Fresh start with new EA

The flat I am hoping to move to is 3rd floor, facing the sea. Not exactly 'country living' as it is virtually in the town centre of Weston super Mare.
Must say, I do not like pigeons. At my present house they have perfected the technique of flapping against the bird feeder containing the sunflower seeds, causing them to fall down on the ground beneath for them to eat. I do point this out to my elderly cat - who looks at them at then goes back to having a sleep on her cushion!!
At the coast I am far more concerned about seagulls, which can be so large, that they actually frighten me. Must see, there are far fewer of them in WsM than in Brighton, where another of my children lives.
Obviously, I am downsizing. Going from a 3-bed house, which also has a loft extension to a 2-bed flat. Suppose, if I could, I would totally refurnish, but part of my viewings of flats was with a tape measure to ensure that I had places to put my modular (very expensive) living room units.
Also needed to ensure that 2nd bedroom was big enough to take a double bed (not all of them were), so, that I will be able to put up friends etc.
Did find most flats had small kitchens and have been trying to sort out all the 'stuff' in my kitchen units. Glad to say the flat I hope to purchase has a good size kitchen.
One of the reasons that I went for this flat is that I can just move in and sort things out and then slowly see what changes I need to make.
As at present, in my house, all my bedroom furniture (except my bed) is totally built-in, I really did not fancy living out of suitcases for several weeks waiting for someone to come and put in wardrobes, dressing table etc. This flat also has built in furniture in both bedrooms.
My way of dealing with all the uncertainty is to continue living in my house as if I am not leaving it. So, continue to have any necessary repairs done, ensure everything is kept clean and neat and even book days out for the autumn. (Okay, if by chance I have successfully moved by then I will forfeit any cancellation charges for these). Even had some new plants put in the garden. (Must say I will not miss having a garden when I move - although will miss being able to hang out washing in the summer months).
This way, I am managing to remain reasonably calm and unstressed at this time.
I am 78 years old and do find that things that i would have coped with easily ten or twenty years ago, do get me extremely stressed out now. The daughter who lives close by is loving, but gently laughs at me when I worry about what she calls 'hashtag, first world problems'. But, then she is 49 years old, and i would have coped with these things easily then. Cannot talk to her too much about the move, as - although she is trying to be supportive - I know she is very unhappy about me moving so far away,
The daughter who lives in WsM is very busy, with work, her family of four children and a disabled hubbie. Also, they cannot help with matters relating to where I am now living - although I know they will be delighted when I move that they can assist with many of these 'silly' little problems.
But, largely, I am doing it all by myself.
Good Luck to all of us who are in this horrible process of selling and buying.

Morning craftyone I missed that you'd written as I was so pleased with my mercy mission! I sleep on the downstairs sofa in storms , sometimes with ear plugs too. I've been in every bedroom except my daughter's since Steve died as the ceilings are lath and plaster and I can hear them cracking in the night - luckily the structural survey said it's normal. I am so glad your sleep has improved, for the last few nights I've been having a terrible time switching off. Do you spray your pillow with lavender? I must try it. Don't think the cat will like it though, she sleeps at my head!

I'll take your advice on being strong and ruthless. I have agreed to leave the bronze lions as part of the house sale, it took four men to lift them and it would be so difficult to remove them from their elevated position. They'd also look silly anywhere else, they do 'fit' the house. My daughter doesn't agree with my decision as the new owners could sell them ... they can put the money towards the renovation!

I feel far more relaxed today, still have garden branches to tidy up but broke the back of it yesterday. Looking forward to watching my Stan and Ollie DVD tonight with a bag of popcorn. Can't eat chocolate in front of my dog, can only eat it in the car on my own, it's torture for him!

Just back from the pigeon loft, 'Steve' has taken him in. So glad I caught him, he's been attacked by a hawk and all his tail feathers have gone. Apparently they take three weeks to grow back. A lorry of racers is going to Hartlepool today, so he's going to be 'driven' home!

yes the roof mosaics, one of the things I am most thankful for. My other roof was in good condition but the house was timber frame with a flat roof with pv panels on it laying on weighed down frames, no loft. I was always worried in a storm, could hear the rain bouncing hard and on a hot day with cool night, the timber cracked as it contracted back after expanding. That house was safe but the night time noise including the wind noise, I think that led to me having poor sleep. A couple of times I slept on the sofa because of the scary loud wind.

Now I have a normal roof, a very insulated silent house, a loft only ever containing a tv aeriel. Yes the rooms are much smaller, yes storage is poor but storage can be added. All I have to do now is wait patiently for my wardrobes to be fitted next week. Certainly my sleep has improved, it has taken 6 weeks to get into a good sleep pattern, maybe it is the worry and stress leaving that has helped

Stay strong and be ruthless mosaics, I learnt the hard way, it has not been worth being generous and kind when selling

What an unusual house mosaic.

