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

Apparently the modern term is "blow-ins" if people move to Devon! I rather like that more, it's as though the wind has carried them along!

Must go, I slept really well, I must try physical work late in future. The kitchen is sparkling and I have re-loaded the trolleys, looking much neater. I have no specifics today but will carry on picking produce and cutting for hotbin number 3, a newbie that has to get to temperature. Big black fast moving clouds above and wind whistling. I have a skirt cut and another to transform, hardly ever without satisfying jobs

Morning all, sunny again today

Lovely to hear all your homemaking stories Whiff, I am glad you will be in your beautiful bedroom soon. I have seen some sorry sights looking at bungalows, some people have been living in appalling conditions, I do find it sad.

I got up at 8 am to try and book my tickets to Exmouth - only available up until late August, September isn't issued yet

I am going to see if my cat sitter and kennels are free earlier, and go in late August instead if the Airbnb is available then. It is hard having pets, when my two have departed this world I won't be having any more.

There is a lovely little house in Lympstone, just outside Exmouth, 'red' high flood risk as right on the coast. I like that description Ellianne, blow in.

That trolley is awesome craftyone!

Glad you are recovering Spice, well done to you for moving through that pain barrier. Australia is on the news at the moment with the border being closed. I'm sorry people are suffering so, I am nervous of going into other counties when I start travelling, will be very careful. I think I'll feel safer going by train, I had thought of flying, but so much contact going through security etc.

So glad to hear that the Arts are receiving a grant, albeit late, my daughter had sent me a petition to sign yesterday.

Have a good day whatever you are doing

craftyone, you are mistaken - take a look, it is the same one!

www.robertdyas.co.uk/eddingtons-three-drawer-lambourn-with-stainless-steel-top-trolley#reviews

Well, shopped, back home all unpacked and put away. Reminded why I always used to prefer shopping on Monday mornings. As soon as I went into the car park, I could see the difference. Nearly empty. Inside Sainsbury - I had virtually every aisle to myself. Was able to meander and take my time choosing - just like in the 'old days' Will now return to Monday morning shopping.

Shandy - Ellianne is correct - Chancellor is expected to announce later today (not sure why they do these announcements as the media always gives out the information well in advance) - stamp duty will be raised to start at £300,000 - for six months. Get in there Shandy.

Be careful if high flood risk - you might find it virtually impossible or incredibly expensive to get insurance.

All I have to do for rest of today is collect g.daughter at midday from her school.

Craftyone - sorry missed your query re. tv's in bedroom. Size, of course depends a lot on the distance from where you sit up in bed to where the tv will be situated. However, a good size is usually 24 or 26 inch. These are big enough to see, light and small enough to put on top of a chest of drawers or on the wall. Both the one in my bedroom and the one in the guest bedroom are that size and can be purchased for around a hundred pounds. Mine also has ability to play DVD's,

It really pays to shop around. This reminds me of when Mum bought furniture in Harrison Gibson, was mortified and complained when it arrived in a Budget Rent-A-Van (what would the neighbour's think)!

I believe that any Stamp Duty changes won't come into effect until after the Autumn Budget, sad to say.

Monday morning shopping is good Franbern, as is Monday morning washing and baking ..... except what to do for the next 4 days?! I'm sure we can all find plenty.
I'm getting confused, is the Chancellor doing a briefing session or is he bringing the Autumn budget forward this week? Either way, help with stamp duty will get the associated economy moving .... for example tradesmen and furniture manufacturers and suppliers because buyers will have that little bit extra in their pockets. Everything has a knock on effect. I have fingers crossed.

Flooding is an issue. Luckily you won't need to worry about the mortgage side of things in that respect Shandy. Insurance might be more of an issue as Franbern said. A couple of otters, however sweet, swimming round your kitchen might not be a great idea!

