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
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
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!
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!
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!
Friday, 30 March 2007
My Toe Bleeds Betty
Has anyone really noticed that the 'Dawn Chorus' is actually quite a few choruses?
Seeing as Beloved does quite a few early starts (i.e. alarm clock going off any time from 0400) I seem to have got into the habit of automatically waking BEFORE his alarm goes off ...just in case he oversleeps - hence being able to appreciate the wonderful birds in our garden. BUT - they each seem to wait until I'm just dropping off again before the next one starts up - just to remind me that they are there. I'm no twitching expert but I think I know most of them individually now by their particular song. However, when you've said good morning to Mr & Mrs Blue Tit, a passing Hi to the blackbird family, the Jay, the magpies, the great tits, a warm hello to Mrs Robin and umpteen others - and we are blessed with quite a few - I'm just about ready to get back for a bit of sleep.
THEN ..... the wood pigeon starts up - you know the 'call' it makes: "my toe bleeds betty" - well if I get my hands on the ****** there'll be more than his toe bleeding!
- and this from a bird/animal lover!
Seeing as Beloved does quite a few early starts (i.e. alarm clock going off any time from 0400) I seem to have got into the habit of automatically waking BEFORE his alarm goes off ...just in case he oversleeps - hence being able to appreciate the wonderful birds in our garden. BUT - they each seem to wait until I'm just dropping off again before the next one starts up - just to remind me that they are there. I'm no twitching expert but I think I know most of them individually now by their particular song. However, when you've said good morning to Mr & Mrs Blue Tit, a passing Hi to the blackbird family, the Jay, the magpies, the great tits, a warm hello to Mrs Robin and umpteen others - and we are blessed with quite a few - I'm just about ready to get back for a bit of sleep.
THEN ..... the wood pigeon starts up - you know the 'call' it makes: "my toe bleeds betty" - well if I get my hands on the ****** there'll be more than his toe bleeding!
- and this from a bird/animal lover!
Monday, 26 March 2007
Apologies to my couple of readers ..... been rather hectic here, went down with the lurgey again, but think I'll live - and thankfully so will my adored and adorable Aunt/Mum (actually she's my late father's cousin - but they grew up almost as brother and sister .. I even have a photo of them sharing a pram) - however, she was 'rather' poorly... But, being 200 miles away, and realising just how poorly she evidently was, proved just what an amazingly persistent nag I can be on the phone ...... emergency doctor was round immediately, and she's now OK.
(N.B. she is over 90, despite being generally feisty enough to threaten Kevin with her stick - he calls her his little Nottingham Floosie - and the two of them go into their Neddy Seagoon/Bloodnock routines - you'd think she was only 80 the way that tart can go on !
BUT:-
Manic/panic anyway .....still waiting to hear on the "sealed envelope offer" as to whether we have a new home or not - watch this space
(N.B. she is over 90, despite being generally feisty enough to threaten Kevin with her stick - he calls her his little Nottingham Floosie - and the two of them go into their Neddy Seagoon/Bloodnock routines - you'd think she was only 80 the way that tart can go on !
BUT:-
Manic/panic anyway .....still waiting to hear on the "sealed envelope offer" as to whether we have a new home or not - watch this space
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