posted 5 hours ago
No idea where to post this, so let me describe my situation. It's time to go. I feel it in my bones. The only thing keeping me put is the 10 years I've sunk into my backyard and living area. That, and the catbirds. I'm just imagining whoever buys my place coming in, tearing everything out, and when the cat birds come back next spring jonesing for my blackberries, they'll look around, sadly flick their tails, and fly off, never to return.
How the hell do I find a buyer who isn't going to let that happen?
Some details:
- House is a single family in suburban NJ - 1700 sqft, 3 bed, 3 bath with a basement and in-law suite (separate kitchen and entrance). There's a Florida room with wood stove. Zillow list is $619K. Taxes are a wind sucking $12,500 year.
- Lot size is about 11,000 sqft. Most of that is house and backyard. Property is pretty well maintained for a permie. I call it my mullet. Sensible front yard and home, party going on in back. Paver apron, paver front walk, paver back patio, interior of the house is immaculate. Roof is like 8 years old.
- Safe area, decent schools, probably one of the last places in Central NJ where someone can get into a pretty neighborhood with a household income under $150K.
- The area is supremely walkable. I can get to a grocery store, 5 bars, the oldest arcade in NJ, a dine-in movie theater, a park, two gyms, a yoga studio, and the public library all in under 15 minutes. Train station to NYC is about a 10 minute walk away.
- Permie stuff - South facing backyard. Excellent sun exposure. I'm an idiot for not being fully solar powered already. It's really a no brainer. 5 apple trees (4 are of bearing age, but curculio is a major issue; well timed kaolin is a must), 6 hybrid hazelnut trees and 3 pear trees just went in the ground two years ago. Most of the property is in early succession meadow with tons of evening primrose, burdock, monarda, valerian, nettle, various milkweeds, lemon balm, clover, Jerusalem artichoke, wild rose, and goldenrod. Bunch of elderberry, aronia, and blueberry. Two recent goumis. Strawberries that spread like mad. There's an inground sprinkler system I don't use. And a drip irrigation system that I don't use either. Oh, and IDK, something like 100 sqft of traditional garden space. That's always been enough for me. Livestock wise, I've had quail, rabbits, and chickens. The quail and rabbit systems are set up to be interchangeable between species (basically just a hutch system). Coop is a 8x16' run with a 3x3' coop. Deep litter. I've had up to 20 meat birds in there (they're too Frankenstein to bother with the coop) and as long as you're stirring the poop, there's no smell. Personally, I'd cap it at 6 layers just to make everyone happy. Oh, and I have a 4x14' shade tunnel set up for nursery starts. That's on a mister (as opposed to a Mrs.).
I do have additional succession plans for any would-be buyers. For example, while the property is still mostly treelined to the south and south east, my neighbors cut down most of their trees on the western side, so I've started planting shade trees like hawthorn, hybrid chestnut, and oak to fill in the gaps. There's also a coppice system that's just underway (i.e. the hazelnuts and the chesties).
Just spit balling here. Any ideas for how I can pass this onto someone who doesn't suck would be friggin' fantastic!
