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

Thought you might all like to see the bed, that my youngest g.daughter (8 yrs) dreamt up, and then got her parents to build for her. Bottom part is sofa which can become a bed for a friend to sleep over .

Just returned from my weekly Sainsbury shop - first week without the specially allocated times. Not much different this week, but will have to see how it goes in the next few weeks. Did notice how much busier the road there has got - I got quite used to meandering along (minor main road), looking at peoples houses and gardens. Today, eyes firmly on road and cars ahead and behind.

Shandy, why are you spending money on flowers for a total stranger? You really will find you will need every penny when you do move.

Also, do EA actually drive people around these days? Well, to anything less than six figure properties?

Did remind me of the only time we got an EA to drive us to a property. Back in 1964, when we were getting married in the October, we spent the whole of that Spring looking at properties. We had no car, and the area we were looking at (Walthamstow), was a good bus ride away from where we both lived with our parents. EA only opened at weekends between 9.00 am and 1 pm on Saturdays.

None of them particularly liked us when we registered as we were getting an LCC mortgage - which usually took at least twice the time to process than Bldg Society ones. But, my fiancee did not earn enough for Bldg societies and - back then - the woman;s earning could not be taken into any account. (Assuming we were all going to have babies within a year of marriage, etc).

So, every Saturday we would meet up at 8 00 am to get the bus to Walthamstow, and be outside an EA as they opened . Then get papers on any suitable properties, and then have to try to view them - by bus - or walking (no appointments necessary), and if we liked something to be back before 1 pm at EA to put in our offer (which back then was always the asking price).

Absolute nightmare, and we missed out on some properties as people with cars could beat us back to make their offer.

So, when one new EA offered to drive us to a property we could not believe our luck. Lovely, little house, absolutely perfect. Returned to EA in his car, accepted the price, and thought all we had to do was complete paperwork for LCC and sit back and wait.

Unfortunately, it turned out that this new EA had no right to sell this property and the sole agency one that did hit the roof the following week. We never had the pluck to go to that one and ask them to arrange for us to buy, so we lost it and regretted that on many occasions as it would have been a far better first house for us than the one we did buy.

I 100% agree about photos whiff and that is why I don`t share any photos of my garden. It is very distinctive and people locally who have seen it tell their friends and so on. It doesn`t take much for information gatherers to put two and two together to find out where someone lives and who they are. One of the reasons I never use facebook or any of the other social media sites.

Another 5 year old child on tv today, raised over a million, that had me in tears. Lost his legs because of abuse by his natural parents

Thanks Whiff
All going well with me so far. I have virtually no pain for most of the time although nights do bring a little but more discomfort. I do have quite a bit of swelling still even though I still wear the compression stockings. Unfortunately I’m not sleeping so it always seems worse at night when it is much harder to find a distraction. I have stopped taking the strong painkillers and now just using paracetamol. Not bad for just on 2 weeks post surgery. I see the surgeon tomorrow for his post op check. I’m walking for about 10 minutes albeit on the frame and have a series of exercises given to me by the physio. She was very impressed with my progress when she came yesterday.

I am struggling to get warm. This is a cold house. Porcelain floor tiles and stone benches I’m sure do not help but the house does not get any sun other than a half hour in the afternoon at this time of the year. Must keep house orientation in mind when buying a house. This one faces north.

Morning all. I know it's stupid o'clock. Already emptied the dishwasher. Took up the voiles for my bedroom window last night and threaded them onto the tension rod. When my son put the one up in the spare bedroom it sagged so he put cup holders into the holes left by the blind that was up originary. One each end and one in the middle. To get it down you just have to turn the middle one sideways and lift off. His clever idea. My daughter or son in law will do the same in my room. I asked my daughter about putting a photo of my new shower room on here but she has advised against it. She wisely said if I am still being spied on it will just give my daughter in law more ammunition to bad mouth me on that website again. I know you will understand.

