Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Honestly Luckygirl, how frustrating, I am very sorry. I'm getting very grumpy and do think people are becoming less intelligent.

I'm confident that our settlement and move will not be adversely affected by this latest lockdown. We did receive a nice congratulations pack from the Estate Agent today. He said they normally give it at settlement but given that we will not be seeing him for that he gave it to us today. Bottle of wine, some biscuits, a pack of pringles (crisps) and a jar of jam all nicely packaged in a gift box.
We met with one of the owners who is really nice and sorted out many of our queries. Unfortunately her husband was not able to be there today but is happy to come at a convenient time and go through other things we need to know. They had booked cleaners to clean tomorrow but they had to cancel due to the lockdown so the poor lady had spent a lot of time cleaning and was most apologetic that it was not being done professionally.

Franbern our vaccination roll out has not yet started. Sounds as though it will commence in a couple of weeks. We will be in the second round which will probably be in early March.

Luckygirl I can understand your frustration with the solicitor. We had similar issues with the one we used when we sold. Still paid them an arm and a leg though, it was enough for us to find someone else this time.
Hope things go smoothly for you and your saga is soon completed.

That was nice Spice101. I was on the ferry in Sydney and offered the steward a crisp - he nearly ripped my head off, and shouted 'chip'! Didn't offer again Glad your questions were half answered today, good the husband will meet with you again.

I'm so bored not going out at all because of the snow, walking the dog up the road is a really miserable experience with the constant traffic and having to hop onto the tiny slippery pavements.

No snow here at all. We had one downfall a couple of weeks ago, but that did not even start to lay. Since then Nothing - much to the disappointment of my youngest g.son here, who has seen pictures of his cousins playing in the snow elsewhere. I have only gone out twice this week, once to Sainsburys in the car, last Monday morning as usual and once on Wednesday afternoon to collect a repeat prescription from pharmacy just down the road. This on my scooter, and would normally have then gone round the park and maybe onto the Promenade - but it was so cold that I came straight back home.

I have, however, attended lots of zoom meetings mainly with U3A groups this week, so have not had any time to get bored.
When we were well on the way through selling (for the fourth time - after so much disappointment) my Solicitor telephoned me and was on the phone for nearly twenty minutes warning me against purchasing this flat as he could not find the garage registered on the land registry. When I said I still wanted to go ahead, he said he would need me to sign a letter saying I was doing so against his advice. My legal para daughter then checked the land registry documents - and found this on there. Flats listed in order in which they were originally purchased, not in number order. So, although I am Flat 3, it was on page 4 of these documents. She also got the estate agent to take her to the flats and had a look in the garage which went with this flat. I never signed any indemnity letter - neit4her did he apologise for causing me even more stress with his totally inaccurate information. I sometimes look back and wonder if he was just trying to get more money for another aborted purchase!!!!!

As I have repeated often, I found the Solicitors an expensive waste as all they actually did was to ask me all the questions for me to do their work for them. Even when I could not find my gas certificate for the boiler that had been put in just a couple of years ago, they just gave me the website where I could purchase a replacement - did not just get this for me. I had to get it, pay for it, print it and then give that to them.
When I queried with my Solicitor the fact that the flat had been sold twice since it was first built he laughed and made comment that 'those rural solicitors just seem to work on hand-shakes....'. As the Solicitor acting for the people selling had their Head Office based in Bristol, seemed to be a strange comment.

It was Solicitors who caused me to lose one sale which was virtually at Exchange. My back garden had a garage at the end, and an access road behind that. Then there was a tall brick wall and on the other side an Esso Garage. This had no effect on us at all, but did give a handy small shop that was open all night. And their security camera for the wall also covered our access road. This garage had been there for very many decades, during which time most of the seven houses alongside of me had been bought and sold on several occasions. However, that Solicitor so scared off my buyer with comments about potential problems of spillage into the ground, etc. etc. that they withdrew having got their mortgage all sorted out. Such a total load of rubbish, and no other Solicitor ever brought this up. This was the time when I actually had removal company at the house giving me quote when withdrawal occurred . Still feel angry that Solicitors can do this and have no comeback on them!!!

Ah.....solicitors.......just do not go there. Groan.

Today I am going over to the new house with my DD in attendance (masked and distanced of course) We are going to measure up to see what will and won't fit in the way of furniture etc. so I can make decisions about what needs getting rid of, what I need to get etc. It will be freezing as heating not fully installed yet.

