Help calm me. House buying and selling stress. Part 6

Franbern glad your first day went so well.

Thanks whiff lovely warm and cosy all night, you were right, I had been too cold in the night. No bedsocks but I put a light welsh wool blanket on top. All wool covering, very comfortable

Sweep and stove service this morning. It will hardly need sweeping and won`t need a service but I do like the re-assurance and the paper for sweeping is needed to go with house insurance

No other plans for today except to make garden stuff safe for the increased winds later, which have already started, it is blowing a hoolie now

Glad you slept well last night. I was nice and cosy to. Raining hard here again. Really miss not being able to get in the garden. Gave the bungalow a deep clean yesterday including moving the furniture. Today will have to be a hobby day. Hope we have a heat wave in September.

Hopefully Shandy had a good night's slept and her viewings go well.

We can only hope September will be warm and sunny. It's raining here and we had booked a table outside for lunch so will have to cancel.
Erm, can I ask, did the workmen disconnect the loo or was it left functioning while they worked in the bathroom?

The loo in my bathroom has been disconnected, along with basin - both of these will be re-used - I am having a new bath. Does not matter as I have a working loo in my en-suite. I have asked that they get that loo back into the bathroom working for the Bank Holiday weekend when I am being visited by my daughter and g. daughter. My daughter is now of an age where she usually needs an nighttime visit to the toilet.
They will be able to use my en-suite for washing, showering etc.
If that is the ONLY loo in the property, then, I understand, that they have to ensure it is able to be used daily once they leave.

One of my daughters had her bathroom (house only has the one toilet), completely done last week - they went on holiday whilst this was being done. I must remember to telephone her to find out how it all went.

I sometimes feel that my mission in life has been putting in toilets into houses.
No. 1 house purchased in 1964 (Victorian), had just one Loo - outside. We had a toilet installed in the bathroom upstairs.
No. 2 house - new build - upstairs bathroom, downstairs cloakroom no need for anything extra. Only there for four years.
House No. 3 - Edwardian. Had toilet upstairs next to bathroom - first thing we did on moving in was have a 2nd loo installed in the bathroom. Then, some years later, had a shower room, complete with loo built downstairs.
House No. 4 - (1930's) -toilet in bathroom upstairs, and an outside toilet - that had been shifted around to give entrance from lobby outside kitchen door downstairs. Had bathroom completely re-fitted there, then work carried out on that downstairs loo to make it into a small cloakroom with addition of hand basin. Then en-suite (loo, shower and basin), installed off my main bedroom as a retirement pressie to myself.
Not actually adding any more toilets here, but major re-fit on bathroom.
Been a very wild weather night. I was up in the early hours and watched the rain lashing down, all stopped now. I am still finding it pretty warm at night - normally only have a flat sheet and a coverlet - but when I could not sleep last night, realised it was because the coverlet was making me to warm. I still have both windows in my bedroom slightly open all the time - it is a warm flat.
In the really cold weather, I change that coverlet for a 4.5 duvet. Rarely need anything more.
Think we all thinking of Shandy and wondering how it is all going.
Today I have a phone consultation with a physio - not sure exactly how that will go - they cancelled my face-to-appointment as he is not going into the surgery today. Wanted to re-make it for this coming Friday - when it would clash with the arrival of my daughter and g.daughter, so having to put up with this.
Have a good day everyone.

Morning all from a storm lashed Broadstairs. Woken by loud plonking rain noises from a broken gutter by the front door, and the slowly passing trains, which are 30 foot away at the end of the garden.

I arrived at 2.30 pm yesterday and jumped straight onto ‘the loop’ bus which goes round Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. I then walked around Broadstairs itself, and down to the seafront. Broadstairs was obviously magnificent in its day. I was very sorry to see a homeless man sleeping in a shop doorway in the High Street. There are many of the beautiful screechy parrots we used to see in Syon Park, and lots of seagulls.

I’m seeing a house in a village called St Peter’s at 12.30, as I’ve only got my skechers and no way of drying them, I’m taking a cab. Will report back?

Ellianne when I had my new shower room done and bedroom walls and ceiling plastered I moved out and stayed with my daughter. That way everything was stripped out if shower room as I was having it tiled floor to ceiling new floor tiles , large heated towel rail, new loo, hand basin set into cupboard and new shower rectangle and shower. Had handle fitted by loo and fold up shower chair with legs and arm rests. Loft hatch was moved out of shower room into my bedroom and new insulation put down. 6 new inner doors fitted. Stayed with my daughter for nearly 4 weeks. Glad I did as even though everything was covered dust still got on furniture. No nonsense carpet protector worked a treat not a bit of paint or plaster got on the carpets .

