Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Bonjour. I've got a pile of holiday ironing to get through, we took our own bed linen too. Decided to book Cornwall again in May, felt very chilled down there.
Hope your flooring search goes well Franbern. I think I am going for Amtico in the dining room but haven't decided for the hall.
Beautiful sunny day here after a wet start.

We have ‘men’ in, not actually in, but in the garden, cutting back hedges and putting up what seems like miles of fencing, the chipper is by the window.........
Peaceful it isn’t.
Next week the Carpenter arrives to do lots of outside work.
The portaloo has arrived, so no muddy boots indoors, just copious amounts of tea and coffee being made.
Still no news on our bathroom quote, all trades have had a look except an electrician, I’m trying to be patient!

Lucky you I have my heating on its so cold here today. Spent the morning being chased round a table by a little boy. Then making a castle out of magnetic blocks. Fireman Sam had to rescue a man from the castle then Fireman Sam had an accident and had to go to the hospital. Then I had to read a book to him twice. But it made me laugh. An elephant sat on his car instead of getting into and I don't know why be it made me laugh. A little boy was looking at his nannie with a puzzled expression on his face saying nannie read .

When it was time to leave he insisted on pulling my slippers off and putting them into my bag. Before I even got to where my boots were. Then they brought me home.

Apparently at bedtime he was telling his mom nanny is coming on the bus now. She said no in the morning but he insisted it was now. He is so funny.

Just spent the afternoon cross stitching and watching TV. Bake off tonight should be messy it's chocolate week.

Where is everybody? Am missing our daily chats.
Cannot believe that at the moment I am sitting in my Living Room - patio door wide open and warm sunshine coming in. Makes me feel so bright and cheerful.
How is everybody. Any news from any of you?

Just returned from my usual weekly Sainsbury shop. Store still being totally changed around ready for Xmas stuff. Some aisles have been made narrower to allow more aisles. Noticed that all the Food Bank containers had just been emptied, my offering looked very lonesome in the great big cage!!! . I had to time it a little carefully today, as the lift in the flats was undergoing one of its servicings, and that meant it would not be able to be used for around an hour. Need that when I return home with all shopping in my wheeled trolley.

Interesting (if anyone is interested), the tins of sweets like Roses, Heroes, Quality Street, etc are £5 each at Sainsbury but same ones are just £4 each at Tesco - guess where I go to get mine for Xmas?

I have always resisted home delivery - as, once I had the time, after retirement, actually enjoy my once a week meander round a large supermarket. As I am obviously, becoming part of an increasing minority who do this now, particularly during working hours, these places are becoming emptier and emptier. Lovely for me - but do wonder how many will actually survive over next few years. Weston has Sainsbury, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, Iceland, Asda, M&S Food- all large Supermarkets - can see some of these disappearing as those companies just become large warehouses for home deliveries and get rid of so many of their shop staff.

This week I intend to go to the two large (local) places that do flooring and start making proper enquiries re. my living room and hallway.

I am social creature - and really need a goodly amount of interchange with my fellow beings. Although, I do attend a couple of U3A meetings each week via zoom, it is not the same as actually meeting up with people and I really miss it. Fortunately, I do speak to someone most days (face to face) in the flats - and see my no.2 daughters family a couple of times a week - there is no way I could/would cut down my social interaction any more without causing myself some serious mental health problems. I do enjoy my own company and am content with it - for a lot of, but not all of, the time.

Whatever is going to get and kill me (hopefully, not for a few more years yet - but who knows??), will at least do so following on upon me having been living a full life.

I am not dashing about hither and dither visiting people. I have experience with someone close, in the NW having covid a month ago.

