Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Shandy, it is so nice to hear that you are obviously settling in nicely!

Thanks for the flowers midgey, I've never learnt the emojis on here, it's time I looked!

good, it worked! I haven't settled into the bungalow yet, still having some 'small space problems', but the location is fantastic. I'm walking my dog out of the front door and seeing lots of people, most of whom I know, and I'm saving money on diesel.

I know what you mean Shandy.
I am being ruthless as I go through stuff to put away in our new wardrobes and have filled several bags for the bin, recycling or charity. I thought I'd done this before the move but the smaller space concentrates the mind.
DH and DS keep accusing me of hiding things. They just haven't learned where things "live" yet. Being male they have far more stuff than me!!!

Thank you Shandy & Franfern for your wise words.

Yes patio doors looking out onto the garden is a must for me too.

Do you mind if I ask which county you are looking in Yogi? How many houses have you looked at so far?

I was just running about with the cordless Shark and thought how I used to hate vacuuming with corded Henry - I've just bought myself a Spear and Jackson cordless lawnmower!

I don't know why I still find it difficult mowing the lawn, I can only think it is because it was always my husband's 'job'. At the rental I had external power points to plug the mower into, but don't have them here, and have to thread the extension lead through the window. Somehow I can never get the cable to fit the reel neatly either, cack handed as my late Mum used to say. I'm collecting it from Argos tomorrow, I'm sure the neighbours will be pleased, the dandelions are seeding

Ooh Shandy, can’t wait to hear how you get on with your Shark.

It's now 3 months since our move. After an initial rush to have some alterations and improvements done and arrange for new window coverings things have come to a grinding halt. I seem to have lost any motivation to get on and do more. This is not helped by me having a total knee replacement just over two weeks ago. (my third joint replacement in 18 months) My recovery is going well and there is no reason why I could not get out and about but I simply cannot be bothered. The place looks bare as we need a lot of new furniture and some wall art and so forth. I blame COVID and also the oncoming winter which is approaching fast.

One thing I have achieved is a nice patch of mint in the garden. I bought a pot to sit on the kitchen bench but decided to put it in the garden instead. It has taken off and I love having a mint patch just outside the back door. Just need a lemon tree planted now.

Yogi we rented for 12 months before buying as there was nothing suitable available. I know what you mean when you say you would feel like you were homeless if renting as your accommodation is at the whim of the landlord to an extent. However, it does very much mean that you have time to explore the market and perhaps not rush into something that may be OK but not ideal for you. One thing I did learn in our search was about compromising. We also had our must haves, don't wants and would be nice and knew we would have to compromise somewhere along the way. Don't be afraid to modify your list of must haves etc. In the end our compromise meant that we had to accept more of our don't wants - such as a pool and a bigger than needed house - to get our must haves. I had always thought that it would be our must haves that we compromised on but in the end our must have list was re thought and it really came down to only 3 must haves - single level, larger than normal block of land and somewhere - or room to put somewhere - for OH to house his "toys".

Hang in thereYogi and others looking, it took us 14 months of searching and submitting offers but we got there in the end.

I'm having computer problems. The wifi component stopped working on my ancient laptop so I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new one. Transferring the information from old to new is proving to be rather a challenge.

Had my first COVID injection on Friday. OH was on the clinic waiting list and got a call for the vaccination but he had only had his flu vaccination a few days before so could not have it. I took his spot. I've had absolutely no reaction at all, not even a sore arm at the injection site.

Hello Spice101, how nice to hear your news. Glad your knee op went well, best wishes for your full recovery. I understand about motivation, I need a new sofa, but don't want to visit the sofa shops yet, and need to sit on them first. I'm sitting on the Ikea Ektorp the seller left, seems to be a plank with cushions!

Good to hear from you Spice. Do hope most of the people who started out with the Thread can keep popping back and updating us all. Nice for us who were part of that group, and good for people now going through the heartache of moving.