Shandy57 glad you arrived safely.

Toilets, ha ha! In our last house we had 4 toilets and are now down to just one in the bathroom. (Although strangely our current property is actually bigger than others where we had 2 or 3 loos!) We were thinking about an extension to our bedroom and adding an ensuite. It was going to be about £16k. Then because the family decided to move here, we no longer needed extra bathrooms. I still can't decide if we have made the right decision.
The workmen will no doubt remove the toilet on day one, so for the first week I think I will stay at our daughter's. My husband can sleep back here with the dog. (They both seem to have tanks in their bodies!)
By the second week I think we would be going a bit crazy, so I will take a look at holiday homes in Cornwall today and try to book up.

Our problem staying with family for more than a week is that we have a large dog. They also have a puppy, so you can imagine the chaos. My nerves get shattered.

The boys.

Good morning Shandy. Hope the viewing goes well. Let us know your thoughts.

ohh I wasnt expecting shandy to post, am so glad you have shandy, we are all on tenterhooks

All I have done is get the scented candles out of the garage and re-home them in a downstairs cupboard. Sweep is coming at 2

Well, the lovely 3-bed penhouse in my flats has gone from Rightmove less than a month after it appeared. There are still two flats here for sale, all come on inthe last month. Another 3-bedroom one and a lovely 2-bedroom one with an enormous roof garden/patio. So, I should not be the 'newbie' here for much longer.
Lovely to hear from Shandy, hope it all goes well now. Unfortunately, the homeless are part of virtually every High Street.
Amazingly, yesterday, the lovely Matt - took down and disposed off all the wall tiles in my bathroom. Not a mark of dust anywhere - he really is such a clean worker. Has been in all morning with the FE College Superviser - putting in all the new plumbing, etc.

Hello all, lovely to see your dogs Ellianne and hear about your bathroom Franbern.

Kent is not going to be my future home, it is not for me and I’m glad I’ve been able to visit and establish that. I’ve walked around Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate today, as well as going on the Loop bus again. I rang to cancel my viewing tomorrow and it’s lucky I did - I hadn’t been informed that the vendor had cancelled. The estate agent was very off hand, I think it is an appalling way to treat someone they know has travelled down specially.

I’ve just booked my ticket for The Turner and will be enjoying filling my eyes with art tomorrow. And probably another ice cream?

Shandy didn't think it would be for you as I said in my PM. At least you have confirmed it for yourself. Enjoy yourself tomorrow and I should have a big ice-cream. When do you go home?

shandy that trip of yours was money very well spent, you are having to make very quick decisions and I am glad that you are involving your intuition. Yes expensive but definitely worth it

Shandy, sorry that Kent has not worked out. At least you can know you had a good look there.
Tomorrow the electrician is coming to sort out all the electrics in my bathroom. It is getting on extremely well. Cannot speak highly enough of the young man doing so much of it. Intend to get his phone no. before he leaves - could be useful to have in the future.
It is all happening for me this week. Yesterday morning got a phone call from my GP surgery trying to amend the day for physio appointment. When I talked to them to sort this out, I asked which days my particular GP worked. Receptionist asked me, and I said I felt I ought to see her at some time in the not too distant future. Gave my reasons, and an hour later the GP herself phoned me back, asked me a few questions and made a face-to-face appointment for 4 pm yesterday afternoon. Attended that, and she listened to my chest, and said she wanted me to have a chest xray and she would make the referral and I would hear from hospital.
They telephone this morning to ask if I could come in either tomorrow morning or Thursday. I selected Thursday morning at 9.00 and have made an arrangement with my daughter for the plumber to telephone her when he is coming here so that she can pop over here to let him in.
Did have a half an out telephone consultation with physio this morning and must make time each day to do the exercises he worked out for me.
Went to daughters this afternoon and stayed for tea, could not believe how bad the wind was when I left there just after 6 pm. Fortunately it is only a very short journey, glad to be indoors now.

Good tradesmen are worth their weight in gold Franbern . Your young man sounds to be a keeper. Your GP is on the ball and your physio. Sounds like you have very good health care. I know the health care I get here far out ways what I had in the Midlands.