And then my buyer is coming here to do the same thing. I will have to have doors and windows all open cos of covid - so altogether it is going to be a very very cold day! I have my thermals on!

I hope that the builder will give me plenty of time to look around. I need to be sure I am doing the right thing. It will be the first time I have lived in a semi and do feel a bit nervous about the possibility of large noisy dog or noisy neighbours. The other side of that coin is that I feel quite isolated here and it will be good to have folk around. I hear no real signs of life here except the occasional car going by.

I will be very near the community hall and the school where I am governor - both are just over the road, so I hope it will mean I will feel part of that community once again - when lockdown ends of course. And I have a stack of friends there.

Decisions.....decisions........very difficult weighing all this up on my own.

That’s where a DD can be so helpful. Resist the urge to take too much - feeling you have space rather than having to navigate round the furniture is worth the self discipline involved in parting with old friends, as it were, and you only have to consider your own wishes. Good luck.

Icy snow today, it's frozen solid! I put a ping pong ball in the birds water, supposed to keep the water moving so it won't freeze, but it was still frozen. So glad I'm in this warm rented cottage, first winter in twenty years where the temperature isn't colder inside!

Sorry you've had annoying memories today Franbern, it does seem to be the luck of the draw doesn't it. I didn't expect my neighbour to volunteer to do my probate, I'll be forever grateful for the way he managed to sort it all so quickly. I had to give my daughter everything I had before probate was granted, she was going to do a year out at Uni in Canada and needed proof of funds to support herself for the whole year.

Luckygirl I do empathise with your fears, moving into this semi detached cottage after my remote house, I was full of trepidation. I knew there were two dogs next door but they are silent, and the semi stray cat hasn't caused my cat any problems. My dog does alert me to noise outside, normally people putting their bin ready for the morning. My son lives in a rented terrace and said he enjoys living amongst people, he described it as a 'bee hive'. I think living alone amongst people is preferable, will just taking some getting used to. Good luck with your viewing, I hope your preferred pieces of furniture will fit.

I've just had my card declined three times trying to set up my mail redirection, I hope it's not a sign! I rang the bank and they have no record of it, the money is there. I can't see what I've done wrong. Will try again tomorrow.

Enjoy your day.

I find living in flats really lovely. Built of thick Weston brick, never have any noise from neighbours either at side (one side only) or above. In summer, when windows are open get some traffic noise from nearby main road. But, is pleasant to know that there are so many other people around me.

Been measuring up today and the house looks lovely - especially the views which are almost the same as when we lived in the village before for 25 years - so hopefully if all goes well, I will feel at home. Builder had put on the central heating for us and it was very cosy.

My buyer came here on a similar mission and there are some things that he is going to have, so less for me to try and get rid of.

I hardly dare build up my hopes, but this is the closest it has got in all 5 "sales." Fingers very much crossed.

We will all keep everything crossed until you are safely installed, Luckygirl. Nobody deserves it more than you.

Luckygirl fingers and toes, etc all crossed for you. This is going to be your successful time, and you will look back and realise how well it has finally turned out for you. When is your actual completion date?

Everything here is crossed for you Lucky.

DD1 has a moving date for the end of the month and rang last night to arrange an exchange of dining tables. Hers is small and round, ours is a large extendable rectangle. She is going to use ours to see how big a table she will eventually buy as it is over 35 years old and is the height of 80s chic.
I need to buy new chairs as she is keeping hers and ours are on their last legs. She is probably also taking a sofa bed for her new conservatory.
She will be sending DSiL and DGS in a lorry to drop off and pick up on the 25th, the first time I would've seen them in the flesh this year.

Our fingers are crossed that we are given a moving date this week so that I can begin more than window shopping.

Great news Luckygirl, fingers crossed for you, so glad you liked it.

Glad your daughter has a date Pittcity, I hope you hear yours very soon. I've still not had the 4 March as exchange confirmed, I just have my completion date of 11th March. I had to leave my kitchen table behind as I couldn't manage to get the legs off, but I've got the chairs! Would have been too big for the bungalow anyway. Enjoy your reunion, I haven't seen my son since August.

Can I please ask any of you who arranged mail redirection, did your organise it for the day of completion?

Thanks for all the crossed body parts!

It sounds as though others are beginning to make progress too.

