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

Grammaretto hope your daughter gets it or finds some where else she likes.

Mosaicwarts how did it go with the removers?

Hi Whiff, my daughter has to be in work early so I'm up in the dark for a change! Huge equipment in the field behind the house, I'm surprised they can work in this mud.

Moving couple came and my list was really helpful, they think they can help me move in on the day. I saw the local charity shop putting out some plastic mats over the weekend, managed to pop out and get them yesterday, otherwise my chinese rug will be destroyed with all the ins and outs. I think I told you I bought salt for the steps, can't have that walked in. They call my box size 'book boxes' craftyone!

I've asked for time to do the storage move, to give me time to sell/donate as well as leaving the house with some furniture for auction viewings. I have asked them to help me with my piano, and poor thing, it will have to be broken up to get it out. The metal part can then be left outside for the scrap man. It's not been tuned for 18 years and the tuner then said it was on its last legs, I bought it from the local hotel. I always think of the 'roll out the barrel' song! My daughter hasn't played it for years, it's not a sad goodbye.

I had a call from the aga people yesterday, time for its service. MOT due at end of the month, and still haven't paid the plumbers/stonemason. Also have my dog's insurance renewal. Not a good month for savings is it!

Seems to still be moving forward positively mosaics, so much for you to do and better now than in your 70s

A bit of re-purposing today, trying to do the final sort, one cupboard at a time. A curved corner base kitchen cupboard, small space, two big hinges and one shelf. The small wire corner storage unit I had in there on the shelf is good, small crockery already on there. The bottom space was very wasted, tall with a hinge right in the way of another wire storage unit. Brainwave after 8 months turned the wire unit upside down and used the hacksaw to take off a few end pieces and it is still stable enough. I now have 2 layers of my small older crockery on that. Its me squeezing a quart into a pint pot but also having it all accessible. Won`t be fiddling with that area again

I did buy new crockery for myself in the christmas sale, nice denby regency green.

Mosaics I am the other way re paying tradespeople. Always that day or the next and then they come back as soon as I need them.

Hi craftyone, beautiful denby - my friend's late Mum used to have it, she had the dark blue. My friend was so very, very upset when her Mum died and her brother sold it all without asking her. I've hardly got any crockery as I cleared it all when I thought I'd sold in September, I hope to buy new when I move.

I would have paid these people immediately if I could, I don't like payments outstanding. I can only get £200 in cash out a day, and rang the stonemason to ask how I could pay him earlier in the month. No response. Must say his man using up the mortar on the front steps has been a disaster, it's an eyesore now. When we moved in the woman up the road said she always asked tradesmen to come back on a Friday afternoon for their payment - cap in hand!

Just waiting for someone to come and buy my lovely lloyd loom ottoman and stool, I hadn't realised how much linen the ottoman held. Hopefully zippy bags coming tomorrow and I can pack it ready, it's all the superking linen for the quilt in there. Will be nice to have a big quilt again, I have a double upstairs, I always lose out to the cat!

Craftyone I hope you checked other insurers for your car. Apparently we should never just renew with the same company but shop around.

Oh yes, Denby. I wish I had kept mine but left it in our cottage in France when we sold it. I miss the mugs especially and the casseroles. It did go nicely there with the kitchen. I think the design was Arabesque, a dark brown, but the cutlery made a horrible squeak on the plates.

not this time midgey, I shopped around last year and had a very good deal so £16 more would also be a good deal. I do shop around for insurances and utilities, so far saga has come up trumps for house and car and octopus for energy

I get a bit twitchy about cash in hand, there is no evidence of a job done if it is done badly. Having them come back on a friday cap in hand is brilliant, made me smile

I am sitting this storm out, horrible, I have stuff to put away in the garage but the wind wants the door, so I am waiting for the wind to die away. I am grateful that I put the plant stakes in well, all the plants look safe. Lots of trees down and areas flooded

Lovely lady came to get my ottoman and she loves birds, so the swan fabric went down well! Very sadly she's just moved to the UK in the last few years, as she lost her home and pets in the earthquake in Italy. She had her dog with her running around the car, scared me to death, our road looks quiet but oil lorries/farm vehicles race down it.