According to media - this change in Stamp Duty is for the next six months only. Start level will be raised from £125,00 to £300,00. That should cover Ellianne' daughter'purchase and also anything that Shandy is looking for.

Nice way of putting it, Ellianne. (otters in the kitchen!!). But flood levels are a very big problem at present, and likely to worsen in the very near future. Be very careful purchasing any property with a Red flood caution. Not only will you not get insurance, but when you or your heirs come to sell (assuming it is still liveable in then) they will have problems as most bldg companies will give it a mortgage.

It always astonishes me in ETTC - how so many quite elderly people want acres and acres of land. They all seem to think that they are going to have the 'good life', and give no thought to their age.

When I purchased my last house in 2003, it took me a long time to get through to EA's that anything with a large garden was a definite 'NO, NO' from me - would not even go to view!! As I was then considerably downsizing, in the same area, they knew I had a very good budget - and kept sending me information on houses with so much garden. I liked a garden for washing, sitting out, letting out g.children to play - but knew I could not keep anything large in good condition. Even with my tiny hankerchief sized garden in the house I eventually purchased, I ended up having to pay a gardener to keep it in good order. Musr admit I love my large patio type balcony area - no lawn cutting, no weeding, no worries with brambles, ivy, etc. Somewhere nice for me to sit with minimum work.

When I went out to Sainsbury just after 8.00 am it was lovely and sunny here, stayed that way until I got home, but the clouds have covered the sun now-white clouds, not rain clouds. though. Still quite mild.

Missed out NOT - most bldg societies will NOT give it a mortgage. (Do wish there was an edit button)

I've been bad and food shopping too much again, I enjoyed not having a purse full of receipts!

Thank you for the stamp duty info, seems it might be November so I haven't missed the boat yet.

I'm not sure how I became fixated on Devon, who knows what goes on in my butterfly brain. I can't get a reasonably priced 'own home' in August, so am keeping Devon until September as planned. I booked then as I thought lockdown would be eased more by then, but perhaps not with these new spikes.

I'm just deciding where to go next. The kennels owner isn't great at answering the phone, hopefully she will be around today.

I'm priced out of Swanage/Wareham, although I was pleased to find there is a daily bus Victoria/Swanage for a tenner.

Just had an email from the rental agency, they don't manage the property directly, I have to contact the landlord. He lives over an hour away, probably fed up to get my issues in his inbox!

Agree about the garden Franbern, I find it a real task cutting two lawns, I do them on alternate days now. As for the weeds coming in from the wild garden next door, I have just chopped them down, dock leaves have such a very long tap root.

ooh Hetty, you were lucky, I do love eddington, RD only stock bamboo and pine now. Mine, last year, cost £40 more than yours, just shows what a good investment some goods are. MIL always said buy cheap buy twice. Could never afford to buy quality until the children were at least at uni. That is when we downsized and started to buy ercol light oak and similar in modular units, I am very glad of that, was able to re-home it all here. Our first ercol big spend was dark windsor, dresser, table and chairs. We ended up giving the table and chairs away to a lovely family that we knew and had to pay £50 to have the dresser removed. All in all was a very bad buy hence light and modular ever since

Wood is so expensive, gone up a lot in price and metal too. My spinning wheel for example in a kit, cost me £349 and is now £495, its all wood. I cannot see me ever, touch wood, having to buy more furniture. Most of dd 2 house is furnished with what would not fit into the first downsize in 2006 and again what would not fit here went in a removals van to dd1 in wales. If only we were sensible enough to see ahead when we were younger and `never going to move`

I made a cover for my magimix processor accessories box this morning, now neat and tidy under my trolley and now time to make a coffee, I do like aeropress coffee yummy

This stamp duty change must be immediate otherwise won't it have the opposite effect of what they are hoping to achieve? Buyers will drop out all over the place if they have to wait until the autumn to get the cut and the market will once again grind to a halt.