I love it and it looks like it's in 'move-in' condition too. Not much 'renovation' required, unless it's structural?

Someone will buy a gem of a house, imo. Good luck with the viewings. I hope it sells soon.

Thanks Grammaretto, I do wish I had the money for the renovations, I have become a bit depressed looking at the room sizes of new builds. I never will, sadly, so I'm definitely going new build as I want a bomb proof roof that can withstand a hooley as my Irish friend would say!

Franbern, just a tip about your new country style living - racing pigeons. Traditional hobby up here and it saddens me to see so many squashed on the road. I've just picked one up at the golf club tonight, he's in my cat basket, in the car. I was very upset just after my husband died - a racing pigeon was wandering around the cars in the village. I caught him in a box and asked the two people I knew that had had pigeons in the past what to do with him and they didn't want to know. I tried to think of a safe place without cars and decided on the cemetery, and left him with seed and water. Sadly the next day all that was left of him was his legs and a lot of feathers, Mr Fox.

So if you find a racing pigeon the kindest thing to do is catch it, keep it safe in a box or cat basket, fed and watered until it is rested enough to fly off. There is a stray pigeon society to type in the ring numbers and report it - although I have heard many stories of the owner just strangling them, sadly. They are just too tame to wander about outside and I will always regret leaving that one to his horrible fate.

At least one of the viewings on rightmove was me! It's an amazing house which I would definitely consider if I was upsizing.
What a pest about the careless railway workers.
I'm sure the house will sell soon.

Thanks for sharing that Franbern, I am going to be far more business like about it this time! This EA is also advertising me in a local newspaper so hopefully 'the one' will buy it!

I've just received the RightMove viewing figures - 2,420 people have looked at the ad over the past seven days. Compared to 6000 in nine months on Zoopla, I am pleased.

Second nice thing that happened is my lost 'acquaintance' popped in - and apparently has popped in several times and my car has been there but I've not answered the door?

Bad thing that has happened is that Network Rail vegetation workers have been throwing the branches they've cut from my fir trees any old how into my garden. They were line side branches, so they've deliberately chucked them over. The man I knew who used to do it now works in a signal box. I haven't been up to that area for three years, it was so bad. I was determined to clear it, and have made great progress. More prickly fun tomorrow, why do bramble prickles hurt so much!

Mosaicwarts, do not want to put a dappener on things, but my house was marketed originally as Offer in Excess of£450,000. Several offers - none of them in excess of that amount, not even at that amount. Then when it returned to the market, just had as straight £450,000 - again all offers were between 425,000 and 435,000. People these days just take the figure listed as the top amount and always start lower than that.
I did when putting offer in on the flat I hope to buy.
Be prepared to go down a little, as I have said, work out exactly what you will need to buy yourself your next home and work backwards from that.

Franbern, I wish you every happiness in your new flat, and it's marvellous that you have a knowledge of the area, as well as having a lovely daughter there! Is it a ground floor flat?

I moved up here at the age of 42, twenty years ago from Twickenham and do miss it still. Northumberland is a fantastic place- sandy beaches, no air pollution, clear roads, crime rate is negligible, people are absolutely lovely. Not sure why I don't like it as I know I should, but I have an overwhelming feeling of boredom and want more than it can offer. My daughter went to Leeds Uni and said a lot of her 'town' friends have never seen a live barn owl - we have one that lives in our coal bunker. She feels it's a privilege to have lived here and if she won the lottery, she'd buy our house and keep it in the family. Steve just died too soon

How lovely craftyone, I'll get some of the spray next week, I've lost touch with my spiritual side.

I do however, believe Steve is a chaffinch at the golf club. It doesn't matter where I park, this little bird comes right down to my feet as soon as I step out of the car.

Off to the garden now, have a gigantic pile of huge sycamore tree branches to break up and dispose of. Pond is also choked and the water lilies are trying to get through, so off I go!

my buyer turned out to have no empathy with the house, she is not living there full time and is not going by trial and error re the complex eco workings. That leaves my dear sweet neighbours there in limbo, we leant heavily on each other ever since the day we moved in but I had to stop myself feeling any sort of regret, have to get used to calling my new house home, the more I do that the easier it will be

I sit in my recliner and often `see` a moving whisp out of the left corner of my eye, by a window. At first I thought it was just a passing bird but I believe it is more than that, someone who knew me very well, who gave me a lifetime of support and who passed on. I think I will do what I did in my other house, use a spray called palo santo, it is used for cleansing/spiritual/healing I used it in the other house, had to ask the house to let me go, to release me. I will use it today, to ask this new house to accept me, to become my nest

Mosaicwarts, I totally understand how you have so many different feelings regarding moving. With me, I really love the house I am in, and love being in London. My move will be a jump into the dark, in some ways, as I have never lived outside of London.
So, I have many conflicting emotions, when it appears as if all is going well with sale and purchase, then I have near panic attacks at the thought of moving far away and into a flat, however - when things go wrong, buyers drip out etc. I just cannot wait to make that move.
Feel that whatever happens, I am going to feel great regrets for what did NOT happen. So daft really...
Would love to have both options at least for a year, but that is obviously not at all possible.