She was an active person, caucasian, 42 and this virus is absolutely dreadful, oh no not in the early stages for many but come a month or more, then the effects on the body start to appear. The virus can go away but it sets in motion a terrible series of events called, simplistically, the cytokine cascade. She is now having treatment for blood clotting, this treatment is unlikely to be effective, blood thinners just don`t work when covid has been the instigator

So, a clot from the leg can get to the lungs and a clot can cause a stroke. this cascade can easily lead to complete organ failure but one organ at a time. I won`t say any more but everyone and I mean everyone needs to take the utmost care not to spread this invisible killer around

I have had my say, her husband is also affected, his breathing, still, after a month

Nothing to do with houses but in a way it is, I feel grateful to be able to cope with the isolation, having a home that envelopes me and makes me feel cosy and big enough to cope with all my crafts. It was a good choice for, to come and live here

Crafty, interesting that you have switched to Sainsbury. I was using Ocado but they really abandoned me in Lockdown so now shop with Iceland which I like very much but they don't do tonic water! But service and price very good.
So need to order occasionally from somewhere else.
Shandy, all the best with your house hunting.
I am thinking about making an out door winter eating area perhaps making an oven out of stones. Difficult to make it cosy this time of year. Easier to stay huddled by my radiator knitting.

Craftyone I have been having Sainsbury's delivery since November 2003 when my husband was terminal. I still have it now I have moved. Always found the driver's polite and friendly. If you have any problems about the quality just phone them and they will automatically refund you the cost of the item. Over the years I have phoned them once about packing fresh chicken in the same bag ( when everything came in bags) with fresh vegetables. They refunded the cost of the whole bag even though I was still able to use everything as all the seals where intact. They must have had some retraining at the store because it never happened again. Couple months ago I had greengrocers courgettes and one was rotten all through and had to cut away a lot but some was useable. I had a refund for the lot. I don't believe in waste so froze what was ok. Last delivery the bleach bottle top hadn't been put on at the factory properly and leaked over all over the contents of the bag. Could see what had happened so that went back with the driver. Warned him not to put his hand in. He said he would warn the store staff.

I know sometimes there are substitutes but never had anything weird in 17 years. Anyway you don't have to have them if you don't want to. Because I don't drive it has always been a life line for me. Been trying to get a friend of mine in the Midlands to use it since I have know her. She drives. She finally did it because of lock down and says she will never go back . She has Iceland and Asda. Don't really understand why she doesn't just get everything from Asda.

Had a lovely time with my grandson. He loves looking at my DMC threads he can get them out but not play with them as I use them. So yesterday I asked if he would like some threads to take home. He was all for it. With my cross stitch magazines there are free kits complete with threads as I will never do all the kits I have him the threads out of 12 of them. He couldn't wait to show his parents. When my craft group met I gave a lot of the cross stitch crazy magazine kits to one of the women who was a brownie leader. They have the chart in there kits Cross stitcher magazine has kits but the chart is part of the magazine.

If I haven't sent you all to sleep with my rambling have a good day everyone.

Returned home from having lovely roast dinner at my daughters. Just not really possible to do this for one, so really enjoyed it.
Do hope that Shandy having a break from here is not also along with her having a break from home hunting. Would be so good if she could get this finalised before end of Stamp Duty holiday.
Hope it is going well for you Spice and that with the better weather you will have more properties to view.
Reading some of the other threads and the sad stories of purchasers pulling out so late, does bring back so many memories.
As we batten down for autumn let us hope that all those people will be be safely moved into their new homes before end of winter.

I fell asleep in my chair at 8pm yesterday, one of those deep sleeps that left me groggy. Maybe it was the warm room

Anyway I have set the stove ready for colder weather, planted garlic and shallots and transplanted violas. Plus I had a lovely cycle ride this morning, could not face steep hills and thorny lanes, so took my electric bike with almost puncture proof tyres. I still work on it, depends what power I use

Enjoy playtime whiff . You will definitely be worn out tonight

I am thinking in general terms only, a small bungalow, if the garden is big enough and location is nice enough, I would add a nice extension or a room and en suite in the loft. Cost would be around 30k and cheap considering the added value. House prices have risen by an average of around 2.5% in the last 12 months, some more, depends if people want to escape there from towns. I think here about 4%. I am glad I bought when I did

I had my first sainsbury delivery and very happy to see that the goodies come from the sainsbury a fair bit away from here, it is far bigger so has better choice. All the fresh stuff was lovely, much better than ocado. I am going to get a slot every 2 weeks if they are available

Shandy sent you a PM. Don't give up looking. Hope you keep reading this thread.

Spice sorry you haven't found your new home yet. But at least you are doing a lot of viewings. How are your feet? Hope you are able to get about ok.

