Help calm me. house buying and selling stress. Part 5

That's interesting the compass is important to you craftyone, I like being S-N. I want a bedroom that faces east so I'm woken by the sun, and a lounge that faces west for the sunsets.

I'm just back after a good morning. When I was in the porch a red van stopped and took some of the junk, unfortunately not the bookcase. I've loaded the rest and will unload later. I'm nervous of going in the garage now because of the wasps, have bought three cans of Raid. I don't agree with it normally and would let them be, but can't risk it in such an enclosed space I need such regular access to.

My solicitor has just written and said as my builder is furloughed he will email the buyer's solicitor to get agreement for them to be removed as soon as lawfully possible which might be after completion.

I think my taste buds have stopped working, nothing tastes that good at the moment, perhaps its the hayfever? I had an expensive soft cheese and grape sandwich and it wasn't how I remembered it.

Enjoy your afternoon

oh that is a tired post shandy and no wonder, thank heavens you are almost, very nearly, finished with basically just checking to do

I was musing to myself about how important orientation is to well-being and I actually took a compass with me to every house viewing. I have lived in a S-N eco house and that got extremely hot because all the very big windows were placed on the S side and even with shading verandahs it was hot but lovely in april when the sun was lower and was coming in below the verandah.

My neighbours are S-N and they only sit right at the back of of the back gardens. Their S side is also very hot in high summer

I have put the compass on my walls today and the sun is fairly high but still has about 7 weeks to full height with short shadows. My back house wall is at 100 degrees is just s of east and is a most perfect aspect for me because I am very much a morning person. The whole garden apart from against the north side is in full sun right now and my bench against my east facing wall is still in full sun and will be until about 1.30, when I will be grateful to be able to eat my lunch in shade. The garage side is at 170 degrees which is very close to due south, so I get east and south in my back garden and hence a lot of sun and I can move around to my lafuma recliner with sunshade and iced tonic later

The sun is making a bit of an appearance to one side of the west aspect at the front and I have whizzed around closing my upstairs shutters. West aspect is better for anyone working out of the home. I was glad I took my compass and was very grounded by having an E-W orientation as a want

I hope we have some travel release on monday. I want to take some goodies to dd

I forgot to say my neighbour's mother died from the virus in the home yesterday - he was allowed to be with her in full PPE

Morning to you all, sunny again!

craftyone, hope your bot is OK after such a long ride. I thought of you recently as they showed someone on tv learning to spin I wonder who invented the wheel, very clever machine.

Hopefully my last 'doing' day at the station today, I am glad I have met my second 'lockdown' deadline. Huge pile of rubbish to collect, I did a load last night and have stored it under a tarpaulin in the cottage garden. I don't want to queue at the dump.

I have a fear of leaving something behind and have now written a room checklist I can tick off. In the night I remembered that the surveyor had knocked something down into the cellar that I meant to rescue, just a Sony phone box, but I've kept all our old phones to sell and want to retrieve it. Hopefully will be able to get it without breaking my neck

My neighbour offered to help me again yesterday, he's been watching me for four weeks.

I am terribly tired and will have the weekend off to sort the cottage out quietly. I'm sharing this sofa with my rugs and have no idea where they can go.

Watching the news I wonder what the future will look like, so much speculation. I forgot to say I peeked at the April auction - not many bids at all, I have been very lucky.

Enjoy your day

morning all, just checking in and it looks like another glorious day ahead. No plans set for today, I assume it will be my usual pottering that evolves. My cycling took me a lot further than I planned yesterday because I am still feeling my feet re the routes and I was wishing that I had put my padded pants on. A good sense of well-being when I came home

I may go and spin outside again, I have yarn to finish and have just started researching about natural dyeing. I have never dyed wool but I will dye this lot and there is a lot but want pale subtle shades like from onion skins or flower petals

A shower and hair wash now and a quick bedroom and en suite clean. Oh I hear that garden centres may be open on monday, I hope so, I have my fingers crossed

Hello again, I'm back after cleaning out the drawers, twenty years of junk have left their mark! I want to do it for myself, not Mr Despicable.