How nice of you craftyone. I do feel very muddled and panicky at the moment, still trying to detach myself from my emotions attached to the house as I do love it. Couldn't sleep last night, and to add to my misery I've got an ingrowing toenail again! When I was five someone at school ran over my big toe with the big 'toy train' - I've suffered intermittently my whole life. I do have a very nice chiropodist who visits but haven't got £40 until next pension.

I was a bit upset, and know I shouldn't have been, because the EA didn't phone with more explanation until Tuesday when she'd phoned the drive by for feedback. I think I wrote on here somewhere else that the person told the EA that her offer, if she did decide to put one forward, would be £350K. How people can knock £50K off an asking price so casually without even seeing the house is beyond me. I have to learn to take it in my stride, and ride the storm.

I do so appreciate everyone's support on here.

I am off to post my son's birthday card, I can't believe he's 26 on Saturday. I did enjoy doing things with my children when they were babies, I am looking forward to being a grandmother one day.

Have a good day, I'm off to the beach with my very patient sheltie.

come on here mosaics every time you start to feel anxious or start churning stuff in your head. A problem shared etc. We all feel your pain

Congratulations lynx, I hope you and very happy in your new home! Several of my friends have bought without a viewing too, who knows, I might join you!

I am going to take a huge step back and try to stop being so anxious, I am finding it hard doing this on my own.

Just to say, smiley, that we have bought without a viewing! The EA pictures show the inside, we were more concerned about the land attached.

Horrible pointless day for you.

Oh, what a frustrating day for you! Very strange that the viewer didn't turn up. Who does things like that???

To top it off, the gardener didn't turn up. I sent him a text and he wrote back to say he did come, but thought I'd got someone else as he saw a lad with a leaf blower in my drive! It was the neighbour's tree surgeon clearing the mess from the tree branches they'd cut. As though I'd do that without giving him notice, why would he think I could behave so badly? I've been very nice!

A mad day, I need to write it off.

Hi Mosaic, sorry to hear of your experiences this morning. As you say, who does that? I really hope that you get some more viewings soon so you can move on with your life. You're absolutely doing all you can here - it only needs one person, that's all - who will fall in love with your beautiful and unique house.

First viewing with the new EA today.

I spent all weekend cleaning and made a huge effort to do a 'sparkle' clean (I'm pinching Craftyone's description here!) ready for my 11 am viewing this morning. I put a lot of elbow grease into polishing the granite worktops, was quite puffed out, I must do more exercise!

I got back from walking my dog at 9.30 am to my neighbour in my drive - to tell me he was expecting a tree surgeon any minute and he'd have to park in my drive. I felt quite annoyed, he does have my phone number and could have let me know over the weekend.

The viewing agent came at 10.30 am for a tour with me and I left him at 11.01 am - no sign of viewer.

The viewing agent rang at 11.18 am - the viewer had emailed to say she'd driven past this morning, and might submit an offer. She wasn't coming to the viewing.

Honestly, who does that! Feeling fed up I missed the Alnmouth Arts Festival because I stayed in to clean.

Thank you GrandmaKT, I am pleased so many people think it looks good.

Someone has already asked for a viewing on Monday 27 June - but that's a Thursday, and they are not responding now so the EA thinks it might be this Monday 17 June.

I've just seen my daughter off for three weeks and feel so tired, but must start cleaning this morning, weeding later. I think I might have sleep apnea - the kids say I snore like a train so perhaps I wake in the night a lot. Wake up feeling as tired as when I went to bed.

Right Henry, where are you!

xx

Just wanted to say good luck with the new EA. I've just looked at the listing on Rightmove and it looks wonderful. Hope you get lots of interest.

Thank you for the good wishes Grammaretto, I have high hopes and am keeping everything crossed the lower price will attract a buyer quickly and I can be out by winter.

I've only just had the Aga put back on and now it's been a few months without the central heating on, I can see it's using 200 litres a month so around £100. When the heating is back on in the winter I'll be using about 600 litres a month ie £300. I have to buy wood on top of that at £75 per dumpy bag, and normally get through 4 bags plus Homebase fire logs. I'm trying to put some money away this month but my pension just isn't stretching. I need to have a big budget rethink, sorted some clothes out to sell on ebay today