Are you moving house?

It makes me cringe when I see a beautiful mahogany chest of drawers or a mahogany sideboard sanded and painted. One day, people will regret they ever did this as they've destroyed a wonderful piece of furniture. Just my humble opinion of course!

At last, after one year and 2 months we are under offer. When it came to the end we had 3 people desperate to buy the house, but all with houses to sell. Today the first one crossed the line with a sale of their house to a first time buyer, needing only a small mortgage. What a relief.

Two weeks too late for the house we have been waiting a year and 2 months to be able to buy and with little else on the market that meets our needs and wants.

At the same time DD's year long plod to buy the house of her dreams is reaching the end ofthe road. She exchanged contracts yesterday and completes and moves in next Wednesday.

A lot can go wrong still, but ti is a start.

shoppinggirl

It makes me cringe when I see a beautiful mahogany chest of drawers or a mahogany sideboard sanded and painted. One day, people will regret they ever did this as they've destroyed a wonderful piece of furniture. Just my humble opinion of course!

I do agree and I wouldn't do that myself but better than it being smashed up as firewood!
Luckily, a local charity shop was happy to take it as they have a nearby shop which specialises in furniture - and it matched a wardrobe they had already.

Fantastic news M0nica 👏
I imagine a great relief. I hope the sale is smooth.

I viewed another sweet little bungalow yesterday although I noticed there's a closing date tomorrow.
It's been on the market for 2 weeks!
The couple are very keen for a quick sale. I explained that I am not in a position to bid yet but will submit a note of interest incase the sale falls through. I have done this.

I viewed with a friend who thinks it would be too small for me and she's
probably right. I need space for visiting family, a breakfasting kitchen, a craft room and plenty of cupboards. Oh and 2 loos! It had none of those things.

Congratulations Monica what a relief for you. I'm under offer too but a shock this morning i glanced out the window and they putting sold sign up. It really brought it home that I'm actually doing this. Just got to find a house I'm really hoping that perfect house comes back on the market as they've said i have first refusal.

shoppinggirl

It makes me cringe when I see a beautiful mahogany chest of drawers or a mahogany sideboard sanded and painted. One day, people will regret they ever did this as they've destroyed a wonderful piece of furniture. Just my humble opinion of course!

Or they won't regret their choice because it pleases them. We're delighted with all the furniture we've painted, suits our family room and playroom spaces well.

We finally have a date 21st March🎉🎉🎉🎉.

The packing continues, just praying there are no hitches🙏.

Exciting Sago

And tanith
I hope you find a house soon.

Grammaretto

Fantastic news M0nica 👏
I imagine a great relief. I hope the sale is smooth.

I viewed another sweet little bungalow yesterday although I noticed there's a closing date tomorrow.
It's been on the market for 2 weeks!
The couple are very keen for a quick sale. I explained that I am not in a position to bid yet but will submit a note of interest incase the sale falls through. I have done this.

I viewed with a friend who thinks it would be too small for me and she's
probably right. I need space for visiting family, a breakfasting kitchen, a craft room and plenty of cupboards. Oh and 2 loos! It had none of those things.

Don't forget Gramaretto, that if you ever find you have difficulties with mobility that you will need space.. sweet little bungalows tend to have small rooms, unless you can remove the odd wall..

Thanks Grammaretto me too!

Oh my! The paperwork entailed in this house sale is truly taxing 😳 Mostly done online I’m having to download things for ID checks upload, passport photos, scans of my face, utility bills, driving licence and fill in reams of questionnaires, sign numerous papers, and so it goes on. I’m sure I missed out one section but once submitted you can’t go back.
Now I need to stop and sit in the sunshine for a while. I have 3 more viewings so far this week I’m beginning to lose hope I’ll find somewhere but I’m not going to settle for something that’s not right.
How’s anyone else doing?

Grammaretto

Fantastic news M0nica 👏
I imagine a great relief. I hope the sale is smooth.

I viewed another sweet little bungalow yesterday although I noticed there's a closing date tomorrow.
It's been on the market for 2 weeks!
The couple are very keen for a quick sale. I explained that I am not in a position to bid yet but will submit a note of interest incase the sale falls through. I have done this.

I viewed with a friend who thinks it would be too small for me and she's
probably right. I need space for visiting family, a breakfasting kitchen, a craft room and plenty of cupboards. Oh and 2 loos! It had none of those things.

Exactly, Grammereto, we may be downsizing, but it does not follow that all we need is a one bedroomed flat.

Like you, I want a decent sized kitchen and eating space. DH and I both have academic interests and every house we have ever had has included a study, and we now have a beautiful partners desk, so we want a house with a good sized study, downstairs.

I find myself getting really irrate with all these young people pontificating and wanting to make us sell our houses to move into retirement flats. Do not get me wrong, I am not dismissive of retirement flats, they are just what a number of older people want, but this one size fits all attitude gets my goat.

We all have individual preferences and life styles which we wish to continue, especially if, as we get older, we are more house bound. Why should I be expected to give up my study, utility room, dining kitchen etc etc, just because I am over 60, or in my case over 80?

Agreed M0nica
I wouldn't downsize at all if I lived in a "normal" sized house but this one has 16 rooms. 17 if you count where I store bikes and tools.
3 of the rooms are a separate flat which I let out, and 2 rooms are my studio and showroom but that still leaves 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and 3 public rooms, none of which is a cosy snug.

I would like to live on one level (dodgy knees). I would rather slit my throat than have a lift (stair or otherwise). I don’t want to live in a flat. Developers seem to think that people wanting to live in a bungalow only need small rooms, no utility room, little storage space and of course only a handkerchief-sized garden - mostly in a nice little close of identical properties. Of course many are very happy with all that. I’m just not one of them. I suspect I will be looking for a very long time.

We'd find downsizing quite difficult. We use most of our home daily and that which we don't use is nice for occasional guests.
Practical ground floor spaces, stairs to spare rooms are not steep.

Well the hitches came in yesterday!

We are moving out but will be temporarily homeless for up to 10 weeks.

This has been the most horrendous move ever.

No thanks to the Probate office and land registry who refuse to answer calls and emails.

We are downsizing because I now need paid help in the garden and moving because our DC's careers mean they both live over 100 miles away from us cross country. It made sense, for their sakes and ours to move closer.

M0nica

We are downsizing because I now need paid help in the garden and moving because our DC's careers mean they both live over 100 miles away from us cross country. It made sense, for their sakes and ours to move closer.

Sensible.

I already have paid help with the garden so I'm looking forward to cheaper running costs wherever I move to.

Well, our sale isunderway, formal documents from estate agent an solicitor - and I have started to make Lists.

Only four lists so far, but I feel more bubbling inside, and documents carefully sorted into order in tidy heaps on the dining room table. DH is fretting, but I am gearing up and remembering how much I enjoy organising things.

and I have started to make Lists.
Well, it is getting to the serious part if you're making Lists! 😀

I do like a good List.

Lists! I suppose I should start making them. I’m waiting a reply to my offer on a house we saw yesterday. Both my daughter and GS agreed the house had everything I needed, it wasn’t quite where we wanted but otherwise was good. Smaller garden and only 4 yrs old so fingers crossed.
I need a ‘moving house plan’ as to the order I need to do things apart from the actual sale and purchase. Anyone found a helpful site?

Try the 'Which?' site www.which.co.uk/money/mortgages-and-property/home-movers/moving-house/moving-house-checklist-aMppD6l8mlbQ

Thanks MOnica

Offer accepted a bit of good news today. I hope things might go smoothly but who can tell.