Help calm me, house buying and selling stress. Part 3

I don’t suppose there’s any way to post a plan of your garden, is there craftyone. I’ve got a very similar size in my new home but with the added complication of a slope down to the left hand corner and the bad decisions made by previous owners!

I’d love to see how you’ve managed all that. No lawn?

Good idea not to release your survey Shandy. It's up to prospective buyers to do their homework and some even go to the auction to bid never having viewed the property. Hope your foot is better. My mother smashed a China plate while wiping up and it cut through her leather shoe into her foot. The shoe was full of blood and the wound took a while to heal.
Craftyone that garden sounds lovely. I love lafuma recliner chairs too, they are so light to set up and the mesh is soft and comfortable. We have four, in red, orange, green and yellow. Did you know you can buy new elastics for the sides when they sag?

Shandy -WD40 for that sticking lock.

Some years back was there not a new law that came in that the sellers of property had to get together a special pack, which included survey, etc. etc. Can't remember what it was called now. This scheme lasted just a couple of years (sounds similar to what Scotland now has). Obviously, as sellers were having to pay to have this pack, they passed on the cost via their selling price. Never worked properly and it was done away with.

Fran, it was the Home Information Pack - lasted about 2 years I think - came in around 2007 if memory serves me right

Oh and Fran, I thought for a minute you were recommending WD40 for poor Shandy's toe lol - teach me to try to read without my glasses on!

Shower room all sorted. Just need to source a wall mounted shower chair as the one they had was not suitable. Screwfix do different ones so will get it from there. Had a hefty discount because I can have the stuff this month and store in the garage ready for the end of March. Going to see about the internal doors on Friday after my echo as the place for them is near to the hospital.

When I was waiting for my daughter to come for me got talking to my neighbor who is 2 doors up. Found who my new neighbour will be. My neighbour who died one of her daughter's is going to be living there. She is very nice.

Hope your foot isn't to painful Shandy57. Try and keep it warm as that should easy the pain a bit. Good move about the survey. If people want on its up to them to get it.

Craftyone you put me to shame with your DIY skills and gardening. Loved the list of your plants. Parts of my garden have water lying on it when it has rained heavy. It does drain away ok do you know which plants would be able to tolerate that. Have artificial grass. My son is going to dig a trench round it and put layer of stones in to try and improve the drainage.

Franbern sounds like you are having a wonderful time. You will need a rest when they go home.

Whiff does the shower chair have to be wall mounted? When I was looking at them I came across some good lightweight shower chairs and stools. These were just free standing seats that could be lifted out for cleaning or if someone else needed the shower as they took up less space than a folded up wall mounted one. etc. They had a more flexible potential usage I felt.

I use a free standing shower chair = much prefer that. Every time I have been anywhere with the wall attached ones ( even nursing homes, etc.) they always look grubby -probably are clean, but they do not look nice. Mine is a stool, but they also come up with backs and arms, stays in situ most of the time, but can be easily folded and lifted out.
Dottygran, thanks for the information - yes, that was it HIPS. Never really worked well.
The couple who came to visit on Monday have sent me a lovely bouquet of flowers to say Thank You. I let them known it had arrived safely saying that I should be thanking them for coming over. People are so nice.

Jane10 should have said wall mounted fold up chair. Screwfix have some which would fit the bill. I won't need it all the time but when my balance is off at the moment I can't get in the shower. At the moment I have to step up 6" to get onto the tray. The previous owner was disabled and had a free standing stool. It was a nuisance took up to much space. Thank you for thinking about me.

Franbern that was a lovely surprise for you.

I should also say that, in my case, the wall would have to be reinforced to take my weight on a wall mounted shower seat!!

The old me would never have wanted one as I was 19st + but losing over 7st this new me knows they will take my weight. But to be on the safe side that's why I will be having one with legs. My bungalow has concrete floors throughout and when my son fixed my wall units to the walls he had to use a big drill . He commented he had never drilled such hard walls.

Planning a garden is such fun, important to take account of the aspect, the soil and for eglantine, slopes and to go with the flow, Whiff can you work out how much sun that damp area gets? You won`t know yet but maybe that damp area dries out in high summer and gets baked like hard concrete. I would live through a whole hot summer with it as it is and then decide. Slopes eglantine makes me think of small retainers or plants that tumble down slopes or a mix of heathers/rocks/prostrate conifers. It is quite easy to dig out flat areas for steps going down. I keep using non-slip rubber stepping stones and they have rectangular ones

I have such an aching shoulder, what`s new, I get carried away lifting and doing and then suffer, take 2 ibrufen and then paracetamol before bed. Will be ok tomorrow, got some hours of carving

Jane it won`t need reinforcing, it just needs 2 legs at the front. Ellianne good to know about the elastics, I love that chair, feet up, baby sunshade up behind me and a nice cold drink while I read. Who needs holidays? I love my house and my bed

Craftyone I'll wait and see like you advise. Those rubber stepping stones sound idea for my front garden . In between the raised beds it's loose stones. Rectangular ones would be idea as I would probably fall off the round ones.