I am going to sit on the sofa this afternoon and be really lazy and watch series one of Peep Show on DVD. My DHL man has just delivered my zippy and open bags, so packing will be starting tomorrow. My estranged Dad, when we made contact again, sent me a crystal chandelier in about a thousand pieces all in funny little boxes - jewellery boxes, cardboard boxes, as well as rusty old biscuit tins. I'm just going to give the whole lot to Oxfam, the lady that works on the bric a brac in there is fantastic, I think she's been there about fifteen years now. She gets everything valued, does lovely little labels with their history if applicable, and washes and dusts it all, it's like a lovely china shop.

Easy veg sausage and mash tonight with veg so no prep, I hate all that peeling and chopping.

I like to get tradesmen's bill paid immediately also. Never in cash, usually by bank transfer and I always ask for an invoice. Just one company I am using (the wardrobe carpenters) asked for a cheque. Fortunately, I still have a cheque book.
The company who is booked to do my bathroom at end of April refused any sort of deposit for this work, which surprised me, - usually it is one third to book a company, one third when job started and final third when satisfactory completion is made. I did have to sign a contract with them, but can cancel without charge if I give them good notice.
The company who ran the power to my garage on the ground floor of the block, has supplied me with the official certificate for this work, which I have placed in the file with my deeds, etc.
Must admit that I find it strange hearing Mw and others saying how cold it is. The flat is remarkably warm, Do have a little heating on for about one hour in the morning, whilst I shower and dress, and usually for a couple of hours in the evening, for the rest of the time I note that my indoor thermostat is showing around 20 degrees most of the time. Be interesting to see how this effects my bill when I send in the first readings after I have been here for three months. Again, I was surprised that, having kept to the same utility company when I moved (gas and leccie), they only reduced my monthly DD by £2. Mind you this was largely based on usage of the people who lived here before me.

octopus refunded me £100 after a few months of readings and they reduced my monthly from £79 to £45. I must be using more than that at the moment but they will be using the built up credit. I expect you will get a refund in time Franbern

The last of my denby arrives tomorrow. I think this is the nicest and best I have had all through my life. Last was Jamie Oliver white on white, strong utility crockery and most given away now, I am keeping a few bits for a while. I am not strong enough to get rid of all of it yet

I am trying my level best to reduce storecupboard stuff lately ie using rather than buying. To that end I am making bread, spelt and rye, in my panasonic breadmaker. If that bm does eventually die then I will replace with a mini breadmaker.

My achilles heel is my nordicware. All stashed on 3 top shelves in the kitchen, I cannot put anything useful up there because I cannot reach without a stepladder. I don`t know when I used any of it last, maybe for a bundt cake but I cannot let any of it go, I like them too much. I have a shortbread pan, bunny moulds and so on, blimey those are now £62 each. Could well be an inheritance at that rate.

Everyone has been busy. Last week I emptied 9 boxes of things and ended up with 6 for Emmaus. Why I brought some of the things with me I have no idea. Still they will raise money for the charity. Only 5 boxes I haven't look at do those next week.

I always pay tradesmen with bank transfer and have a receipt . That way I always know they are paid and no danger of me forgetting . My bungalow is cosyand warm don't heating on at night. In the morning the thermostat is usually 19. I like the heating on 21.

Went to craft group and then lunch at my daughter's. Always tired when I get back as I have been chasing my grandson round. Yesterday at sit fit we were using water bottles as weights my left arm seized and the water flew through the air and nearly hit the instructor. Note to self do use a water bottle in my left hand again.

N power are putting in smart meters on Thursday and Friday my son and grandsons are coming. I love since moving my weeks fly by. I have a more active life now and love it.

Hope everyone has a good evening.

We have had a build-up of scrap metal outside our house -looking unsightly. Yesterday a scrap metal merchant drove up to the front door and offered to take it all away! Result.
I didn't have to phone the council or organise an uplift. It was old radiators and other heavy stuff too big for us to fit in the car.
No news today from DD.

Just had my moving quote - £980. The other company quoted exactly the same, so I feel fine to accept it immediately as I know this family. I didn't expect them to charge me to break the piano, but it will take time, and is still carrying.

I nearly came on to ask for help earlier - I've just made my daughter's birthday cake, and was making the buttercream icing.

