Cullen and Katie: House Woes Part #9

[tratra58]

I am not familiar with having to rent a storage area when selling, let alone, you think you'll need to rent another one. I am not sure why they wouldn't pack up toys somewhat and put in a storage area/closets at their house or think maybe we have to get rid of more things. If they sold their house and couldn't get into a new house, a storage area might be needed, but I am confused about needing one when you are just selling a house. I think they still have the couch that was replaced by their new sectional. I will add this is their first house so can you really accumulate this many things in just five years?

Renting a storage unit when selling a house is really common. You want your house to look as open and spacious as possible. The easiest way to do that is to remove as much stuff as you can. The last thing you want to do is shove it all in the garage or closets. I'm sure they have a lot of stuff they could/should get rid of but just getting it out of the house while they sell is smart.

And yes, you really can accumulate that much stuff in 5 years. I've lived in my current house for just over 3 years. Our garage and shed were almost empty when we first moved in. Our huge upstairs storage closet was empty for the first year. Even with regularly throwing things out, selling big items, and donating stuff piles up. Kids will do that.


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I haven't had to do this with selling and I lived in smaller homes when we've sold. We didn't shove things in the garage or closets either. I don't accumulate things and nothing makes me happier than tearing into closets, donating or throwing things away. It also makes me aware I am buying stuff I don't need and over the years I've done less impulse buying. There have been two times I thrown things away and I was sorry I did and it wasn't sentimental items, but clothes. I watched an Oprah show years ago and it talked about organizing, decluttering and how we spend three years of our life looking for things so that statistic was surprising. I also think a big game changer, at least for me, is pictures are now digital and books on my iPad. Books were hard for me to give away, but it isn't an issue now. I don't remember having that many toys either. I had a few plastic containers in their closets to put toys in, but my kids spent a good deal of time outside so bikes were important. I have referred to Bonnie a lot since she is such a good example of how it is possible to live with little storage space and a larger family without clutter. Bonnie and Joel also appear more organized in general and even during a major remodel, they did pretty well...and they only have a one car garage. My final point, we all live the way we choose, but it seems like a lot more stress when you have to declutter quickly and bring it to a storage area.

[lmmomSD]

Since Cullen just recently got rid of his dad's old beer, I have to wonder how much of the storage unit is his dad's stuff that he just can't let go of. I get being sentimental about a dead person's belongings. But hanging on to old beer is a sign that something needs to change. I have no idea how much of the stuff is Cullen's dad's. Just wondering.

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[tratra58]

Since Cullen just recently got rid of his dad's old beer, I have to wonder how much of the storage unit is his dad's stuff that he just can't let go of. I get being sentimental about a dead person's belongings. But hanging on to old beer is a sign that something needs to change. I have no idea how much of the stuff is Cullen's dad's. Just wondering.

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I recognize his dad lived with them during the last part of his life, but did he have a home elsewhere?

[Lovethesnark]

I don't think much of that stuff was belonged to his dad. He wasn't there long before he passed away and it seemed like they found out the cancer had returned only a short time before he came for treatment. Cullen always said he didn't want to be in the way so I imagine he didn't bring a ton of stuff with him. Just personal items I assume. They haven't talked about Cullen going to collect his things from wherever he might have lived before. They still haven't held a memorial for his dad. I assume they're waiting for his sister to be released from prison. I wonder if he did have a place somewhere that they will sort out once the sister has returned?

[nc_mom]

The seller has a lot more leverage in this situation, which is the only reason they agreed to Katie and Cullen's offer in the first place. I imagine there was a tight deadline for Katie and Cullen to start marketing their house. If they set a firm timeline in the contract, and Katie and Cullen can't go to closing for any reason, they're in breach of contract and lose their deposit. If they put 1-3% down on a $600k property, that's something between $6,000-$18,000. Yikes. I don't think they fully understood what they were doing and now it's hitting them. Cullen said on the vlog where their second counter offer was accepted that he didn't understand the terms of the active break clause until that morning. Um, then why in the world are you looking before your house is on the market and making offers? I hope their agent was smart enough to negotiate a decent contract so they don't get screwed if things don't work out. But I suspect they made concessions to get their second offer accepted that might come back to bite them.

Why would you sign a contract without making sure you understood ALL the terms? Makes no sense at all. Did their realtor not explain everything, or was he/she just seeing dollar signs and didn't bother?

I was wondering the same thing. That is why you use a good realtor. They do all the negotiating and explain the contracts and what is involved. Are they trying to save paying commission by working without a realtor or lawyer which would be very stupid and costly in the end.

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[Playsinrain]

While i do think C&K have a lot of stuff, and have clutter, and there are a lot of people here that can't stand either.. (while i'm more like C&K with a husband who owns an antique auction, i swear my house it gonna be like Sanford & Sons by the time im dead) i do think saying they look like hoarders is a little OTT.. have ya'l even seen that show? LOL I'm kidding mostly, but i really don't think they are anywhere near hoarder territory. They had a ton of stuff they were donating in the vlog today!