I opened the garage door when I got back and was horrified to see a golf ball sized wasp nest. I bashed it down with the broom, put my glove on to pick it up, and I am very sorry that the baby wasps inside are now elsewhere. The wasp flew out. I have filled the garage to overflowing and really don't want to have a nest in there - there is evidence of past nests. What a bore, but trivia - the second home neighbour's mother has the virus and as he went to see her, he is in isolation in her home town for a fortnight.

Have returned from my weekly car outing to do my Sainsbury shop. Do really enjoy that - once Lockdown is well and truly over (months away), wonder if more people will return to doing their own shop - at present it is really great, so few people there, easy to park close to shop entrance, and go round.
Only thing not on shelves this week was SR and Plain flour. Fortunately,I did manage to get SR flour last week, and also gave my daughter the money to bulk buy Plain flour on line, and I just took one 1.5 kg bag from that.
I also gave to her several sachets of out-of-date dried yeast (2018). Did wonder if this would still work, but yesterday she gave me a couple of gorgeous home-made belgium buns that she had used one sachet for - and they were quite delicious - so, obviously, no problems.
I noticed that our local artisan bakers is selling all sorts of flour (spelt, wholemeal, etc.etc.) and fresh yeast.
Yesterday, I received a phone call from the local company who were to do my bathroom re-fit in April, asking me if I was still interested. I most definitely am - and they say they are planning to start carrying out jobs from June onwards and hopefully, will be able to do mine late June/early July. He is arranging to come to see me in a few weeks time to make finalised plans (again). Hope by then that Topps Tiles will be open so that I can select and order the tiles I want there, and Carpetright - where I had chosen (but not ordered) the laminate for both the bathroom and my en-suite.
Really would like to get this work out of the way before the end of summer - it also involves, fitting individual thermostat valves to all my radiators, and that means closing down, and draining that system.
My son took phone picture of my meters at old house, and my daughter did so of the meters here at the flat before I had even arrived on removal day.
I have now installed an ap on my phone which means that in future, I can take such photos and use those to send in the meter readings (as the gas meter and the Leccie meter are too far apart, they cannot install a smart meter here). Technology can be so clever!!!!
Sue, not surprised that prices of properties are falling. It is fortunate that you sold yours before this all started. People who really need to sell must be feeling quite desperate at the moment.
This means that people like Shandy, with the money in the bank ready to do a quick exchange and completion, will be able to negotiate very hard and pick up a real bargain.

I meant to thank you Niobe for the tip about the photo of the meter - I need to watch my back with this despicable person.

I tried to think from his point of view Franbern, but think he must be aware that asking me to do £50K of very disruptive work ie living without any roofs for weeks on the off chance his mortgage lender would approve it was a step too far. Keep your fingers crossed I can save my lions

Good morning all. Well Shandy, you are nearly home and dry. All these troubles and grief will become a distant memory. Looking forward now an escape to a different area would be really beneficial to you. Like many others here we moved over 200 miles and it was like a breath of fresh air. New surroundings, new activities and new friends will give you a renewed take on life and remove a lot of the dead wood. Good luck, will follow your search with interest, (especially keen to see what happens to the property market, visits etc).

Morning all, sunny again but there had been a bad frost overnight. I've shut the heating off at the station, wondering if I should put it back on.

Sorry the house wasn't suitable SueH49, I hope something else comes up soon. I've been looking everyone ... but looks like a lot of people are waiting for lockdown to be lifted.

Dog woke me by scratching the bedroom door at 5 am, he did need a wee. I've got a headache and bad hayfever today, wish someone would make me a coffee I will make a flask in a minute.

Have to empty the car in a minute, so very glad I have the garage, it's a god send. I have many bags of good bedding and fabric to donate once the charity shops reopen, in double bags. Hopefully won't get damp. I wrote to the removal companies yesterday to let them know I don't need their services.

