Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

A good example of why your decision not to uproot yourself was so wise, Shandy. Sounds like a lovely encounter. Glad the dog is better - one thing less for you to worry about.

Shandy you are the glue that binds this thread together at the moment. Keep being positive.

Shandy glad your dog is better. How long will it be before you get the report following the survey? When mind was done it was emailed the same day. Pages of it. I read it through 3 times and made notes. I phoned the surveyor the next day and he answered all my queries. I asked for a paper copy . I had it the next day. I don't have a printer. I read through it again to make sure I didn't have any more queries. I hope there will only be a few 2's mostly 1's and no 3's on your report.

Spice hope the second viewing is success.

Very cold here but sunshine. Have a good day everyone.

Oh Shandy what fun to start thinking of planning your garden!

Elliane. I'm sorry that I have not replied sooner to your question. Yes, I do mean the lack of sunshine because a north facing plot will not have much of it during the winter.
I live on the coast in S.West Wales which gets a lot of rain, that together with the lack of sunshine causes things to go green. I find that garden slabs can be kept "clean" by throwing a mixture of water and bleach on to them weekly, but it would be difficult to treat gravel in the same way.
I had this problem in my previous house so did not want to go down that road again.

Whiff, I waited a week for the station survey, but that was a lot larger. I'll let you know as soon as I receive it, fingers crossed no 3's.

Have you got a printer now? I bought an HP £37 cheapie as our large one with a scanner broke - I wish I'd spent more and got one with a flatbed scanner again. Luckily I can photograph things like my driving licence, upload the photo to my laptop, and then print out. Renting the cottage was a printing out nightmare, they wanted copies of my bank statements, passport, driving licence etc. Then the auction sale, and now the sale - I had to print out all of the solicitor's documents.

Looking forward to what you think Spice, hope it has most of your 'must haves' and some of your 'nice to haves'.

Thank you for that maytime2. Very helpful. I too live on the coast, white might not be a good idea.
I have a worse problem though, I forgot my cats would use the gravel or indeed slate chippings as a lavatory!
Back to the drawing board, round 3.

Shandy did have a printer when my husband was alive but it broke never saw the point of replacing it. My daughter has one and a scanner so I can always use theirs.

I had lots of fun planning my garden still a work in progress. Made mistakes but I a novice gardener. If anyone wants a highly scented rose Gertrude Jekyll is a must. Had it as a bare root plant earlier in the year it has flowered 4 times.

Had my Christmas card for my grandson come today from not on the high street. It came with 2 free post cards . After the day I had yesterday they cheered me up. One says " you are loved" and the other " when you can't find the sunshine be the sunshine" . Words to end this post on.

We had the second viewing yesterday. We are still very keen although it does mean I compromise on my biggest issue - steps-. OH says we can work out a lift system to overcome that.
There is a lot of interest in the property and I think we will have to pay considerably more than the asking price to secure it. The property would be great for tradespeople who want to work from home as it provides excellent workshop facilities. I suspect that is where most of the competition will come from
We cannot do anything until the necessary paperwork is available and when we have that we will have it checked by or conveyancer and if all is good will put in an offer.

Our COVID results are really encouraging. Victoria, after our severe lockdown and restrictions (some of which we are still living with) we have now recorded 9 days straight without any new infections or deaths.

I found my cookbooks among the still unpacked boxes and today is the day to make my Christmas cake after having the fruit soaking in brandy for several days.

Whiff another rose with a great perfume is Blue Moon.

To all of those with pets that are not well I hope they are now on the mend.

Spice that sounds encouraging. Hope it works out for you.

Morning all, post fireworks smoky/misty here this morning. Eerily quiet too, the birds aren't singing.

Very exciting Spice101, fingers crossed for you - although I am sorry you will have to enter into sealed bids. I was unsure how much 'extra' to offer to secure my bungalow, but the EA said 'could you offer a few thousand more' - so I offered 1%, rather than 'picking a number'. The extra £2,350 is around the amount I will save on the stamp duty holiday, if we do manage to complete by March 31st. If we don't, I'll just have less to live on in 2021. When I exchange I will post the link for you all to see, don't want to jinx it.

So, another Sunday. I do miss cooking the big Sunday lunches, I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen on Sundays. My husband would be at golf and the kids would be doing homework (I think - I wonder if they were on their gameboys now!). I generally just miss the buzz of family life and being 'needed'.

Whiff, I'm tidying up the garden again today - I started on it yesterday and somehow lost the secateurs. We have horribly huge brambles here and I was chopping them up into tiny pieces and putting them into the wild weedy nettled area over my fence - I suspect I dropped them somehow. Been through it all with the rake, I think a squirrel has stolen them and buried them somewhere!

Enjoy your day

Shandy love the picture you paint of a squirrel running off and burying your secataurs . Made me smile. If all goes well with the survey you should be in your bungalow long before March.