I am remembering to keep up with finances ie future finances as well as present. 10 months since moving and I do believe that the money drain has just stopped. I came to rely very heavily on m/s money and it will only work on old windows so I saved my old laptop with windows 7, disconnected from the internet. I do need the reality check from time to time, it is very grounding and I just did the transfers of bills and deposits to the end of april

I have had 4 large expenses ie window dressings, fitted wardrobes, top quality white good and the garden and patio. All for my comfort, benefit and enjoyment.

To my surprise I will be able to save from my pension, at least to the end of april, when I need to check again. I will be able to replenish my halifax savings account, which feeds my current account, which settles my cc every month. I never expected that, was a nice surprise. The only outlays are the utilities, house insurance, housekeeping and entertainment. I think I will start to withdraw some cash again, nice to keep a small stash to help my executor if needed

I was speaking to a neighbour about my steadfast car, he said that now it is 5 years old it has stopped most of its depreciation and is cheap to run. It made sense and I have decided to run it as long as I can. It is very comfy, a good reliable workhorse with a nice high seat position and only done 29k

I just heard that house prices are surging. Shandy in 35 days you will be a real cash buyer, you need to be looking and viewing and maybe expressing an interest or making an offer. The last thing you need now is to have this cash and for houses to start rising in front of your eyes. It is time to look, seriously, if you find a house then you need to stake your claim asap

Years ago, before the internet took over, my in-laws ran a small business finding houses for people who were unable to view (often because they were returning from living abroad). They sent questionnaires and drove around the country visiting and reporting. I'm sure they did a good job and matched people to their requirements. But, like when dating , people are contrary beings and 9 times out of 10 the buyers didn't want what it seemed they had asked for!

As you can imagine, the business didn't pay enough but they enjoyed it and it took them to places they would never have been. However, as you can't choose a partner for someone neither can you pick a house though you can advise them against.

Grammaretto, we have similar businesses here in Australia. They are called Buyers Advocates or Buyers Agents. One can have these people, who are licensed Real Estate Agents, source properties for you to look at - usually 3. They will negotiate on your behalf and arrange for any inspections required. Here that is usually a Building Inspection and a Pest Inspection. They will also bid on your behalf if the place you wish to buy is sold at auction. A buyer may choose to engage these people for all or some of the above. This does remove the emotion for buyers, particularly at auctions where there is a lot of pressure to continue bidding after one reaches their limit. We are thinking of using one in our search.

Well I didn't realise these agents still existed. I can see the point and it may be very useful to have someone as a go between especially when your DH is recovering and you could do with some support and less anxiety.

An agent working for you can save you money when buying, according to:

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-1693375/Could-a-buying-agent-save-you-money.html

I think another reason my in-laws stopped it was that they were getting a bit old for such a tough business. They probably did it for about 5 years after retirement.

It's not my idea of fun - and if you are selling - watch out!

Kirsty and Phil ring a bell?!

Hello everyone, I had a very wet and windy 'tour' with the lovely young lady this morning. Rain was actually pooling on the kitchen windowsill, I've never seen that before, keep your fingers crossed one out of the four 'viewers' on Saturday makes a bid at the auction!

My toe has finally stopped bleeding, thank heavens, but I still can't walk properly as it is so painful. I'm going down to the house tomorrow to hoover and polish, and will go early on Saturday morning to put the heating on, she also recommended I light the woodburner and coal fire. She loved it and said there had been a lot of interest. She guessed my reserve and said it was worth every penny. If it does sell in March it will be odd to still be here and see what the new people are doing.

A friend has offered to pop round to help me with the heating control, it's awful, my reaction to people helping me is always negative. She's gluten intolerant so I've been out to buy some free from biscuits, and she can't do caffeine, so I've got some decaff coffee. Hope she can get her car around the tiny drive. I met another neighbour today, unfortunately she has an unneutered tom, could be fireworks. My cat is quite relaxed in her basket upstairs, unfortunately as it is so small here her cat litter tray is very noisy when she visits it!

Have a good day, I'm off to research cordless hoovers for people with hairy pets!

I'm always so nervous of being seen as a nuisance, but have now been waiting a week for a response to my email to see if my solicitor will do my legal pack for the auction. I told a friend I hadn't heard, and need to know by the end of next week, and she said to ring. I have just phoned - he's actually on holiday until 2 March but his secretary is forwarding his emails. I'm going to hang on for him as I trust him completely, I hope he doesn't say no at the end of his holiday!

Don't hesitate to phone people like that. They're not doing you a favour. You'll be paying them handsomely!
The cottage must feel small after living in such a large house. I'd be scared in the station house on my own. I am a wuss!

Shandy57 glad your toe has stopped bleeding. You need to get onto your solicitor as soon as he's back and keep on at him. It's not as if you aren't paying him. When my solicitor wasn't there her assistant sorted a lot of things for me including sending out paperwork for me to do. Perhaps his secretary could send you the pack. Have you asked?