Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Your dogs are going to have a ball with a third of an acre!

Sorry I've only just seen this.
What a lovely house Spice, I think I would have bought it in a flash! I hope you will be very happy there.

Good Morning all. I should have been well on my way along the M4 by now in my drive to visit, for a few days, my daughter in London/Essex. Instead am sitting at home with nothing to do except put out the rubbish for tomorrows collections.

Upto this morning Xmas has been as usual for me as I was able to spend the last couple of days at the home of my daughter who lives so close to me and is my bubble family, Did see all of my children and g.children on a family zoom on Christmas day.

At least all members of my family are well and I so hope to be able to visit and be visited later on next year.

Hope all regular and occasional visitors to this thread had as reasonably good festive season as they could, and received presents that they like.

I hope everyone here has had a pleasant. Christmas even though quieter than usual.

Evening all, I hope you all had the best time you could over the Christmas weekend, and are now looking forward to the New Year - and spring! Roll on spring, I really dislike these dark nights.

I'd like to wish everyone buying and selling good luck, it's a very difficult and stressful process.

Hoping to hear some positive news from Shandy in the next couple of weeks,

I returned to my normal day and time of supermarket shopping this morning. Have managed to get rid of most of the extra foods for christmas (took them to my daughters - her children will /did devour them happily). So, back to my normal diet and eating pattern now.

Still have the two bottles of wine and two boxes of cherry liquors chocs which were supposed to have been accompanying me yesterday when I was to go to stay for a few days with my daughter in (on edge of) London!!!!

No snow here in WsM, although the pavements have all been gritted.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is looking forward to a brighter new year. No snow here on the coast, in fact we have been on the beach with the dogs every day. We meet up with the grandchildren who don't mind getting soaked in the waves.

Franbern I'd drink those bottles and scoff those the chocolates if I were you in celebration of your move! Both you and I know how bad things are in North East London (Whipps is full) compared with here and I bet you count your blessings daily as we do. We can't be complacent because no doubt the new strain of the virus is on its way here, but as it stands our patch is the only one where cases have fallen. Epping Forest is terrible, so glad our DD got out in that gap between lockdown.

Good luck to those with moves looming in the new year. Enjoy thinking about your new houses.

Morning everyone, hope everyone is warm and well.

I woke up to quite a mild day I thought and took my dog out - but it's all black ice out there, and I've just been hailed on too. Not great on cobbles! My dog has licked a sore spot between his toes so I'm off to the vet at 11 am, they've warned me the car park is an ice rink. I'm really scared of driving in icy conditions, but do have a 4x4, and needs must.

I'd eat those chocs too Franbern! I've got my very first box of Guylian seashells, I always bought them for the kids as they are palm oil free. I'm allowed five a a day ;)

I've just bought two huge suitcases in the Argos sale for my New Zealand trip, and going to pack my clothes in them today for the move. 8 wheel suitcases are a dream, so very easy to just push along. My best friend is going to come too, we will be booking for 2022 as I'll need time to save, it's very expensive. I was going to organise the trip myself, but the fares are half of the tour price - plus I'd enjoy having some company. I'm comparing two travel companies at the moment, tour dates are February - rainy - and May, which is the start of winter. It will be my last long haul trip.

I'm thinking of everyone moving in the next few weeks, good luck!

Enjoy your day whatever you are doing

I'm back in one piece, what a journey through hail and driving rain, so many huge puddles. I went early to get a parking space as it's very limited and it was very slippery, good old yak trax, I do feel safer with them on. My poor dog has a cyst between his toes and I've got antibiotics - plus I need to reduce his food intake, he's put on a whole kilo. He used to do a lot of running around in the station, not possible here because it's so small and I can't play with him in the garden because he barks. Looking forward to the bungalow, it has a small lawn I can manage where we can play football.

Off to the beach in a minute as it's high tide at 2 pm, I don't like these winter tides.

Soon after I put my house on the market last year, one of my neighbours in the house opposite got to her removal date. She was not moving far away, and arranged it all with a 'Man with Van' doing several trips. Ss (at the time) green with envym - I actually cried), but did notice that she had very many of those cheap, large plastic tyoe shoppers which zipped closed at top. She had packed into these all sorts of non-breakable items. I thought what a good idea, and when she came over to say her GoodBye, mentioned them. She offered to let me have some when she had unpacked, and in due course a couple of months later did turn up with half a dozen of these.

They proved very useful, towels in onem, bedding in one. I kept one in which I placed all electric extension leads, and such like. Kept this with me, right up to just before I shut the front door for the last time and that came with me in my car so, was available as things were being moved into place in the flat. These bags usually cost around £1 to £1.50 and I would really recommend that a tenner or so spent on these is really useful. Once unpacked I have been using them to take things to charity shops!!!

Shandy, not sure if you are taking wardrobes with, or if there are fitted ones in the bungalow. I love fitted robes, and only had those in the house, but had to have them built in the flat. I spent £15 on a double rail in Argos, and for those first few months (before I had the wardrobes fitted), they were worth their weight in gold.

Ellianne, difficult with the wine, I am virtually a tea-totaller, as I really do not like the taste of alcohol - and dare not open either of those boxes of chocs, as I would be unable to resist them and it would play havoc with both my diet and my blood sugar. They will all get to my daughter's in due course.

Am getting down to the job now of taking everything out of my living room units, ready for when the flooring is being laid in February. When I moved here, I had packers, so virutally everything in those just came with me, and when I unpacked I did so as quickly as possible. Now, as I sort out each cupboard, etc I am trying to be more choosy and getting rid of things,

With heavy heart I have agreed with my daughter that there really is no point in taking up space with my lovely (for best) eight people setting dinner/tea service. Cannot really even seat eight people comfortably at my dining table. So, very bravely, I intent to pack that all away and have it taken to Charity shop. I have plenty of plates and bowls etc in my kitchen for use.