Have a good day whatever you are doing

Morning here! I didn't expect thread 4 to be filled that quickly, happy to see people following it, Craftyone. While reading the whole thread from the start I remembered my own house buying stress. Oh my, that was interesting. We didn't manage to find a house with the layout we would be happy with, so we had to hire a team to rebuild the house in a cetain way. We created the whole plan in a 3d interior design program (here is the link to their website if you ever need it!) but these guys couldn't even follow it correctly and they moved the wrong wall. I can't even remember it without cringing. Thanks goodness, it's all over and we are more or less satisfied with the reparations they've done.

Craftyone, we did think about it but discounted it as there just are not the plots available as developers snap them up and if one can find something suitable they are very expensive. Also the time it would take to build we thought was prohibitive but is is something we might need to re think.

The place we saw yesterday was nice but had too many steps for me. It was also much bigger than we need. We told the agent this was the case and she came back asking if we would consider it at a lower price. It is priced between 1.2 and 1.3 million $'s. We replied saying not at this stage and she came back asking not even at 1 million. Clearly they want to sell quickly.

I was thinking Sue. Would you not consider buying a plot and having a design/build company to build the home with all your needs satisfied?

ooh very good tip indeed niobe and yes we are indeed all very proud of you shandy, we cannot wait to get onto the next stage, altogether and unfettered by the spectre haunting you right now

I am very much enjoying youtube on my tv at the moment, it started with an accidental video in Rumania (also called transylvania) and what a beautiful unpolluting country that is. Then it went onto various other countries towards ukraine, my geographical knowledge is sadly lacking. Then forced child marriages in india where the young girls were sold for a few cows. I am having my eyes opened bigtime. One country the 18 year old chose to become a buddhist nun rather than be married. They all lead such simple lives compared to us

Today I happened upon bread making in the old ovens, no fuss and bother because bread is very much their staple and always sourdough, one lump left for the next bread day. Bread and yoghurt and simple cheese. Milking goats and cutting hay with scythes and the whole village helping to get hay stacked

Then today it went onto natural dyes, onion skins and avocado and so on and by golly that got me going. I am very interested, I have spun a lot of skeins of natural wool yarn and am going to dye with maybe marigold or similar. I don`t need to fuss about different pans either. First I have to read a book and the mordant in this book is soya milk not alum, it sets the dye. I can use my new big bottling pot and some buckets. I love learning new things

Shandy, when you take your final meter readings please use your phone to take a photo of each reading. Gives you absolute proof of when the reading was taken. We were advised to do that when we left our old house and got the keys to the new house but our buyers and sellers were reasonable, helpful people and your buyer seems to be the type to quibble.

Evening all, you'd be proud of me. I've almost removed every single thing from the house I can physically lift, including the big coal scuttles and huge bag of coal which I've given to the neighbour here who does use it. Going back tomorrow for the 7 bags of charity shop bedding, two kitchen chairs and the big wooden shutters and some bits and bobs. Have to leave the ladder until the last day to read the electric meter, it's about ten foot up in the larder. There is a piece of paper stuck under the drawer on the kitchen cupboard, I can't get it - hopefully just an old receipt, not a fiver!

Also have rubbish to collect, scrap man hasn't been yet. Unfortunately it's recycling collection this week so I'm taking it to store at the side of the garage, not food waste.

I've managed to make a little headway in the cottage, so I can now relax a bit. Just waiting for the washing to finish and I'm off to the beach.

Thanks for the update on modern house selling Franbern, it's the first time I've ever sold a house.

My daughter has written and I hope we are friends again.

Have a good evening

Soon the new dawn will come Shandy! You will forget all the cr*p that’s going on now as you settle in to your new house. You have a home now to find a house to put it in

yes, really that is right, the best and logical way to move forward. I specified that curtains and blinds would be left, otherwise they should be removed. However all those questions are in the sellers pack and have already been answered. Anything not a fixture or fitting and not specified should be removed. Re the lights, yes, I took all pendant shades and left wall shades that were fixed.