Oz seems to have done very well with regards to closing borders etc, and keeping infection rates low, but slow in getting out the vaccine. Our NHS really have excelled themselves with this, and most people I meet have now had their second vaccine. Even my AC - three of mys daughtes and SiL's has had two doses, my son is due his second one in a couple of weeks, etc. So, we feel pretty well covered.
Hope that you feel better soon - is winter very severe, normally where you live? We, of course, are just coming into summer although someone forgot to set the weather for this, having had a nearly totally dry April - we have had rain virtually very every day during May. I am still optimistic enough to think this will mean a nice sunny, warm, June - August.
Shandy I am totally in agreement with you regarding cordless vacuum cleaners. Love my GTech which I had as a Chriatmas pressie back in 2018. As I have no need of a lawn mower I gave my nearly new one to my daughter down here, very useful for her as she has just had a new lawn laid in her back garden. Must say this little electric mower is extremely easy to use on a small area.
At last......the rain has stopped and the sun is out, blue sky....must get out onto my patio/bnalcony and enjoy it whilst it lasts.

Morning all

I'm in the UK Shandy South East. Unfortunately I am on a small budget to buy. I have always lived in big nice houses, but lived overseas with my first marriage and didn't get a bean from my ex, not even child support and they were only 3,6 & 9 when he left for pastures new!

Second marriage, again lovely big house by the river, did get half the profit when we split, put a big down payment and an interest only mortgage, with a chunk of money in the bank. My work brought in a small income, self employed, doing what I love, but really a second wage, if see what I mean, but I had decided that I'd rather live my life that way.

So I will now pay off my mortgage, buy a small place outright with some money in the bank. I would like to half my work and then it would be lovely, only getting all my work back from today [which is actually half of what I had before lockdown].

So I have to be really careful what I do now, as if I spend a lot on renting, that will be money out of my retirement pot, I don't have a private pension and have just got the state pension, not the full amount though, as I lived abroad for many years.

When I first got my mortgage I was paying £850 interest only for many years [don't know now how I did it!]. But the interest rate plummeting means I am now paying only £60pm!

Yogi think Shandy was asking which Counties you are looking at - not which Country,

South East is, of course, the most expensive area, although there are definitely areas and counties down there that are considerbly cheaper. Do you have any firm idea as to where you want to live? Suffold and Norfolk are much cheaper, than those areas closer to London. Parts of Kent and Essex also. Herts is expensive, as are those areas in the South, like Sussex - but even then there are some good exceptions. Look along the coast close to Hastings, St. Leonards for good value property.
Do note that when you become entitled to get your State Pension, if it is below the full amount, your could be eligible for Pension Credit to bring it up to that amount Would depend on what savings you have.
Do write your lists - MUST HAVE, PREFERRED, ABSOLUTELY NOT. Although do be prepared to compromise on these. Also think ahead, any property you move into now needs to be /or able to be made future proof. Lots of steps and stairs are not a good idea as we get older, and what is laughably easy at the age of 60 years, becomes difficult at 70 and can present a real problem at 80!!! Same goes for driving, nobody knows how long someone will be able to do so or be able to afford to keep a car. So, close to public transport is important. Shops, medical facilities, etc. are all important to be within easy reach.
When my Brother and Sister in law moved to a beautiful house in a tiny village they told me this would not cause them any problems, they both could drive and, if push came to shove, would get a taxi. When he developed a bad case of gout (preventing him driving), and she started Alzeimers (making it dangerous for her to drive), the realisation dawned how difficult, as well as expensive, it was to try to use taxis all the time, even to get his Sunday newspaper.

Just think it would be better for you to use the three grand you have offered to your purchaser to rent for a short period of time. Would put you in a better position as a purchaser, and also lower your stress levels.

Good luck on whatever you decide Yogi. South East is huge, could you give some vague pointers?

I had to take my dog back to the vets today. Unfortunately the female dogs in season in the houses that now surround me have set his hormones off, he has been whining at the front door first thing in the morning (as well as howling), and has been running up to every dog he saw on the beach. I went to the beach with him on Friday and nearly lost him again, he just ran off to dogs in the distance. Sadly his prostate is still dangerously enlarged. He is booked in tomorrow to be castrated, as well as having an ultrasound to see if there is anything that needs investigating.