Shandy you losing the secateurs reminds me of the time I lost the key to the shed in my previous house. I had dropped it on the lawn somewhere and I started to panic because all my garden stuff such as watering can and lawn mower could not be got at. This was in the middle of Summer so garden tools were needed almost on a daily basis.
Told a friend of mine in passing what had happened and she sent her husband down with his metal detector. Thank goodness the key was quickly found.
I'm sure you could do with a metal detector at the moment.
I hope you found the secateurs soon as good ones can be expensive to replace.

Exciting times Spice it would be lovely if you got the property.
Our shed key is on a big cork key ring the type they use on boats. We bought it years ago because we had a key to unlock the gate to the pool and didn't want to drop it in the water! That was 17 years ago. Hope the secateurs turn up Shandy.

Elliane surely you remember that the secateurs will only turn up when Shandy doesn’t need them!

Hey, guess where the squirrel put the secateurs?

Safe out of the rain in the wall mounted letterbox, that I leave open for fat parcels! I remember closing them and thinking I should dry them, but it's a blank after that. So glad I don't have to ask permission to search the neighbour's garden!

I've just bumped into someone in the village who also wanted the bungalow.

She congratulated me heartily, then said, 'I hope you can find the source of the damp'. I thought she was joking at first, but she wasn't. Seems she thought the smell 'very strong near the chimney breast' - although her boyfriend didn't notice it. Ha ha, I'm a damp pro after living with my plaster falling off every time a train went past, nothing can be as bad as that! Let's hope my surveyor's nose is as sensitive

Shandy- might just be sour ?. If the damp was so bad why did she want the bungalow?

Glad you found your secateurs Shandy it is so frustrating when you put things down and cannot remember where.

Christmas cake didn't get made yesterday as, having found he recipe, I realised I've no idea where the tin is.

Yes Ellianne we are at an exciting time of the house buying process but it is also very stressful and I'm sure my blood pressure is suffering.

Day 10 of zero covid cases or deaths, just need to get rid of the masks before the hot weather comes along - although it is here today and tomorrow.

Good news for me is that the hydrotherapy pool opens later this week. Only 20 people at a time are permitted but I have booked in for my first session in 8 months on Friday. Life is slowly getting back to normal.

Shandy don't take any notice of that woman. Also how does she know your offer was accepted? That information is private.

Hope you find your tin Spice. Great news about the pool. You will soon feel like a new woman.

Found my tin Whiff, cake now cooling on the bench and a most glorious smell is wafting through the house.

Sounds lovely Spice. Do you marzipan and ice it? My husband loved Christmas cake he was the only one. But still made it every year for him. Marzipaned and iced. I always decorated a different way every year.

My friend in the Midlands is in isolation for 2 weeks as one of the workmen at her home on the 28th has tested positive for Covid. All the others are negative. The builder phoned her on Saturday. She was supposed to be having the flooring put down today but will have it done in 2 weeks. She had kept her distance from the workmen and feels fine.

Having my mammogram this morning. Not worried as it's a routine one. I believe if you are offered a test you should take it. It's better to be safe than sorry. Things are always better if caught early. My cheeky brother did say they will need a finders fee as lossing the weight my boobs are a lot smaller. They weren't that big to start. Classic pear shape.

Do you know what time the survey is being done Shandy?

Have a good day everyone.

Morning all, woken by a chain saw and chipper across the road. My neighbour came down as she was concerned, the electricity board have a right to come onto her land without notice if any trees are affecting the power line.

Glad you found your tin Spice101, glad you enjoyed making your cake. Fingers crossed for your survey of your intended property.

Sorry your friend was exposed to Covid Whiff, I hope she stays well. I can't remember the last time I had a mammogram, think it was 2017. Bungalow survey is tomorrow afternoon, I don't know what time.

I met and befriended the woman who made the comment when we moved here 20 years ago, she gradually revealed certain behaviours that made me withdraw from her company - mainly drink driving with her kids in the car.

Enjoy your day whatever you are doing

Saínsbury totally back to normal Monday morning, after last week,. As I expected. Still shifting everything around, think they are nearly there. Myself plus one member of staff had to find some salad - think the place it has been put is just temporary.
It will be very lovely when they have finished their total re-organisation of aisles, and then can get back to having information above them.
Also filled car up with petrol whilst I was there. Think this is only about the fourth or fifth time this year I have needed to do that.
Yesterday I finally washed down the paintwork in the spare bedroom, ready to start painting in there later this week, I had, originally allocated this job of re-decorating that room for January and February (always like to have an inside project for those month). However, I will now be spending the first five weeks of the new year packing up everything in my units and cupboards in my Living room and hallway, ready for furniture to be emptied out and some of it moved out for the new flooring to be laid. So, thought I had better try to get this decorating job done by Christmas. It is only painting - so not difficult.
Hope survey goes well, Shandy - do not worry about that snide remark about damp - how low will some people sink? Good Luck with your offer, Spice.