Moving On Up

We've been officially approved for our next adventure in married apartment-life. You should probably listen to the Jeffersons theme song as you read the post, because it may just help you grasp how pumped I am about it!

We'll be moving the week of July 4th into this second home of ours. It is exactly 1.8 miles from our current place, which will probably make this move pretty smooth (or, as smooth as moving can ever be expected to go). Price, location and square footage were all factors in our decision to move, so I'm happy to share the reasons why this big move is so exciting.

MAJOR EXCITEMENTS

1200+ square feet. Can I get an "amen" and the highest of fives? We're moving from 775, so we probably won't know what to even do with ourselves.
Washer and dryer area. Not looking forward to making those initial big purchases, but I'm so over the laundromat life! It will be so great to be able to put my clothes in once a week, without having to haul baskets down three flights of stairs, spend all my quarters, wait around for a century, etc.
Guest bedroom.Our new place has two bedrooms. Now our guests will have a space of their own (including a bathroom) and won't have to sleep on our couches!
Additional closet. Along with the guest bedroom comes an extra walk-in closet. I'm thinking about putting all of our opposite-season clothes in the guest one, while our current-season clothes remain in ours.
First floor. No more stairs. I repeat. No more stairs. I have lived on floor 3+ in my dorms and apartments since 2009. 5 years of stairs. I've done my time.
Actual pantry. Having to build my own pantry wasn't exactly the thing I wanted to do when I moved into my current home. I was pretty proud of my creativity, but it won't be an issue at all in the new one!
Dining area. We've been eating dinner on our couches for nearly 2 years now. I'm so ready to have a space for dining. We'd like to turn the "breakfast area" into our dining space and save the "dining room" for a possible office.
Fireplace. I won't be throwing any fiery logs in (probably ever), but white brick fireplaces are definitely a great design-starter. Can't wait to dress up the mantle (and get to hang our stockings by the chimney, with care).

MINOR DRAWBACKS

No microwave. I haven't had to buy a microwave since my dorm days. Not sure where you really put one, if it's not built-in above the oven? Guess we'll figure it out!
Carpeted floors.We originally thought our apartment would have wooden floors, but it turns out not to be so. I was so looking forward to that clean Scandinavian look I love so much, but I'm slowly getting over it.
Unknown layout. We've seen the drawn blueprints and toured different floor plans, but ours is just not available to see, in person, right now. Kind of feels like moving in blindly, but I'm hoping the drawn layout is as accurate as possible.
No outdoor storage. Yikes! Where are all my holiday decorations and spray paint cans going to go? I'm definitely going to miss my current outdoor closet.

Lots of packing and other un-fun things leading up to the big day, but I'm excited that the countdown can finally begin. Here's to selling the old and buying the new. Can't wait to be in our 2nd home.