It’s been a week since we got the news from the realtor and each day it sinks in just a little more. The offre d’achat has been countersigned and we are charging along. For once, everything is clicking into place, and it’s such a relief!

There have been many times in my life where I’ve gone to heroic lengths to make something work. Now I’m at a stage where I appreciate the ease of things that are meant to be.  

Let me give you an example. The day Ralph and I saw the bastide house, we got into a little tiff about it over dinner. If we were going to sell our furniture, did that mean ALL our furniture? Where would the “man cave” be? Would the space feel too confined for Phoebe? And all this back-and-forth led to each of us (probably more than once) saying something like “FINE. Maybe this just isn’t the house for us!”

Many of those concerns were valid, but in hindsight, some were manufactured – Ralph hasn’t even asked about a man cave in the new house! But when trying to make something work that isn’t the best fit, sometimes our subconscious brains come up with reasons to get out of that bind. 

Meanwhile, with the new house, it’s a completely different vibe. We don’t have any of those worries, and we keep finding new reasons to get excited. Plus, it’s a win/win. Not only is the seller thrilled, but our offer came just in time as she was deciding whether or not to sign another lease with her tenants in London. Now she’ll have her apartment back and we’ll have a house to ease into as we transition out of Germany. 

So what does our timeline look like? Even paying cash, the process still takes a few months – but we’re not in a rush. Ralph will retire from government service in August, and our lease in Germany expires on Aug 31st. In France, most things shut down for vacation in August, so having the keys in hand by 1 Aug is ideal. Here’s what we’re anticipating:

• Week of March 9th: Diagnostics. This is like the home inspection, but we don’t have to be there. They also gather any documents explaining work done to the house in the last ten years, as most work is guaranteed for this long. 
• Week of March 18th: Promesse de Vente & Deposit. We can do this via videoconference and sign the docs with Docusign. Ralph has been checking with various currency exchange companies to see which are the most competitive. It can take a week to get our dollars from the US to the European holding account with the various security procedures. 
• Sometime in July: Closing! We’ll transfer the rest of the money and sign the Acte de Vente (final deed). I’m thinking we’ll want to be there in person for this exciting occasion! 

Throughout this process, we have agreed to use the same Notaire as the seller. Notaires are public legal officials who ensure the paperwork is done correctly and that all taxes and fees are paid. They are obligated to be impartial and fair, and this one speaks great English so we have no qualms about this. 

At first, I was anxious about not having a buyer’s agent to guide us through the process, but so far, everything seems straightforward. The experience has certainly been different than what we’re used to in the US, but now that we know what to expect it’s all good!