Well it's the start of a new month. Hopefully it will mean the return of the sunshine. Heard from my friend from U3A she moved into her house on Saturday after having work done on it. Sent my photos looks lovely. Popped out to post her a new home card in the rain. Hopefully we will visit each other soon. We used to met on a Thursday morning in a lovely cafe which sadly I don't think will reopen as it's only small and won't be able to met the distance rules.

Off to Dunelm this morning for curtains and other things. Won't be able to have our tea cake and drink in store. Made my daughter and family a marble cake yesterday. She bakes on a Friday with my grandson. Usually biscuits as he doesn't like the noise of the hand mixer. Loves getting his hands sticky mixing the ingredients not bad for nearly 2 and half.

Hopefully all your plans will work out Shandy57. Just hope you are going to be realistic about what you can afford and take into account council tax and other bills for your new home. Plus any work you want to do on it. You say your friends house has gone up by £50k but it is only worth what someone will pay. As we all know on here who have sold including you. I hope you won't be disappointed by what you want and what you can afford. I am not a doom and gloom merchant but a realist.

Spice101 hope your recovery is going well and the pain has reduced.

Have a good day everyone.

That sounds worth watching.

oh I will watch that next rainy day,sounds lovely

I have just been watching bbc 4 about the dangers in our home in the 50s. Oh my goodness, so many dangers, it was quite scarey watching it but the magazines, appliances and furniture were nostalgic as was Barry Bucknell and practical householder and geysers

Just watched a lovely film on iPlayer called This Beautiful Fantastic. Tom Wilkinson is in it . About love , life and gardening. Well worth a watch.

I should hire a car craftyone but I'm so nervous,. I will have driving lessons again once I've chosen an area. What I might try and do is see if an estate agent will take me around, I'm phoning one in a minute.

I've just spoken to my friend in Amersham, she's just gone back on the market and her house has gone up by £50K since before lockdown! She struggled for years as a young Mum without any money, I remember she only had one pair of ballet style shoes to wear in all weathers, I'm so glad she is OK now.

Thanks DDD, I`ll get some in when my present drops run out. My eyes feel fine right now but I have been away from the screen, digging up all my potatoes and blanching a lot, open freezing right now. I have given some minis to my neighbour and ate a bigger one, baked, for lunch. That bit of rain was just right, I have sown some green manure on the potato bed and hope it will grow quickly, so I can chop it in for the worms and then plant shallots and garlic early winter

Nothing else planned for today, parcel force were supposed to deliver the seal today, 24 hours but will do it later this week. They always do that, take the money and then change the goalpost. DPD never do, they are 100% always and I use them to send things to Glasgow and even to return some recent cycling clothes that were too tight. Door to door and a heavy box was under £20 for next day delivery to Glasgow by 12, amazing service

Shandy will you hire a car?

Slippery trousers, on laptop fell off!

Hope your eyes feel better craftyone, must be a pollen day.

I haven't heard from my friend after her viewing at Elham in Kent yet. I take your warnings on board about living near a friend, I've known her for forty years but it's been long distance for much of that. She hadn't visited us up here, I'd always gone down to see her, her first visit was my husband's funeral. I hope she liked it, with the death of her stepson her partner is still in a terrible way, a fresh start would be good for both of them.

Enjoy your day

Hello everyone, first mistake made because I wasn't thinking Covid - booked an Airbnb in someone's house and she wrote back to say she wasn't comfortable taking bookings until later in the year as it was such a small house, and we'd just have to see how it goes. I wrote back and said I'd cancel and I understood - she wrote back and said don't worry about it. As it involves sharing both her bathroom and kitchen I really feel for her, I'll take her some flowers when I go down. I've rebooked a complete small unit, so won't be sharing facilities now, it's just been confirmed.

Kennels aren't answering, probably out exercising, but hopefully I'll be able to book my dog in.

I bumped into my neighbour just now and feel a bit upset, he was quite standoffish (not my solicitor, his partner) and I think I told you he's unfriended me on Facebook. I asked if he'd met the new owner and he said yes, he and his mother are 'fine', apparently he is going to restore the house to its former glory, which is great. He is also restoring another house in the next village, so obviously could afford my house all along. I do remember your words and no looking back, it doesn't matter what he is doing, I need to concentrate on the future. I will certainly try to be more 'business' like when I buy.