[Playsinrain]

Holy freaking typos batman.. it's been a hellova week ya'll sorry for that mess ^^^

[tratra58]

While i do think C&K have a lot of stuff, and have clutter, and there are a lot of people here that can't stand either.. (while i'm more like C&K with a husband who owns an antique auction, i swear my house it gonna be like Sanford & Sons by the time im dead) i do think saying they look like hoarders is a little OTT.. have ya'l even seen that show? LOL I'm kidding mostly, but i really don't think they are anywhere near hoarder territory. They had a ton of stuff they were donating in the vlog today!

I don't think they're been classified as hoarders. I know some family who are true hoarders. They can't use rooms because of this problem and this is crazy.

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[askeptichere]

I wouldn't consider them hoarders either. Yes they have a lot of unnecessary things that they could do without, but no where near hoarder level. What gets me the most is how stressed they are about the whole thing. In todays vlog they said that they need a big deadline for them to get anything done. I understand that for things like term papers in college, or pulling weeds in the backyard. NOT for huge life decisions like buying a house and signing a contract that could potentially cost them thousands of dollars. Either think before jumping the gun and buying a house, or get your butt in gear and stop complaining or crying every 10 minutes on social media about how stressed you are.

BTW, first time posting in this forum. I typically enjoy watching C&K, but the past few weeks I've found myself just shaking my head through their vlogs.

[HashtagBlessed]

Everyone has different baselines for normal. Do I think Katie and Cullen's families are going to stage an intervention? Lol, no. I don't think they have hoarding disorder as depicted in the extreme on the TV show. But I could not function like that, and I would casually refer to them as hoarders in a non-clinical sense.

They've had plans to move out of that house in five years or less when they first purchased. There's no reason they should be throwing everything superfluous into an overflowing storage unit, they could have been going through this stuff ages ago if not preventing the accumulation in the first place.

[WhatSheSaid]

I don't understand all the harsh vibes and criticism. Moving in and of itself is a very stressful thing to do. Buying a significantly larger home can be trying. We're not compelled to watch them if we're irked by how much stuff they have or how they are going about buying their home. When I think of all the time I spent watching E&J while they were in the process of building their home, well, suffice to say I'm glad I turned away. It became clear to me that I fundamentally disliked E&J and tuning in to see the completed home was enough for me. I very much enjoyed the time I spent watching B&J remodel their home, it suits them just fine. If she ever films her home food storage, someone please let me know. I don't watch anymore because I do like them and fear the recent changes, in addition the proximity to E&J, will change my feelings. As it stands, I'm fine watching Cullen and Katie on their journey and don't feel the need to criticize them as they are not attempting to impose their standards onto me.

[tratra58]

I don't understand all the harsh vibes and criticism. Moving in and of itself is a very stressful thing to do. Buying a significantly larger home can be trying. We're not compelled to watch them if we're irked by how much stuff they have or how they are going about buying their home. When I think of all the time I spent watching E&J while they were in the process of building their home, well, suffice to say I'm glad I turned away. It became clear to me that I fundamentally disliked E&J and tuning in to see the completed home was enough for me. I very much enjoyed the time I spent watching B&J remodel their home, it suits them just fine. If she ever films her home food storage, someone please let me know. I don't watch anymore because I do like them and fear the recent changes, in addition the proximity to E&J, will change my feelings. As it stands, I'm fine watching Cullen and Katie on their journey and don't feel the need to criticize them as they are not attempting to impose their standards onto me.

It is a gossip board and nothing more. It also just opinions and I think most feel Cullen and Katie are very likable. Honestly, no one believes we will change them and that's fine.


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[WhatSheSaid]

I don't understand all the harsh vibes and criticism. Moving in and of itself is a very stressful thing to do. Buying a significantly larger home can be trying. We're not compelled to watch them if we're irked by how much stuff they have or how they are going about buying their home. When I think of all the time I spent watching E&J while they were in the process of building their home, well, suffice to say I'm glad I turned away. It became clear to me that I fundamentally disliked E&J and tuning in to see the completed home was enough for me. I very much enjoyed the time I spent watching B&J remodel their home, it suits them just fine. If she ever films her home food storage, someone please let me know. I don't watch anymore because I do like them and fear the recent changes, in addition the proximity to E&J, will change my feelings. As it stands, I'm fine watching Cullen and Katie on their journey and don't feel the need to criticize them as they are not attempting to impose their standards onto me.

It is a gossip board and nothing more. It also just opinions and I think most feel Cullen and Katie are very likable. Honestly, no one believes we will change them and that's fine.


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I agree, they aren't going to change, they're doing well. It just seems a bit redundant to harp on how much stuff they have and the tone seems to have taken a turn to the unpleasant. By now we know just who can handle the clutter and who can't.