I specified that I would leave all white goods, so I did

That man is evil, every which way to try and upset shandy.

Shandy, I am surprised that it is even being discussed about curtains, carpets, etc. The last time I can remember even thinking about paying extra money for such things was when we bought the large family house back in 1976.
When I moved from there in 2003 it was assumed that such items were part of the house purchase price. As are any integrated whites - only free standing ones, can be either removed or else asked for extra payment. Light fittings also, these are part of the property. Obviously, where there are drop pendant type lights, with shades they can be removed, but the light itself must be left in place.
Gone are those horrible past days, where people would remove such things as light fittings in their entirity - and curtains and fittings, and even door knobs and locks.
TBH - once I have made the final arrangements about moving, I am only really concerned about items in the place I am moving into - no interest at all in the property I am leaving.
I do not agree about destruction for the sake of destruction - to me seems pointless.
Yes, this purchaser does seem - from your point of view - to appear scheming and heartless - but I can (in my head) see another thread somewhere else - where a purchaser is complaining about the difficult vendor who changes her mind, causing him to go through various options in order to purchase a property -which is going to need tens of thousands of pounds spent on it, and then keeps asking for extra money for all sorts of things. Now, I am not saying this is what happened, but could well be his perspective.
You should now be totally concentrating on your next move. Forget the Station House - that is your past - and I am imagine that you are very thankful for it.

Good luck SueH49, viewings are still on line only here.

I was looking at Mumsnet last night and apparently paying for things ie curtains/carpets etc is a thing from the past. A lot of people nowadays expect the price to cover what is left.
I have shut the heating off now, and there is a lot of oil left, I will just forget about it.

Good idea craftyone, unfortunately only one round here and I don't know if they could remove without damaging the walls, that's the risk.

I wrote a strictly private and personal email to my solicitor last night explaining what had previously happened with this buyer, and feel a lot better. I felt panicky yesterday which was silly, I played into his hands again, he's taken three weeks to answer deliberately. Just horrible mind games. If I can't get the removal done in time I will just have to leave it behind and let it go. I have to stop allowing his unpleasantness upset me.

Have a good day whatever you are doing, nice weather here again

Shandy how about giving arhitectural salvage sites a call. or find your local scrap dealer travellers [wink} sites and tell them and if all else fails then use a blooming great lump hammer and leave the pieces there.
Could also be called architectural reclamation when googling

After a week of horrible wet and cold weather today is a brilliant Autumn day with blue skies and some warm sunshine. It's amazing how much better one feels just by seeing the sunshine.

Had a call from an Estate Agent this morning telling us that they had just listed a property that she thought we may be interested in. So, we are off to view it this afternoon.
Unfortunately I don't hold a lot of hope for it as I think it is way too big but it's the first one that could be a possibility for ages. It's also the first approach by an EA for weeks.
Maybe things are starting to move a bit.

Thank you so much for responding, he has obviously waited until the eleventh hour so it is difficult for me.

I phoned the builder who put the lions up, the one that said 'anything you need, just ring' at my husband's funeral and then was never available.

Unfortunately he is furloughed for three more weeks, but said he'd put them in his lock up if he was able to get them down before completion on 26 May. He suggested the buyer wants them but isn't prepared to pay for them. I wonder what my husband would do, he was such a balanced man. At this moment in time I feel like destroying them rather than let him have them for nothing, which is childish, isn't it! I'm so angry at myself for allowing this creep into our lives. I've just taken every pot out of the garden and will be going into the house tomorrow to double check everything. I've left lots of metal things on the drive, hope the scrap man is around.

With the crisis I shouldn't allow this to upset me should I, my kids and I are healthy and well, that is all that really matters

he really is despicable shandy, thoroughly nasty grasping individual but you know karma will come back and bite him. Try never to meet him again, make sure to ignore any contact whatsoever and I would think twice about writing out any instructions for him, or any helpful contact numbers. Absolutely don`t even clean a cobweb or a window

What a miserable g*t! Never mind cleaning anything ever again in the old house!