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

Aha, a shredder, Loopyloo, you'll never look back. So easy for cutting up branches and far fewer trips to the tip too.
We had a massive machine in France, but we did have several acres then. Just make sure the receiving tube or opening is covered enough not to need your fingers anywhere close, and also check the machine isn't too noisy. Ours could be heard for miles.

"Exmouth ..... perhaps could also arrange to meet-up with you then"
You're on Franbern. We could do a Devon cream tea instead of ice cream!

Dear Shandy. Nowhere is going to be perfect. You are going to have to share the light and you cannot have security and total privacy. But I do understand your concerns.
Crafty, I do find my fabric masks are more comfortable. And I take it off as soon as am in open air. Went to a local craft fair yesterday , socially distanced etc brilliant . Bought a scented candle in grey concrete. Long queues. people so pleased to be out together.
Man is coming to kill the wasps nest at 11am. Am thinking of buying a shredder as have so many brambles. If youre going to do something you should do it well. I suppose. Overwhelmed by my reclamation project.

MawB2 - have a great time, your post almost made me feel home-sick for London. It will do you so much good just getting out and about.

Last night I had my first relaxing bath for nearly a year!!!! Okay have been using my en-suite shower during all that time, but it was lovely being able to lie full length in my new bath. Worth all the stress of the past couple of weeks. Just final job on joining up all the leccie bits tomorrow morning and that is it. Also gave me the opportunity of playing with, and working out how the new two shower heads worked. One very large one on ceiling, the second one, can be used for washing hair in bath, cleaning bath etc.
Quite straight forward and simple really.

Interesting your question, Ellianne. On Friday I trundled along to The Range and Dunelm, both close to each other to look for a soap dish and free standing towel rail for this bathroom. Saw some suitable towel rails, but not soap dishes (all of them were just plain dishes - I prefer soap bars to liquid soap but like the dish to have a draining facility).

Came home, looked on Amazon, found all the same towel rails, plus many more - much greater choice - for a lot less cost. Found nice suitable soap dish which can either sit on basin or they supply a transparent strong sticker thingie for it go on the tiles, which I have done. Seems a shame, I would much have preferred purchasing these in local stores, but not really willing to pay so much extra for same items.

I do not like drilling into tiles, so am having free standing towel rail which will go round the radiator.
In my en-suite I brought with, from the en-suite in my house, the suction toothbrush mug and soap dish. Yes, these do come 'unstuck' every so often. But I live with that.

Am revelling today in my first totally free, just me, day- for two weeks. If it remains bright will probably just trundle down to park and along promenade later this morning.

Shandy, of course you need to continue with your planned trip to Exmouth. There seems to be many nice bungalows there at a good prices. Ellianne, a couple of long term friends of mine moved there some eight years ago - I want to make arrangements to visit them sometime soon, and perhaps could also arrange to meet-up with you then (sans icecream - we have PJ's in WsM and no ice cream can equal them)!!

That's an interesting comment that we might ponder for a moment how those who have left us would have coped with the restrictions.
I used to love London walks on a Sunday. Have a nice stroll MawB2 at least you don't have to use the tube. Our Central Line had old train stock and was the worst for ventilation.

If I may “gatecrash” the house moving thread, when I am not, I could have written your first paragraph craftyone but I thought enough is enough, I can’t live like this for ever. So, Sunday trains are usually half empty anyway and I can get a direct train to Blackfriars, walk along to the Tate Modern and do an exhibition. I’ll wear my face covering, sanitise and wash my hands ad nauseam and keep my distance , but I need to know there is a world out there!

You can do it spice. Its blooming hard but its that inner spirit inside us, the spirit that took you through selling and into renting. I had one of those wobbles yesterday, waste of life, endless confinement as in not getting out to wherever I want when I want. I hate feeling like that, trapped as though life is passing by, which it is. Cannot hop on a train, dreadful stuffy masks and steamed spectacles in shops, cannot make visual contact with strangers any more. National trust needs fixed appointments in advance, nothing spontaneous any more

I had that flash of a feeling yesterday, about my husband. He would never in a million years have coped with the enforced solitude

So my first ocado order is due in 30 minutes, one sub that I am refusing and no red onions which was not subbed. I hope that these teething problems get sorted for future deliveries

I have ordered all my seeds for next year, I do like forward planning for my garden.

Whiff mine fell down after 8 months, worth checking from time to time, the suction worked loose

Spice101 I am so sorry. You can do it . You have shown yourself to be a strong woman with a lot of courage. You have your husband by your side . I envy you that. Look at all you have coped with so far. Unfortunately Covid is not going away and all round the world people's lives have had to change.