Something to consider if anyone is moving with an intact dog from a remote house into a built up area.

Oh poor Shandy doggie, hope he's ok today after his op. how old is he?

Thank you *Franbern for all your advise. I'm staying in this area, just nearer to the sea. I am just a 15min drive to the nearest beach here, when I cut through, but I'd like to be 5mins or even better walking distance, which it was for the place I lost! I have got a big stretch of area I'd be happy with, but when I picked the last place, which was 25mins from my DD, she said Oh mum, I thought you were going to move so you were just 15mins away from me sweet!

I'll pm you both my area.

Hello Yogi, he's twelve and a half which made it so much more serious, although I know anaesthetics are much better nowadays. He's come through it OK and I'm collecting him in an hour, the vet wants to talk to me - he did an ultrasound, I hope it's not bad news. My previous house was remote, there weren't any bitches around us there - or at least not bitches in season. It really has been a shock to me.

Good luck house hunting, I hope your buyers don't pressurise you like my friend.

I've just used my cordless lawnmower, fantastic not to have to rearrange the cable all the time!

Morning

So pleased to hear your doggie got through his op well Shandy

Got an email from my solicitors yesterday giving me the bill for my purchase [house I was buying] pulling out after 6.5mnths £350 making it a total so far of £550 due to their actions!! Wonder if I can go to the small claims court? Doesn't seem right that I have to pay for their actions!

Yogi that seems insult to injury, I do hope things improve rapidly for you.
Shandy I hope your dog is okay today.

Yes Midgey It really does seem wrong that the people pulling out don't get the bills. If there was a penalty for every month they had been in negotiations, they would make their decision quicker I think. To rub salt in the wound, if they had pulled out one month before they did, the next day a property just what I would have gone for, went on the market, but of course sold by the time I saw it

So sorry Yogi, until exchange there is no contractual obligation. It's a lot of money for such disappointment.

My friend is waiting for her seller to complete the chain before she spends any money, I just hope she doesn't have to wait much longer.

Unfortunately, Yogi, YOUR solicitors fees are YOUR responsibilty, even when actions caused by other people mean that nothing is finalised. So, the Small Claims Court, would not be able to assist you, as the Solicitors do have a legal right to charge you for their work.
As has been said so often on here, the whole of the conveyancing law needs a total shake-up.
Shandy hope your chat with the vet was okay, and nothing upsetting for you.
We have a lovely sunny (although rather windy) day here which is lovely as two of my U3A groups have picked today (one morning, one afternoon), to hold a REAL meeting, both in local parks. Been to the one this morning and it was good to actually be able to see and chat to people again, Zoom is fine, but nowhere as good as actually being with people.
The one this afternoon, is particularly exciting, as it is a group that was set up AFTER the first lockdown, so we have NEVER actually met (except via monthly zoom). Be good to see this group, in the flest - in a manner of speaking.

I am completely out of the loop on this thread as I have been without email for 2 months. I hope to gradually catch up.

I have been moved in for 2 months, but still not bought.....I a, renting here in my new home temporarily whilst waiting for my 100% totally useless solicitor to sort out the sale.

The house is good.....it is a new semi with views to die for - the same as those from our cottage when we lived here before, so very nostalgic. The layout is great and I am sitting at the dining table looking out over the view. It is warm and efficient and clean and sparkling new!

I have had my stairlift fitted and it is a real boon. I am awaiting a gardener to install a raised bed for me so I can plant all the plants that I brought with me.

I am basically living on a building site as I was first to move in - the builders are very kind and move their machinery when I need to escape. And they help me with humping stuff about. I wish they would not play their big builders' radios at full blast though!

But that will pass.

I have met the new neighbours - a young couple - and they will be moving in soon. They seem very nice.

Good to see you Luckygirl - no internet for two months would have driven me bonkers! Glad you are having a happy time and feel you have invested wisely.