That's funny Franbern. Decluttering still goes on!

Morning all, another frosty one here. I am so nervous of falling I walk like a penguin

I bought some of the Ikea zip up bags for my linen Franbern, they are good too. I know the bags you mean, normally a check pattern, see lots of them at the airport. They are like Mary Poppin's bag, hold unexpected amounts!

I'm decluttering too. I decluttered all of the bathroom cabinets yesterday, my daughter had left a lot of used toiletries that I can't use, so I've recycled where I could and binned the rest. I'm sorry you can't keep your dinner service Franbern, don't any of the kids want it?

Off to the beach in a while, hopefully I'll get my dog into the waves to help his foot heal. I was shocked he has also put on a kilo, lockdown hasn't done either of our figures any good!

Enjoy your day

So sad - it seems bird flu has hit our garden birds here in the north, there are two dead goldfinches in my neighbour's garden. I rang DEFRA and they are getting calls from all over the UK - she said it is preferable not to feed the birds, but if you have to, do sterilise your feeders very routinely.

Oh that is sad Shandy57.

Morning all, another very hard frost here this morning. Thankfully I've finally found my fingerless gloves, walking the dog will be more bearable now.

My neighbour phoned late last night - apparently birds die through hitting her window, she often finds them. How sad, such beautiful little birds - but I'm glad it's not the avian flu.

So now for the good news - my solicitor has put the paperwork through the door! Luckily moves can still happen in Tier 4.

The vendor wants to complete 'after' 31 January, so I'm going to ask for 1st February onwards. Hopefully she will agree to exchange/complete on the same day. As she didn't chase her solicitor and so many weeks were lost, it's too late for me to give a month's notice on 6th January, and I will have to pay for February so will have a comfortable overlap. I have a good relationship with the landlord, he might release me mid month, when I moved in the young couple were purchasing too and he'd let them go early.

I am pleased she will be leaving the cooker, fridge and dishwasher - she wants £175 for the washing machine, which for ease and speed of sale, I'm going to buy. I am looking forward to unpacking after almost a year of living surrounded by boxes.

Wishing you all a safe and happier new year!

Great end of 2020 for you Shandy with a potential completion date. A bit of an overlap will be good to transfer your stuff and get sorted. Fingers crossed.
Did I read somewhere on GN that this thread was top of the list for supportive threads? I am so glad I found it and feel I have made several friends. I will continue to hang around because our son is now going through the ordeal and I like to keep abreast of movements around the country, and in Australia Spice!.
It's a shame craftyone is no longer on here, but if she is reading this can I say thank you for starting the thread.
Off to the beach in a bit with the dogs. The hotels will all be closing down and the pubs will be taking down their outside structures put up for tonight. Sad, but necessary.

Wishing you all a happy, brighter and successful new year.

Woke to snow this morning.

Just want to wish you all a happy new year. And with this other vaccine hopefully we will all get it in time. But even with it we will still have to carry on the precautions we have been taking this year. It is no time for complacency.

Good news about movers in February.

Stay safe everyone .

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi gyd. A Happy New Year to you all especially the stalwarts of this thread that keep it going.

Good news Shandy to have a date, you can now move forward, I bet it will make you sleep better at night.

Great news Shandy! I do hope you continue to post after you have moved into the bungalow.
We are not moving but I do love this thread and it’s nice to still keep up with Franbern who was a stalwart of the Wanstead meet ups.

OK, I admit to being a NYE wowser. With just an hour and a half until we see the end of 2020 I'm about to head off to bed.
Not an unusual thing for me not to see the NY in but this last week has been particularly harrowing.

Had the high of buying our new home on Wednesday but things went downhill from there. I've been having quite a bit of pain in my unreplaced knee and it became worse. After we came home from Christmas lunch at our son's place the pain became so extreme that DH called an ambulance. I was taken to hospital and admitted for pain management and an orthopaedic assessment. I spent another 2.5 days there. Still not much pain relief but I did have some acupuncture yesterday and it has been a bit more bearable since. I'm hoping it will get better (no or little pain) soon so we can do our move in 6 weeks and then I can see about another spell in hospital for my third replacement in 18 months. I'm still doped up on pain meds.

Happy New Year to everyone.

At last Shandy! Wishing everyone a peaceful and happier new year.

Spice so sorry to learn of of your continuing knee problems. Do hope some sort of on-goiong pain relief can be sorted out for you quickly. You should be so excited now with getting your new home. Best wishes for a pain free-er 2021.

Shandy great news to end this year for you. And a goodly overlap period for you to make the move comfortably. It has been such a long journey for you and good that it is finally coming to a good finale.

To all, the regular contributors (and those who just look in to read) on here. It appears as if we have all managed to get through this dreadful year, and can look forward with some hope to the New year. I still hope that we will be able to have a meet-up sometime next summer.

Happy New Year to all on here, including Craftyone if she is still following the thread. It's nice that it is considered a supportive thread.
Spice, I hope you feel better soon.
Shandy, good that your move should go ahead soon.
Franbern, I do agree that having decluttered before moving we do need to do more once settled.

I still hope that we will be able to have a meet-up sometime next summer.
What a lovely positive thought Franbern.

Pinch and a punch for the first of the month!

I hope everyone has a good New Year's day. I'm just back from the beach, dog has had his breakfast, I've got to go upstairs and pack the bedroom.

I've drafted my letter to my solicitor, signed the contract and TR1, my neighbour witnessed it. Will be ready to put through his door on Sunday night, I'll wait with bated breath to see what date she wants to exchange!

Enjoy your day