Got playtime with my grandson this afternoon while my daughter and son in law do something. Love being able to help them.

Had a lazy day yesterday. Ended up having 2 naps. Don't know why I was so tired. Only 2 antibiotics to go and finished the course. Hopefully that will do the trick and no more UTIs for a long time.

Sun's out at the moment but the garden is soaked.
Have a good day everyone.

Shandy, it will happen, just a case of when. We had our 15th viewing last week. I agree with what Franbern says about location being the most important thing. It is why many of the homes we have looked at have been rejected.
It is hard, however, when you don't know where you want to be.

Take care and I hope very soon you will have some positive news.

I've been doing a lot of thinking today, and would just like to thank you all, I have really appreciated your support and friendship.

I won't be posting for a while until I have something positive to tell you.

See you all soon, take care

Shandy - sad that one of these has not worked out for you. Only think you are getting by viewing properties in different places is a better idea of exactly what you want. It is out there, somewhere, for you.
Do think that, on the whole, location is one of the most important things, so much can be changed and altered inside a property to suit you.
Hope both you and dog feel much better now and soon other things will become available to view.

Morning all, I'm up late again. I've been taking hayfever tablets at night, rather than the morning, and I'm sure they affect me even though they say non drowsy.

Yesterday was like the three bears - one too small, one too big. Both bungalows were a twenty five minute hike from the town, which I accepted, but there was a bus stop nearby. Buses here aren't great, normally hourly. Both were in excellent condition but neither seemed to be my forever home. I definitely don't want to have to sell again and want to choose wisely. Onwards and upwards!

Enjoy your day

I saw some in a farm shop Franbern but didn't catch the name.
A bit like this.
Maybe look on wayfair.

Yes midgey, like a hotel!

Ellianne, do you know if they have a website?

What bliss Elliane!

The big walk in shower was great this morning, so much more room than the cubicle we had taken out.
Franbern there were beautiful ornamental wall sea creatures in Cornwall. A lot of the art work is in metal or glass there. Bit far to travel!

So pleased it has worked out well, Ellianne, I still get thrilled when i walk into mine. I know the fashion is to have white and grey bathrooms and then add colour with things like towels, etc. However, as mine is very internal, no natural light, nor natural light in the hallway from which it comes, I decided not to do that, but keep it very white and silver. So, white towels, which I already had (bathsheet, bath towel and several hand towels, etc. from my old En-suite) so did not need to purchase any more.
I am looking for a wall decoration = I know what I want - a starfish or a seahorse in white and silver. Cannot find one at present - so it will be something I will keep looking for - one day will see one somewhere, and just buy it then.

Shandy, do let us know how the viewings went yesterday.

Ellianne glad you are happy with the bathroom those barnacles look like something out of Alien.

Back home now and just caught the bathroom fitter as he was leaving. The bathroom looks really good, I can see why those of you who went ahead were so pleased. There is a delay on the mirror, due to a shortage of glass (like plaster!), but I can cope with a week or two of not seeing my face in the morning! We are having the mirror embedded in the tiles so it has to be custom made. I dashed into town and bought some new towels to co ordinate with the tile border. I'll look for some candles tomorrow. Job well done!

I found something really weird looking on the beach at Rock today. They are goose necked barnacles. I'd never heard of them before and nearly had a fit when I googled how much they cost. There were loads of them, I could have made a fortune!

Shandy, just popping in to wish you GOOD LUCK in your two viewings today. Sounds as if you are now coming to the decision to stay near where you are and to go for a bungalow.
Do hope that one of these today, is one you want and we can all see you safely and cosily in your new home within the next couple of months.

Morning all, thank you for all your support and encouragement. Thank you for your inbox messages Whiff, I'll reply later.

The bungalow I was really excited about is due to have 172 houses built in the field adjacent, I've just checked the planning applications. I don't know if I can see this one yet, but drove down there yesterday to have a look, again the estate agents photographs are so different to the reality. Bumped into two women I knew, they said it's a nice place to live. I'm seeing another one nearby at 1.45 pm, with the agent I tried to sell the house with, I'm glad we ended our relationship on good terms or it would have been awkward. With lockdown here being so strict I do think people are waiting to go on the market, I hope to have more choice soon.

Enjoy your day