Planned/hoped for date of move is March 26rh.

My DD is loving her new house , but has had to shed even more furniture! Her lovely dressing table was snapped up and a box of out of date , but loved , toys has been in the garage since the move , they used to have a music/play room , but now the piano is in the living room!

Shandy I did ask for my mail to be re-directed from the date of moving. I knew that should any mail come to my old house after that date, then my old neighbours would have contacted me.
Would you be able leave a note in the rented property with your new address so that you could be contacted if need be ?
I only took out the 6 month option and did not have any slip ups in that time.
My daughter printed out my new address and new telephone No. (Talk Talk's insistence) on to cards, which I posted to my various friends and family
I did have a lot of mail for people who had lived there previously which I took to the local sorting office for them to sort out.

Luckygirl* and Pittcity great that you have a date to work toward, fingers crossed everything goes well and smoothly and before too long you will be relaxing in your new homes.
Aggie good to hear your daughter is pleased with her new home. It doesn't seem to matter how many things you get rid of there is always more to go.

Shandy your time is not far away how good it will be to have your saga come to an end.

Oh it really does sound as if things are beginning to move! Fingers are definitely crossed all round! It can be helpful to leave a few sticky labels with your new address on so new people can just repost anything that arrives.

Thank you for the redirection tips, I'll have another go at doing it tomorrow, so peculiar it declined my card three times. The couple taking over seemed very pleasant, I will leave my forwarding address with them too, think I've got some sticky labels somewhere.

Just been out to feed the birds again and the snow on the lawn has frozen solid, I've just had a short football game with my dog, he needs so much stimulation.

Afternoon all, so frustrated with Royal Mail website. Got through the redirection process again to payment, and this time it's saying they 'couldn't perform the necessary security checks'.

I had my re-direction from date of removal for six months. Previous time I did it for a year, but it has increased greatly in price. Felt that within six months I should have had a enough re-directions to find out who I had failed to inform/or whom had ignored my move notice. Friends and family were informed by email. Worked very well for me.

I am now all set up in my bed/sitter. Fortunate that I do have a large main bedroom here. So room in it to put a non-electric recliner armchair and footstall, my side table, etc. My Living room tv has been set up in bedroom, along with Humax. Does look very big in here, as I am sitting so much closer to it. Amazing how well it has all fitted in. I am quite comfortable and cosy. My Son in Law has also successfully turned my main bedroom light into Alexa controlled, which also helps to make life a lot easier.
So, now just to wait for tomorrow morning for the two technicians to arrive and hope the furniture I have had leave in living room is okay for them to move around. Putting out loads of biscuits for them along with their tea and coffee, etc.

Fantastic, I hope it all goes well tomorrow Franbern. An Alexa controlled main light? I thought it was exciting have a touch lamp!

Yes -previously, I would have to go from my Living room to switch on overhead bedroom light - then go back to Living room to turn off lights there. Then go round my bed to switch on bedside light. Need an office type with long arm so that it shone on my book, etc. when I had the back of my electric bed in sitting up position. Then back to main switch to turn off overhead light. Other problem with that office. bedside light was that the only lamp it could take was rather old fashioned and got very warm and in summer I could feel it throwing out heat and that made it uncomfortable.

Now I can switch on overhead light in bedroom from wherever I am in flat (oreven whenI am not here via my phone). Have lots of different types of light setting, cool, white, daylight, warm, etc. and dim down to very low. Absolutely excellent. As this is situated on the ceiling over my bed, it is ideal as a reading lamp and just a quick verbal command gets it turning on and off, etc. Do love modern technology.

I need to start learning about Alexa, I've always avoided it, not sure why. I go upstairs to put my electric blanket and bedside lamp on about 7 pm, so I can walk into a lit bedroom. And I've got one of those plug in lights on the landing that comes on in the dark. I'm living in the stone ages! Love what you have done Franbern, the twenty first century is in action in WSM!

My daughter turns her electric blanket on via Alexa, if she is not at home, but on her way there. can still do that through her 'phone. Shandy, not sure if I would have all these techno things if I did not have my Son in Law here who is more than happy to set them all up for me. Like driving - I can USE these things, but have no idea as to how they work.
Sitting, eating brekkie, all dressed waiting for the Technicians to arrive!!! Once I have met them, and settled them in with appropriate instructions, etc. I am off to my daughters house for the day.