I popped out yesterday afternoon to post a letter as I was going out it was very windy but had stopped raining. My neighbour was taking his dog a walk and offered to post my letter even though he was going in the opposite direction. I thanked him but said I could do will a little walk. I realised within a couple of days of moving in I couldn't have moved anywhere better. Like I have said before I feel at peace even with the problem with my son and daughter in law. But have come to terms with that and it is their loss. I have so much to look forward to and enjoy my life everyday.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Nevermind Shandy, it was a valuable experience. Many estate agents can be uncaring, they just want to sell, sell, sell. Exmouth next stop. You will find it very different in a quaint way, be prepared for the slow sometimes infuriating, pace. Coming from London our daughter and son in law are having to adjust to a very different way of life. They love the outdoors, but just need the weather to improve now in order to enjoy it. Let me know if you want to meet for a quick chat and coffee. I can't take you by car, but I can tell you how to get around. Your dog will be pleased to see you again.

It is very pleasing to read about the progress being made after moving and to feel the stress disappearing. How about you Ellianne? you went through a lot of stress for dd. Franbern I hope you get the good results from your medical professionals and whiff I like the old school ways in you, chin up and getting on with life with a smile on your face

I knew this march into autumn would be very different from summer. Going with the flow again, wanting to be outside. I wish some of the events here would start up again, I was meeting a lot of people but was only in early stages of relationships. Covid testing has increased, hence the positive figures, deaths are very very low and really we need to get back to being free. A year out of our lives and a long period of austerity to come is the result.

Anyway, sleep is excellent now that I took whiff`s advice. I am raring to get going, garden tidying it is this morning and probably a walk along the very old ramshackle terraces around here

Craftyone - I so agree with you about wanting events/meetings to get going again. I really made so much effort in those first couple of months here, to join different groups in U3A, slowly taking decisions as to which ones I really wished to stay with. Also, organised and hosted a coffee morning for these flats. That was successful, and another Lady had already offered to run the next one in early April!!!! Do wonder if these will be able to get going again at some time in future - I did have great hopes for these.

2 people per hundred thousand with positive tests in North Somerset - I really cannot work myself up into the sort of panic about going out/ meeting people/ seeing family- that so many people on some of these forums seem to have.

Spoke to my daughter near Brighton last night (I messaged her first asking for a good time to ring her). They had a wonderful holiday in the Lake District, and came home to a new bathroom. She is delighted with it. Just a couple of things still to be done to it (they had not chosen handles for cupboards, etc. and installer did not wish to take this decision for them), - but it had been delayed from February, and really did need doing. Her daughter goes into final year of Primary School and is SO looking forward to getting back in a couple of weeks time.
Glad the weather has settled down now - the wind raged well into the night. Waiting for electrician, then off to Sainsburys this morning.

Our buyer has dropped out - we have spent weeks trying to get them to exchange and now they have dropped out as our builder is taking too long apparently. We stayed with them when they couldn't get their accounts done and their mortgage application, let them visit to measure up during lockdown, included many extras but they have let us down a few weeks before our move in date. So its back on the market and onto Plan B and C.

Oh Teetime, I am so sorry - really feel for you. This happened to me last year, my purchaser dropped out at the time I was getting in quotes for the move. Also, silly excuse!!!
They had surveys carried out, all good - got their mortgage sorted - done measuring, etc. I broke down and cried on the shoulder of my lovely estate agent when she came to tell me (I actually had rep from Pickford doing quote at the house at the time).
However, it worked out so very well in the end, I cancelled the flat I was purchasing - had some concerns - put an offer in on another flat, which had dropped by ten grand since I first saw it - AND new purchasers, who offered four days later actually came in virtually on my asking price and four three and half grand above the ones that dropped out.
I know it is easy to look back and say how well it all worked out and at the moment you are in just shock - but stick with it Plans B & C will work and could be better for you.
Good Luck - do keep us informed. We have nearly all been there and worn that t-shirt.

Teetime I'm sorry this has happened to you. I put myself out for my second buyer . She used to ask to pop round to measure up which I let her. The day before she pulled out on me I let her bring someone to measure up for new windows even through the house didn't need them. And her vile brother. He was rude and said horrible things about the house. But as I liked the woman and thought the exchange would go through as planned on the Friday I put up with it. In hindsight I should have thrown him out. This was on a Sunday. Next morning my estate called to say she had decided not to buy. That's when I joined this thread. As I was devastated. But the help and support I have had here helped me get through it. Luckily I got another buyer within days but that didn't go through as quickly as it should have due their solicitor who was a nightmare.

You will get another buyer and hopefully it will all go through smoothly. I learn my lesson I didn't let my buyer who went through with the sale come apart for the second visit with her parents.