When you are buying and/or selling properties, things can get “extra” (as the kids say) real quick. For instance, convincing your sister to drive down to Long Island (from Boston) and back in the same day with you to pick up chairs you *may* have already purchased over the phone to ensure your potential buyers sign the purchase and sales agreement.
When we had to re-list #PorterStreetLoft we needed to look as appealing as possible; so when the buyers asked for – no kidding – HALF of our furniture, I obliged. What a dumb move. The bar stools they asked for didn’t even belong to me – they were my sister & brother-in-laws. Knowing they were from West Elm, I figured it wouldn’t be hard to replace them. WRONG! Turns out West Elm had stopped making them in that fabric and color and the only place they were still in stock was 160 miles PLUS an hour ferry ride away in Riverhead, New York.
So off we went…
My sister, always being a good sport, humored me by coming along – even after I told her I would be picking her up at 5:15am!
I remember vividly having our friend and realtor-extraordinaire Ed letting us know on the afternoon of the mortgage contingency that the buyer couldn’t secure a mortgage. After having #PorterStreetLoft off the market, in the height of the summer-selling-season for almost 30 days, we were disappointed to say the least. Having to go through the process of relisting our home felt like we were starting from scratch. We really wouldn’t have made it through the process without Ed. He was calm, reassuring, and worked his tail off to set up private showings & open houses. He is the best and if you’re in the Boston housing market – there’s no one who is going to work harder for you than Ed!
I digress, but turns out the trip down to Riverhead was completely worth it. Not only did they have the counter stools in velvet grey dove as needed but my sister and I both brought home rugs at seriously reduced prices.
While the location wasn’t ideal from Boston, I would highly recommend the Tanger Outlets in Riverhead, NY for the West Elm & Williams Sonoma stores alone. As most outlet stores, they don’t hold merchandise for you and typically get new inventory daily. I always make a list of items I need for each project and go in armed with that information. That way, I don’t end up buying unnecessary things. I try to shop as consciously as possible and encourage my clients to do the same!
Until next time!
-Rustic Acres Design