I took some of my train books to the second hand bookshop yesterday and got £30, woo hoo! I love wandering around there knowing I have credit on my account

I don't know why I've lost my nerve Ellianne. I've happily travelled the world on my own since my husband died - I ended up spending the night alone in New York in a blizzard one year because my daughter's plane was frozen in Canada. I remember standing outside the hotel in minus temperatures vaping at midnight, chatting to a girl about to start a fashion show. Comparing that to a train ride to Devon, ha ha! Hopefully I'll get my nerve back

Good Shandy that is your first trip underway, then you will feel confident to do a couple more to other locations to make comparisons. The train to Exmouth is a lovely ride through Topsham and along the Exe estuary, past the marine camp. They are smallish local trains so the gap might not be so bad. A lovely M & S food where you get off incase you are hungry. You could easily walk to the beach and the marina from there but the best part for dogs and walks is up the other end.
Good luck.
Miserable day here today.

craftyone, try Viscotears liquid gel eye drops. You feel immediate relief when applied.

progress, for you shandy

My eyes are uncomfortable again today, dry I think and there is pollen about. I must, really must, remember to drink far more. I get busy and don`t think to drink. I did the optrex eye wash and they feel a bit better and am having a coffee, dehydrating but only one a day

Plan for today is to dig up all my potatoes after lunch when it should be dry, then I will wash and cut up the big ones, blanche and freeze. They will be good all winter. Killing time right now, shortened the working trousers I am wearing, the bottoms kept getting wet.

I remember Ellianne asking for my must haves, and although my dog is now eleven and a half, I do want him to continue having his beach walks, so a nice beach for him is one of my priorities.

I also want my kids to be able to get to me easily, so a train station nearby matters. I don't like driving at all so will look for a house with a bus stop nearby. The airport here is 35 miles away, having one nearer would be a bonus.

I do want to be able to contribute to the community, but I'm sure there will be something in every town I look at. I'm hoping to go to yoga again, and do enjoy going to the theatre. I've gone off the cinema with all the crackly eaters, happy to wait for a film to be on DVD or Netflix. U3A seem to be in every area I've looked at. I'd like volunteer at a charity shop, and hope there would be a good secondhand book shop. As for hospitals, there seem to be a lot of 'community' hospitals, I am lucky to be in good health now but have to consider it for the future. We have to travel 35 miles for our main hospital here.

Keep your fingers crossed the Airbnb owner 'accepts' me!

I feel for the people in Leicester, how has it happened?

Morning all, I've just 'reserved' an Airbnb in Exmouth for three nights, have to wait to see if I'm accepted before organising the train/flights. Cat sitter said she has a course at the beginning of September, so I've booked for 21st for three days. Kennels said they are already half full so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Feel all shaky about it, but know I should be excited! Thank you for the encouragement about Exmouth Ellianne, it is so helpful when somewhere is 'approved' I need assistance on trains because I'm scared of the gap, I like the fact Exmouth is end of the line and I can get on more easily as the doors are normally open.

I wonder where Sazzl moved to, I hope she is enjoying herself.

Growing my own veg is my plan for next year. My damson tree has about 20 fruit on. Only had it a couple of years and this is the first time it's been out of the pot and into the ground. I built a fruit cage so the blackbirds don't get them . Took me 2 hours to make it couple of months ago. You would laugh if you saw it. But it works. Made out of bamboo canes tied together with old tights. Rubber canes ends holding the net in place. Tied to the fence with my husband's fishing line and 2 fishing floats as bird scarers. Should be enough for a crumble. Maybe jam next year.

Swappsies sounds so school play ground. You are right to keep them to yourself. Then you decide who you want to give some to. I love making preserves and giving some to family and friends but always keep plenty for me.

My daughter is taking me to Dunelm on Wednesday to get my bedroom curtains and new bedding. So will be making a cake for them tomorrow. Think I'll do a marble cake. She won't take petrol money but will accept cake and biscuits.

