helped pack, and the kids were well cared for while we were working on the new house. I just wish they could have stayed longer, so we could have spent more relaxing time together!
Don’t worry, I’ve barely started unpacking. We have to get the old place ready, so we’re still living out of boxes. Seemingly forever. LOL
Hi shannen which company did you use for ijara base loan? Any cons or any clauses to watch out for?
We used ijarausa.com for our home loan. The end price seems very reasonable (I think Hubby said it’s about $20 more per month), and there’s another packet to sign at closing setting up the lease. We setup a trust with Ijara, and we basically do a rent to own scenario with them. They were very friendly and easy to work with, but there were some frustrations with delays. I’m told that delays are very common, but it was stressful nonetheless.