Don’t worry about annoying your landlord! He is making money from you so it’s his job. I know you have cancelled Liverpool but have you thought of somewhere like Chester. Great walks along the river, a busy city but it’s small with so much going on.

I'm the one getting panicky now because every little helps so much.

Craftyone, you're quite right about buying quality, solid wood, durable furniture. It doesn't date and works out cheaper in the long run.

Franbern, I'm your opposite, looking for a smaller house and much larger garden. I just love getting stuck in with the gardening. Housework gets left until it rains!

I have three lawns here and used to do them all the same day, but not now. Top of my wish list is a ride-on mower!

Yes, I think the stamp duty change is immediate - but only to last for six months. It is just to give a quick boost to the house selling/purchase market.

Shandy, do not understand why you are wasting July and August - these are great property viewing months - still long daylight hours. From early August onwards you will be paying more rental charges each month, and each of those is that much less for your property purchase.

Put everything else aside and just concentrate on this one thing - finding your new home as quickly as possible.

Ellianne, exactly, everyone who can wait will wait!

Hetty - had to say how your mention of Harrison and Gibson brought tears of nostalgia to my eyes. Can remember how very posh we felt (hubbie and me), when were actually able to buy furniture in there for our brand new house in 1972.

Talking of named delivery lorries also bring back a strong memory, My oldest child was very attached (virtually all the time) to a stuffed toy he had received as a baby. This had been a blue kitten, quite large -at first we had used it sitting by baby in a series of photos in his first year to show how he grew. Then as a toddler he would not be parted from it hardly ever - could not sleep without it, and if fell over, or got upset, first thing he asked for was Kitty. It got balder and balder which made it look quite dirty - but he would not accept any substitute.

We had an outing to Harrods. obviously, not to buy anything just to look. Me, Sister-in law and four pre-schoolers. Had a nice time there, spent considerable time in their extensive and expensive toy department.

Not until we were well on way home, did Iain realise he did not have Kitty. Utter catastrophe - continuous tantrums and tears. At home tried various other comfort toys - to no avail. he was a totally distraught four-year old.

I telephoned Harrods,explaining what had happened and how dreadfully unconsolable he was. Much to my astonishment, a couple of days later a Harrod's van pulled up outside our Loughton house, man came to front door and handed over Harrodei carrier bag - and inside was Kitty. I always imagine that they used gloves and tongs to pick this up when they found it in their department to put in the bag. Treasured that bag for years, and all the neighbours were most intrigued to see that van.

What a wonderful story Franbern! With my eldest, it was a little Winnie the Pooh teddy. When it was lost, he was bereft. We bought a similar one - that he just hurled across the room in disgust.

My second child was attached to his yellow dummy (no other colour would do, he couldn't sleep without it). One Christmas holiday, it was mislaid, so, after a sleepless night, my husband spent a day visiting any open chemists, near and far, to find a replacement (30 miles away).

Back to stamp duty, it's £22,500 on a £650,000 house - so I'd definitely wait to save that!

Wont be that much. There is still going to be an upper limit for this six month holiday. Stamp duty will still be payable (I think) on higher priced properties.

It is designed to help the lower end of the property market, so starting at three hundred thousand, instead of one hundred and twenty five thousand. But, Shandy was looking at under three hundred thousand, so provided she does this in the next six months will not need to pay any stamp duty.

All the little lost toys, and yes they meant so much to their owners. Ours was a Paddington Bear who got left behind at a motorway services.
Talking of furniture shops, my mum went into Heals on Tottenham Court Road and was so tired she fell asleep sitting on a sofa. When the salesman came round to see if he could be of service she was so embarrassed she ordered the sofa saying it was the most comfortable ever. I remember this Swedish designer piece looking totally out of place in our house!

Franbern, do you know Minehead - apart from Butlins? My friend has just sent me this beautiful place -

www.gth.net/property/rps_gth-mil190072s/ta24/somerset/brook-street-mews/house/2-bedrooms