I put the softened butter and icing sugar in my huge bowl, and used my electric whisk. Just wasn't happening, icing sugar flying everywhere, so changed to a wooden spoon. Do you think my butter was too hard? Took nearly twenty minutes, my arm is hanging off! Ended up putting a bit of cream in to soften it.

Grammaretto glad you didn't have to pay to get rid of the metal. Hope your daughter has some good news soon.

Mosaicwarts you could have popped the butter in microwave for 5-10 seconds and it would soften it. It always happens with icing sugar and electric whisk's. I always use a wooden spoon. Hope the cake tasted good. Why they charged for breaking up the piano is because companies have to pay to take things to the tip.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Your quote seems very reasonable mw. Our charges were 3 times that but we were moving 200 miles away. Just because you still have the house in your possession don't leave anything behind. I got lazy once when we moved into rented and said I would come back myself for all the little items. Big mistake, it takes forever that way.
Hope your daughter had a nice birthday and enjoyed the cake.
Have a good day all.

£980 is a good quote and it is nice to have people you trust. You are marvellous still making cakes, I would not have had your get up and go and would have bought one

Happy Birthday to mosaics' DD!
Our butter never goes in the fridge. I have an insulated butter dish from Lakeland, which I always have to explain to our Continental visitors.

I have no idea about the cost of removals or anything.
It sounds reasonable.

It looks more and more likely we will have DD and family here for a while so the plumber (friend) came to measure up for the mini kitchen. He thinks it would be worth buying the ready-made kind and have him fit it - a day's work. However when I told DD, she said "rubbish it would cost less than £200 to build a mini kitchen yourself" so you see, it's started already! she always knows best.

My removal quotes came between just over two grand to nearly four and a half thousand pounds. That included them doing the packing and,of course, packing on one day and the Lorry (ike the van in the old song) with my home in it....... ) being stored in their depot overnight to go to WsM the following day. The one I accepted was about midway -local company, with good track record (Pickfords was the most expensive.....). Lots of difference between the companies - eg: m,y double electric bed - Most charged extra for this (Pickfords wanted over £700 - as they told me they would need a 'specialist' at both ends of the move). This local company looked at it, and said it was quite simple and there was no extra charge. I did take out all insurances including late key one. A few days before I actually moved I had a local clearance company pick up to dispose off - properly (I did check their credentials regarding that) of a number of items which needed to be disposed off - paid them a hundred pounds for that (one large van load).
Not sure why Mw thought they would do the job of breaking up and disposing of the piano without charging for that. Mw check that their quote INCLUDES VAT, otherwise you will find that will be another two hundred pounds.
Mw - this is the first step on your new road to your new life. Get settled into the rental, and then spend the Spring looking at different areas and properties in them that will be your future home. Do hope that the Auction goes really well, do keep us informed. For most of us this is a completely new area of house selling/buying - except what we see on Tv programmes.
Today my bathroom fitter is coming round to finalise details and give me the address of the company they use for tiles and flooring, for me to go along and choose what I want. This work is not being carried out until end of April, but need to get what I want in place well before that. It is a pity I am having to spend this money. The bathroom looks good, but at present it has a very small corner bath - which I can just about sit upright in. I am only about 5'2" - and do sometimes needs to soak in a hot bath if I have any sort of blockage developing in my ostomy. So, in order to change that am having to have a complete re-fit in there. In their catalogue I discovered that baths come up - not just in different lengths (which I knew), but also in two different heights. So, will ask him about the lower one, which the catalogue says is easier for people to get in and out. Will also have a shower put over that bath for visitors. At present I am telling my overnight guests to use the shower in my en-suite.
Yesterday I had a phone call from one of my cousins. His Mum (my last surviving Aunt) was one hundred years old last year, and I thought he was phonng with really bad news - but it was just to tell me that she had been rather poorly with an infection, but was responding well to treatment in her (very expensive) care home. Told me to send any cards via him, as her short term memory is completely shot to pieces and she usually does not know what she has done with any mail she receives. Amazing woman - up until she had a rather bad fall just prior to her hundredth birthday, she was pretty much 'with it', and able to discuss current affairs, etc very intelligently.

