I Just Bought and Sold a Condo. These Are the 5 Apartment Therapy Articles That Got Me Through It All

As I compose this article, I’m protected by a fortress of half-unpacked moving boxes. While my partner and I get situated in our new home, I’m looking back over the last chaotic month of our lives — negotiating sales, closing on my condo, storing all my belongings, hiring movers, cleaning our new place. Woof, I’m tired, y’all! 

We’re navigating the “we just moved in and this place is a constantly evolving disorganized, cluttered, dusty hellhole” phase. I thought simply getting from point A to point B would be hard enough, but as we settle into our new digs, point B makes the buying and selling process feel like a sweet memory floating in the breeze. 

But I have to admit, I had some serious help getting through it all: Apartment Therapy articles (and I’m not just saying this because I’m a contributor). Take it from me, a writer who has lived through it IRL, and take a spin through these articles that got me through it all — so far!

When we embarked on our initial home search, my partner and I were glued to Zillow. While many online real estate marketplaces have excellent mortgage payment calculators built in, we wanted some alternatives to really mess around with numbers. This Apartment Therapy article provided us with several options that we trusted. Having multiple scenarios for different homes and neighborhoods was crucial, as tax rates, HOA fees, and insurance costs varied from home to home. We were lucky to close on a home with an accurate plan for what the next few years of payments will look like. 

For me, everything real estate-related is terrifying… which is absurd, considering I’m a dang REAL ESTATE WRITER. So when my partner and I were preparing for our first virtual sit-down with our lender, we wanted to come prepared. Thankfully, Apartment Therapy has a great piece that breaks down different questions every buyer should ask their lender. 

We were blessed with a slam dunk lending team who were able to address all our questions and more. And our initial review of the article primed us for a very productive meeting that brought us a great deal of comfort.

Following our initial meeting with our lending team, my partner and I were approved for a loan (hooray!). While this step unlocked the next level of house hunting for us, it also came with some pretty crucial guidelines. This article provided incredibly valuable insights into the ins and outs of dealing with loans and mortgages, especially after we locked one in. Before this article, I didn’t realize it was unwise to make large purchases during the mortgage process. It also reminded us to budget for closing costs. Read up on this piece for wisdom on every stage in the process.

Ok, full disclosure, I wrote this. But! I drafted this article during a time when I had no interest in moving, no plans, no skin in the game! Had I tried to sit down and figure out a plan during the past month, I would have gotten nowhere, and my list would have been crunched up and used to insulate fragile dishware. Trust me when I say: trust me. Having a checklist will streamline your moving organization. And there’s a good chance you’ll come across an item that you otherwise might have forgotten (like having your mail transferred!)

God, YES. Just yes. There should be a national holiday that honors the nation’s professional movers, the unsung heroes of the most frustrating and exhausting days of our lives. Again, yes.