I am not a religious person don't believe in any god nor the after life. We can only do the best we can while we are on this earth. And take joy in the little things. For instead I saw a wood pigeon the other drinking out of my pond. It made me smile. Silly I know . Look for a little something today which makes you smile. Doesn't matter how silly.
It will make you feel better.
Sending you lots of huds

Not happy. Under restrictions announced here today Real Estate will stay shut down until at least 26th October but only then if fewer than five daily cases over the two weeks prior to October 26 are recorded. Private inspections and outdoor auctions will be allowed at that time. This will be about half way through the peak selling season of the year.

I suppose the good news is that we have money sitting in the bank and do not need to sell before we can buy. Just need to right place/s to come onto the market.

Basically we have another 2 weeks of living if you can call it that as we are, in about 6 weeks the 5 kilometer limit from home will stop and things will gradually open up from the BUT only if numbers go down and stay down over a 14 day period. They need to be down to an average over 14 days of 5 per day before we can even consider living as what we will know as COVID normal!

Not sure I can do this.

Mine has been up since July. Only wiped the wall with a damp cloth and dried it with kitchen roll before I put it up.

I have an umbra gel flex lock bin in my bathroom, luckily only kept a couple of light plastic things on it because it fell down and I had pre-cleaning with surgical spirit

Ooh shandy higher ground at the back is not good,. You certainly have to have your witts about you, its very much buyer beware

Glad you found out what it was and not the menopause sweats .

Evening all, I had a lovely viewing at the house locally, it was very nice. Even has a cat flap with a special chip so only your cat can enter!

But the land behind the garden rose up at quite a steep angle ... so the houses built there would definitely block the light as well as impinge on privacy. I spoke to some locals who said the land owner will probably reduce the number of houses being built, but who knows. I'm going to phone the EA on Monday with feedback.

Whiff, I think I've found out why I felt poorly - my new vape liquid is 0%, no nicotine at all. I went cold turkey without knowing it, argh, no wonder I woke up in a sweat in bed

Ice cream with you Ellianne wish I was there. I have my shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in a Umbra flex gel lock shower bin which sticks to the tiles it's great. I have a Umbra freestanding toothbrush holder it's has 3 sections. Have my toothbrush in 1, toothpaste in 1 and in the large section my face wash. All from Amazon. My toilet roll holder I had from
Dunelm . It's chrome it holds 4 rolls and has an arm to put another one . The only draw back was being chrome my floor was a bit damp after mopping and it left 3 rusts marks . I had brought from Amazon Ugreen wall protector which can be used on walls , tiles and glass. I have one on my shower room tile floor to stop the door hitting the shower cubicle. And one on each of the walls so the door handles don't hit the wall. So I peeled the back off 3 cut a piece out of the backing put it back on and stuck 1 on each of the 3 feet of the toilet roll holder. Perfect. Problem solved.

can I butt in here Ellianne? I didn`t want any holes in my tiles so I bought accessories that stick, not the suction ones but with an adhesive enclosed. The adhesive can be loosened with hairdryer heat if needed. All from amazon and the majority is from hoomtaook

Franbern/Whiff
Can I ask where you bought accessories like towel hooks, soap holders, loo roll holder etc. I'm looking for one which fix to the wall tiles.

Exmouth . .. Is it worth going?
Yes, if only to meet me and have an ice cream!

If Shandy see something locally that she likes, she can always put in an offer. If that is accepted, just leave it like that until she returns from Exmouth. Does seem to be a goodly number of bungalows at reasonable prices for sale in Exmouth. Sure Ellianne would advise her on best areas to look.
Hurrah, I have the whole afternoon and tomorrow free from builders. All that is needed doing now is the second visit from the electrician to put in the over basin light, and shaver unit and attach the electric radiator - on Monday morning.
Have got things like soap, towels, bath mat, etc. etc. back in bathroom, and intend to try out my lovely new bath tonight. Still not very sure as to how the two shower heads work, may play with those a little this evening, But Monday afternoon, after electrician has finished, the boss of the main firm is coming to see me to ensure that I am happy about everything, so he can induct me into those if necessary.