Fantastic news about the new neighbour whiff, very important to have good neighbours, people who are there but not in your face. My nighbours are like that, we are a happy threesome

Its so hard being on my knees for a long time, hard to get up again when my legs have gone to sleep, only one more hurdle to go and that will happen when the new seal arrives. I have practised my mastic skills, prepped the shower tray/tile junction and cleaned it, final clean with meths. I think I will cope with mastic after this, it is the prep and finishing that counts.

So far I have picked a good 1kg of blueberries, slightly under ripe and they ripen fully in about 18 hours in a bowl. The blackbirds have given up because there are no ripe berries for them. There must be at least another 2 kg to pick over the next few weeks.

My neighbour asked about `swappsies` I am managing to duck and dive over that, I use absolutely everything I grow, that produce is my FOOD, I preserve it if I cannot eat it and I use it all year around. It didn`t just happen, I am growing fruit and veg for a reason but some people cannot comprehend. Nothing to stop him growing his own. I pick my courgettes very tiny and eat them raw, my beans are small and crispy, my strawberries will make compote when I produce enough. Off my soapbox

Eh whiff, sunshine!! I am loving this cool weather

Everyone's been busy again. Glad your boarder is up Franbern curtains will soon be done. Sorry about your chair. Craftyone your DIY skills are amazing. You are right about Liverpool I love it here. Went out on the bus today for the first time since lockdown. Only 2 of us on the bus. My glasses keep steaming up with my mask. But didn't move it just lifted my glasses to clear them. Only had to wait for a short time at the bank they have put their app on my phone so I can do banking that way will make life easier. All my bills are by direct debit so it's only odd things I have to use it for. Sad to see the coffee shop where I did my sit fit class has closed down. But it was only small and the tables where close together so they would not have be able to maintain the distance rule. The staff where friendly and the drinks and food delicious.

My home improvements guys popped round to measure up for my new garden gate and frame. The one on is really an internal door and it's rotting and so is the frame.

The builders have been in next door all weekend and today . So shouldn't be long before my neighbour moves in. Did I say it's one of my old neighbours daughter's who will be living there. She and her sister are both lovely.

Enjoy your evening. Hopefully the sunshine will be back soon.

there are lots of airbnb in exmouth from around £23 a night

is airb and b any good?

Franbern funny you should say that. I have NEXT coming this afternoon to collect 4 new dining chairs that are faulty. I can't see what the problem is, maybe a design fault? If you mention your accident as being the fault of the chair the company will be round like a shot with replacements.

Shandy you need to get the accommodation sorted first. What about self catering? There are several one bed flats round Exmouth marina. Very close to town and M & S simply food by the railway station to Exeter.

accommodation first - that is important, flights can be at various times. Good Luck. Could your friend in Amersham put you up for a few days?, then you maybe hire a car there and look all over that area.

I would strongly advice you NOT to base where you are going to live on the fact of having a friend near there. Who knows what may happen in the future with that friend. But could be useful to ask friends if they could let you stay with them so you can see different areas.

So lovely to see the happy, smiling faces on the children at school in Wales. I have just collected one of my g.children from her school - she is in first year GCSE's and is now getting three hours once a week in school. My g.daughter who needs good A level results next year in order to get to her chosen Uni course, has been told she will have one hour per subject before (hopefully,) a full return in September. Yes, there has been on-line work, but that is not the same and it was fine for few weeks, but hard to keep youngsters interest for such a long time.

Still do not understand how pubs can open, but not schools!!!

One of the four dining chairs that I purchased just a few months ago broke yesterday. One side of the seat cracked. Think that was the one, that I (fell) from when sitting on it resulting in my trip to A&E. So, job for today is to look out paperwork and putting in my complaint, etc.

Have returned the large sample of living room curtain, on my way back from dropping g.child home. Lady told me my fabric has now arrived to her, so, all ready for her to start making the curtains!!!

I've just had a £1, 499 pound electric bill from Octopus because I read the meter wrong

Sorry craftyone I posted without looking - unfortunately Liverpool is out due to the old boyfriend, bad memories