Tuesday 24 April 2007

still fingers crossed

well ..... trying to organise surveyors etc etc etc BUT hopefully all going ahead.

This home buying experience has been 'quite an experience' .. I can't believe some of the places I've seen. Some absulutely FAB and some .....

Maybe it's just that I'm weird, but when we put our place on the market we made sure it was pristine and presentable - give an idea what anyone might want to do with it - but some of the ones I've seen!! Viewing a place when you have to step over piles of dirty laundry on the floor, the kitchen sink overflowing with dirty dishes and the cupboard doors hanging off because there is too much 'stuff' having been stuffed in. Then there was the one where the Estate Agent rushed to open the French windows to try to disguise the fact that the place reeked of damp..... but my "favourite" (remember I'm an animal lover) antelope skins all over the floors in EVERY room, kudu and gazelle heads on the walls, an incredibly subtle gold trimmed invite from the Duke of Devonshire to the Royal Enclosure Ascot prominently placed on the living room mirror, AND, down a whole corridor - obviously personally done by the owner - nine paintings of naked ladies (and they certainly wouldn't qualify for the RA Summer Exhibition). I'm afraid my wicked sense of humour got the better of me and I decided to assess the intrinsic artistic qualities of EACH painting with the 25(ish) year old Estate Agent ..... He had a very strange colouring round the cheeks when we left the place! - Can't think why

Saturday 14 April 2007

Farewell lobster - hello goat

Well, I feel as if a couple of tons have been lifted off my shoulders - we've found somewhere - and the offer has been accepted!

Contacting yet another Estate Agent we saw a property which had just come onto the market that day - first viewers, and by chance it was Beloved's day off so he could see it too. We liked it, BUT - it certainly didn't tick all the boxes, it wasn't in an area we were looking at, or even thought we would want to live. It seemed to be a no.

However - the next morning I sat myself down and gave myself a good talking to. How long were we going to carry on (by we I mean 99% of the time, me) looking for the really perfect place which did, in fact, tick at least most of the boxes, (and incidentally cost at least £50K more). Perhaps it was more appropriate to look for something we liked at a much lower price, but know that it wasn't going to be forever - we could take our time in a few years to do that. (Doesn't help when Beloved finds that we could buy at least two apartments in Lucca for the same price). This place isn't perfect, needs some changes and a lot of TLC, BUT - I had a 'feeling' when I first saw it - it's comfortable ... it has a study area for me ... the spare room is far enough away from the Master bedroom to get away from the Brontasnorus when noise levels hit the Richter scale ... it has a lovely living room looking out on to the garden, the french windows flooding in light ... and it has a kitchen! Anyone who knows us, knows that our kitchen is not big enough to swing a kitten in (NOT that I would EVER swing a kitten) and although this one might not suit Gordon Ramsay it would be pure heaven to me. For the first time in my life I can have a washing machine (yes, over half a century old and nver possessed a washing machine) and favourite sister in law, who will only be a 20 minute walk away has already volunteered to come round and give me lessons.

So, yes - I went to see it again the next day and put in an offer - Friday 13th can be a very lucky day.

Now, about this goat ..... had been hoping for a patio garden (lazy gardener) but we now have some grass!

Saturday 7 April 2007

Endless searching

still homeless ............ - anyone want a waif and stray (you can decide which is which)

Tuesday 3 April 2007

Feeling Flat

So - what do you do ?

Here you go working towards a potential new home/love nest (OK OK, wishful thinking on the last bit - mind you, a couple of the Estate Agents have been rather cute) and The Boy turns cold on you ...... "pissed off, choose what you want, I don't care it's all too much for me ...." (He's seen all of TWO properties!!!!!!) poor lamb!

SO ...... arranged second viewings on two potentials (for him to look at for the first time) ... "so much for my day off!" - although allowing him half an hour in between for a hair cut - plus, let me add - all this before I have to go to work!

As they say ... hey ho!

Mind you - one of the places .... the lobster in the bidet will HAVE to go!