Shandy57 if you carry on looking near by you may find something you like. But don't rely on it still being available when you get back from Exmouth. Also Exmouth doesn't seem very promising if you have had a cancellation plus you have decided not look at a place. Is it worth going?

yes, re burglaries, me too I get paranoid about security too, which is why I have a need to sleep upstairs and to have modern double glazing and modern doors. I know they are difficult to break into. Wise move shandy, to look a week before your trip, you have had enough disappointments. I hope the visit today goes well

I have at last found a local wood I can walk in, not massive but dark and crunchy and attached to an NT property with signposts. It was lovely to be under a canopy of trees at long last, felt very grounding

Its very quiet here yet again, I have taken in some plants for a neighbour. The roads are awfully busy, it was packed coming home from dd yesterday, road to the sw was heaving and today, quite likely to be tourists. The NT property carpark was full. Sigh, it is too busy to feel safe riding my bike right now unless I stick to the same circular routes. Other routes take me down very busy main roads

My friend`s pears are not going to ripen so there is a glorious smell in the house of pears poaching in red wine

Oh &Shandy* that's a shame though I thought the maisonette wouldn't hang around for long in that location. Don't worry, new stuff is coming on all the time. I'm over in Exmouth this Monday if you want any research doing.

Afternoon all, sunny again today.

Amazing how much you've had done in a short time Whiff. Hope you can get your paving done sooner rather than later

I've just had my Exmouth viewing of a maisonette I liked the look of cancelled, boo . I have cancelled my viewing of the Rolle villas flat, I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with such large windows, I'm sure I told you our house was burgled when I was a kid and I still have some issues about safety. I'm not going to book any more viewings until the week before now.

I've had a lovely walk around a nearby village today, my friend recommended a new walk and it was a great sniffari for my dog. Bit spoilt by a dead rabbit on the path, I put him in the field, RIP to him.

Enjoy your afternoon

Franbern glad your bathroom is nearly finished.

When I decided to have the new kitchen I went with a recommendation from my decorator. Father and son team who do all home improvements. They do everything themselves apart from plastering and decorating. They have 2 plasterers they use and my decorator to do the painting. My decorator had used them to put in his new bathroom. So glad I used them.

Why I went with someone who did the lot was because when we had an extension built on our old house. My late husband looked into it cost wise and it was cheaper financially and time wise to have someone who did the lot and projected managed it all.

So they did my kitchen and.shower room . The loft had old insulation out and new in that took day and half alone as previous owners had put down insulation and the boarded. But each one hadn't take up the old . There were 3 layers of insulation and boards . Each insulation a different sort one was granular. Filled a large skip. My bedroom needed walls and ceiling plastered and had 6 new internal doors fitted. Kitchen took 2.5 weeks had that done last autumn. Had to have new ceiling as old one covered with plastic ceiling which I hated. Original ceiling in a shocking state. All the rest of the work took 4 weeks. I moved in with my daughter and family. So glad I did because of the mess but also meant everything could be stripped out of the old shower room and they could just get on with everything. I sealed up the spare bedroom where my bed etc was and everything was covered in plastic first. All carpet had no nonsense carpet protector on not a drop of plaster or paint got onto the carpet. All living room was covered in fabric and plastic dust sheeting. But dust still got through but not much.

Sent to places they get discounts saved thousands on my kitchen , shower room and doors. Tiles and flooring. Sourced my own appliances.

My friend has had an extension build . She only used a builder. Had to get her own electrician, plumber, plasterer, decorator, tiler, flooring guy and kitchen fitter plus sourcing her own appliances. Cost her a fortune. The extension was finished 3 weeks ago. Kitchen being fitted next week. Still hasn't chosen her tiles and flooring yet. I keep asking why. She can't make up her mind.

Once the plan for my kitchen had been drawn up went to show room units etc sorted in 90 mins. Went to tile place tiles picked in 30 mins same at flooring place.
When to bathroom place everything sort in 90 mins. Picked my doors in 30 mins. As you can see I don't hang about. My daughter took me to all the places the only thing I needed help with choosing the work top. I liked the marble effect but didn't go with my kitchen colour she helped me choose. I would never have thought of wood effect but the colour we decided on works perfectly.

All the tradesmen I used have been recommended by my daughter or her in law's as between the 2 of them used most trades.

They didn't know anyone who did paving. There is a gardener who a lot of people in my road use so I asked him if he knew someone. The one I spoke to first was to busy. But the 2nd one came last evening probably can't do the work until February but because what I want doing is straight forward may be able to do it sooner if he finishes another Job early. Going to use second hand flags as I like to recycle as much as I can also will fit in with what's already here. Also he doesn't charge for them. He threw away 60 on Thursday. But as soon as he gets some will bring them here to store ready to be used. He only lives in the next road.

Well think have bored you all enough with my tale of work done. At least I didn't mention my father and son team of roofers dam now I have lol.

Have a good day everyone if you haven't nodded off reading this.

Ellianne he wasn’t interested, so many tradesmen are busy working on all of the new housing estates locally, so finding a good one is very difficult at the moment.

Yes, Oopsadaisy, you'd think he could at least have been able to help you finding workmen for the other jobs.