I have just been talking to my builder whose mum was in pretty good health to 100, she just passed at 101. They were pig farmers and old school with their food, a bit of everything and not too fancy. I have known lots of elderly people reaching their 90s without faddy easting, without extra exercise, maybe because their lives were simpler ie get the food on the table and being happy with what they had. Simple pleasures, no extra stress caused by high powered jobs and dashing here and there. Maybe our mod cons are not helping, no washing in a dolly tub etc

Do not think I really want to live to such an old age - this lady did not have an easy life. When her husband died over 20 ears ago, she was finally persuaded to sell the house and move to a flat. My cousins were sorting out much accumulated rubbish in there and found a small show box with a blue baby knitted jacket, etc.
Her eldest child is a boy - but it was obviously not for him and they asked her. She then told them that back in the late 1930's she had actually lost a baby boy at 7 months (he would have been their first-born), when her skirt had caught fire (doing her hair, standing on the hearth looking into the mirror hanging on the fire breast). In all those years, they had never told any of their subsequent three children about it, and the rest of the family (her and her husbands siblings) had also kept silent as if it was some sort of shameful secret).
Mw, regarding your butter cream. Yes, use the microwave to soften the butter - but when using your electric mixer place a clean tea towel over the bowl. holding it tightly round the mixer. Icing sugar does have a tendency to powder and fly everywhere, no matter how soft the butter.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance that the quote is reasonable. My son and daughter were astounded, truthfully so was I, I am hardly taking anything down there - and no heavy white goods at all. I'm really pleased someone is coming on Saturday to look at my walnut drop leaf table, hope he buys it, I must keep photographing and advertising things for sale.

Off to a local beauty spot when my daughter gets up, she doesn't often have a 'sunny' birthday. I wonder if she'll live until she's 100! Amazing to have lived through two wars, experienced such hardships ie lack of food and warmth, and live to that age. I agree with you craftyone that lugging coal in and such heavy and energetic physical household tasks like the washing would increase stamina. I've booked my daughter a deep tissue massage for 3.15 pm (she has a shoulder injury), so hopefully will get out of 'walking' too far - I just don't like it. I'll walk the dog because it has a purpose, but don't like walking generally.

Counting my blessings today! Enjoy yours! x

Blimey, does it really cost nearly 1k to shift a few bits down the road MW? That has come as a shock to me. You sound very upbeat, has your buyer been in touch now that he will have had the report done on 8 Jan? Probably not or you would have told us.

I'm just impatient for you.................

Mosaciwarts you quote sounds reasonable. I paid nearly £3,000 for Pickford's removal and storage. Still in dispute over all the things that went wrong. In the hands of the ombudsman now.

Had smart meters fitted. He was only here a hour. Very efficient.

I made a new friend when I joined U3A in December. She visited today. Had a nice natter. She is in the process of buying a house. Having survey done tomorrow. Glad all that is behind me.

Had the quote to do all the work on the shower room. Happy with it. One of the children will take me to look at fittings for it. Choosing tiles and flooring lovely. Think I want mostly white with a touch of colour think blue will have to have a look. Wanted a blue kitchen but when I went to look changed my mind. It's olive green.

Hopes it's not to windy for you all.

I'm so glad you are all on here, I do feel a bit down.

Estate agent rang first thing and asked if I'd received the report - apparently the buyer is still interested.

The birthday walk was sunny on the way, then very windy and cold on the way back! I didn't moan at all, was just glad when it was over, my daughter really enjoys walking. We went for lunch then dashed off for the massage, and the masseur said if she came every fortnight she could help her to manage the pain. She was so pleased, it's been four years now. My daughter went abroad just after my husband died, and had a terrible accident whilst sandboarding, the medics there thought she'd broken her shoulder. My son popped in tonight to surprise her but he didn't stay long as he's full of cold, she's now upstairs packing for her 'move' to her rental tomorrow, then she flies tomorrow night for a weekend away abroad.

I'd asked the kids what they wanted, and my son took one of our statues that has been on the windowsill forever. It hit home that this really is it - which is a good thing, isn't it!!

oh yes, it is a good thing mosaics, you are ready mentally.

What worries me about that buyer is that he could start proceedings and you would miss out on the auction slot. Then he could pull out again, likely looking at his past form. You will have buyers competing at auction, it only takes 2 and could well go higher than you expect and the big bonus would be the positivity of the deal being set in stone and finally

I suggest that if you have any contact with that buyer that you tell him to go bid at the auction. He has played you for a fool, which you most certainly are not. Stay strong and stick to your plans