[tratra58]

I don't understand all the harsh vibes and criticism. Moving in and of itself is a very stressful thing to do. Buying a significantly larger home can be trying. We're not compelled to watch them if we're irked by how much stuff they have or how they are going about buying their home. When I think of all the time I spent watching E&J while they were in the process of building their home, well, suffice to say I'm glad I turned away. It became clear to me that I fundamentally disliked E&J and tuning in to see the completed home was enough for me. I very much enjoyed the time I spent watching B&J remodel their home, it suits them just fine. If she ever films her home food storage, someone please let me know. I don't watch anymore because I do like them and fear the recent changes, in addition the proximity to E&J, will change my feelings. As it stands, I'm fine watching Cullen and Katie on their journey and don't feel the need to criticize them as they are not attempting to impose their standards onto me.

It is a gossip board and nothing more. It also just opinions and I think most feel Cullen and Katie are very likable. Honestly, no one believes we will change them and that's fine.


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I agree, they aren't going to change, they're doing well. It just seems a bit redundant to harp on how much stuff they have and the tone seems to have taken a turn to the unpleasant. By now we know just who can handle the clutter and who can't.

If they stop going on about how stress and hurried they are it might be easier to forget their faults.







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[beautynoob]

Harping on is harping on whether you're doing it about how good and awesome they are or how they have faults and defects. In less I missed something and this is a no criticism board- Everyone is entitled to post what they want hate, love or a combo of both. Why do insist on trying to stop people from doing either one? I see what I consider faults and post about those but I read posts that are opposing my views and I just read and take that information in as well. When in doubt it's always best to scroll on...


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[HashtagBlessed]

Moving is stressful, but they've created a lot of additional stress for themselves by how they've gone about it. I would think part of talking things over as a couple before deciding to make offers would be asking questions like, "Are we comfortable with the kick out clause? Can we accept potentially losing our deposit if we can't close by a certain date (if the seller specified a firm closing date)? Are we willing to do the work to get our house sold quickly?" They didn't seem to understand the reality of having a contract with a home sale contingency. I get the impression they thought they would sell their home first and had every intention to do so, but when their old agent contacted them and they started touring homes they got caught up in the process and didn't put the brakes on. I don't think they really started thinking about the logistics until they sat down to write a second offer that actually had a chance of being accepted by the seller, which meant either offering more money or making some risky concessions, or both.

I will say, Katie is incredibly calm and seems unfazed by things that would send more anxious people like myself into a tizzy. I admire her for how low stress she is. Sometimes it makes me roll my eyes, like when she talks about how easy her babies are and how you shouldn't listen to people who tell you how challenging it is. But I think in this situation she has the right perspective and I think she will be fine whatever the outcome.

[wishes]

C&K will be doing a live Q&A soon, most likely this weekend. What would be some of the questions you would ask them?

[FakingIt_MakingIt]

I really think their realtor didn't do them any favors. It really seems like they, especially Cullen, didn't realize that they are financially on the hook now and are out the deposit money regardless, and depending on the homes value that can be a good chunk of change. When we bought our last fixer upper we paid 150,000 and had to put a 1000 deposit.
They've been in that contingent offer for a week now? A little more maybe? And their house still isn't ready to be on the market. That's not good! I don't blame Cullen for being overwhelmed, BUT they really did do this to themselves. Their realtor really should have encouraged them to have their home ready first, especially since so much of what they need to do is just decluttering, days and days worth of storage unit runs....

Yet, that storage unit isn't overly large and its taken DAYS to fill it. And they cant even blame the kids, there has been lots of time where the kids were with family. So why are they moving so slow? It shouldn't take DAYS to go through a relatively normal sized home, box up the personal items and take them to storage, its really a weekend project but they've drug it out over a week now.

[Strawberry26]

I really think their realtor didn't do them any favors. It really seems like they, especially Cullen, didn't realize that they are financially on the hook now and are out the deposit money regardless, and depending on the homes value that can be a good chunk of change. When we bought our last fixer upper we paid 150,000 and had to put a 1000 deposit.
They've been in that contingent offer for a week now? A little more maybe? And their house still isn't ready to be on the market. That's not good! I don't blame Cullen for being overwhelmed, BUT they really did do this to themselves. Their realtor really should have encouraged them to have their home ready first, especially since so much of what they need to do is just decluttering, days and days worth of storage unit runs....

Yet, that storage unit isn't overly large and its taken DAYS to fill it. And they cant even blame the kids, there has been lots of time where the kids were with family. So why are they moving so slow? It shouldn't take DAYS to go through a relatively normal sized home, box up the personal items and take them to storage, its really a weekend project but they've drug it out over a week now.

Maybe they drag it out for the views too. I'd have it done in a weekend too. They have lots of family to help with the kids and maybe help them at the same time.

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[askeptichere]

I don't understand why they don't just put their house on the market now. I know it's not ideal, especially since their renovating bathrooms, but potential buyers would at least have a chance to see the house. Anyone that's serious about buying can look past clutter. And they will be able to see that the basement bathroom will be completed and functioning soon. Unless they think having the bathroom upstairs gutted will make them a ton more money, I don't see what the point is in all that time/money.


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