Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

ha ha Franbern I'm not looking forward to the second portion of the stew tonight I must say I am disappointed in Aldi salads, I got mine out for lunch and it was all slimy. Was dated 21st though!

karmalady I always keep the toilet spotless after the incident with the 'drying machine' man. I think I did post that he unexpectedly said 'I'm going to the toilet' and I was too shocked to stop him. I'd arrived home with my dog and his dirty back end minutes before he arrived, and had used wipes and just thrown them in the open waste bin. I'm sure he thought they were mine! I'm always ready now!

shandy I hate housework too and admit to being selectively blind. Doing it today was energising but I think it was the sun giving me the oomph

When I was sorting out my large 'cleaner cupboard' few months back, I found two packs of those green bags which are supposed to preserve fresh fruit and veg. So, I tried them out with my salad stuff in my fridge and also apples, etc.

Must say, I have been left unimpressed. DO not think they have made any difference. I purchase all sorts of fresh salad items weekly when I do my shop. Most evenings my main meal consists of salad, so this all lasts me the week. I have found that if I take all of this out of the plastic 'pillowcases' type things they last much longer. Lettuce, spinach are kept in boxes, lined with paper towels, cucumber wrapped in paper towels, tomatoes kept on the vine, etc.etc. I keep small eating apples in the fridge, unwrapped. They do last very well in there.

I have a very small under-the counter freezer. Keep a good amount of purchased veg in there, and some chicken and fist. No room for anything else, so batch cooking is not for me. Mind you, when I had an enormous freezer at the house, I would freeze a lot in portion size containers - then either forget about them , or not bother. Ended up throwing more food away then than I do now when I just cook each day for what I am having each day. By using my combi-microwave, compact soup maker, etc. I am not using a lot of fuel to do this. And, I find that I more likely to be a little more adventurous than if I had meals already in the freezer.

Just coming on to say good luck Nana3, I hope the builder's visit goes well tonight

First lovely warm and sunny dog walk, it's 51F today. Had to find my skechers but they've deteriorated through washing, I need a new pair. Another dog walker friend has tested positive, thankfully we shouted across the road to each other yesterday!

Housework is good exercise karmalady, I hate doing it but it does make you bend and stretch.

I did a 'bulk bake' last night, a huge vegan shepherd's pie, three portions in the freezer. I haven't peeled a vegetable since I moved in, couldn't find the peeler at first! I want to replace the wobbly shed and get one with electrics so I can have a chest freezer. This freezer has small drawers - a loaf fills it. I meant to tell you I tried to store some apples in a 'lakeland' dark bag - I wrapped them in paper first, and put the bag under the sink. I've got six small brown wizened balls!

Housework is such good exercise and I find it is better to look upon it as exercise rather than a chore. I have done a fair bit this morning, bottoming two rooms and cleaning and creaming two leather chairs. I am definitely resting right now, having been on my feet for a couple of hours, moving this and that and the side to side wiggle when polishing. I also did a bit of lifting and carrying in the garden, pumped up my tyres and therein I have muscle building as well as flexibility

I had a voucher today via e mail so have made an order to restore the meat in my freezer drawer. As always I do portion and vac pack everything, so it lasts a long time in the freezer. I am a very big fan of bulk cooking right now and will prep ready meals with most. I think I have a dozen already prepped, so will leave bulk cooking for a couple of weeks.

I cycled yesterday, third time in 5 days and it was definitely easier, I dread the first `big` hills on each ride but they are necessary for me to keep strong and as fit as possible wrt my age. Muscles protect bones and joints and we can still muscle-build as we get older.

A few years ago, I found that each winter I would get through the bad cold months and then, in April, go down with a very bad cold - not quite 'flu but just short of that.

So, during March, I would get everything ready for that time Plenty or paracetamol, different flavour squashes, etc. etc. When it came, would just spend the two or three really bad days, in bed with everything to hand. Even small electric kettle for hot water drinks. TBH, when I am feeling that bad, I am happier being by myself and not having to have people asking me how I feel.

In my flat,everything is so easy to get to as kitchen is directly opposite to my bedroom - just a walk or stagger across the hallway. Yes, this current virus is circulating around everywhere, would prefer NOT to get it , but if I do, I can manage for those few days. I am, most definitely, not stopping attending the different groups I go to.
Just home from a fascinating one today - on environmental issues. Excellent speaker, good workshop, AND curry supplied for our lunch.

yes me too shandy, I don`t want to get it either. Trouble is that many are asymtomatic and are out and about as are those who tested +ve and couldn`t care twopence about anyone else. Symptoms are very varied, my son had it, after the 3 jabs and he said it was horrible, worse than a bad cold. Long covid worries me too. If it is bad enough to stay in bed, then who on earth looks after us, no-one. Having to stumble about to get drinks and paracetamol to take back to bed. Shivery, aching, bad head, doesn`t bear thinking about. Bad enough when you have someone to give tlc. I admit to trying to avoid it, similar to being in lockdown. Won`t be for more than a few weeks, it will sweep through uk and then we will be at epidemic stage and we will have good herd immunity

Oh dear karmalady, I am worried I might get it.

Two years since we had first lockdown, I remember the auction house phoning me on 22 March to say the auction would be on line. Thinking about it I should have negotiated a reduction in the fees considering I wasn't benefiting from the 'in room' competition.

Just going to give the front lawn it's first cut, I don't know why I dislike doing it so much. The back lawn is ruined after the roof etc was on it for so many weeks, still yellow and flat.

covid is rampant, just met another two neighbours who feel poorly, not tested yet, was outside. Also a whole family nearby, also a man of 83 and now my son in law. I am still going to their house to drop a few things today, keeping my distance, not going in and no hugs. I am abandoning my planned supermarket shopping on the way back. Will manage on what I have in

Sorry to bring back a bad memory Franbern!

Hmm...that environmental search.........The side of the Close on which mine plus seven other houses were built had a driveway between houses 4 & 5, and then driveway at the back of each of our gardens. Then there was a wall, and the other side of that was an Esso Petrol station. This had been there for about 40 - 50, years, during which time, each of our eight houses had been bought and sold on several occasions. On one side of that petrol station had been a pub, and was then extended and changed into a Care Home. The other side had been a bungalow, which had been bought, demolished and eight flats built there, finally finished in 2019.

So, I assume that all environmental searches for all of these came back clear - all the land had originally (back up to early part of 20th century - had been farmland. I was, therefore, rather astonished when the reason my first buyers pulled out so late was that their Solicitor had expressed his 'concern' that the petrol station might have ;spillage' which would contanimate our back garden. The purchasers wanted to use that garden for vegetable growing and said they could not take the risk. This was such total rubbish. No such spillage had ever been reported, not sure how it could even happen. All searches for all the buildings in the area being sold, including the new flats which actually adjoined the petrol station had all come back totally clear. Just another case of a Solicitor more concerned about covering their own backs, without any good reason to be concerned.

I'm going to ring tomorrow Whiff. I've just been researching and the environmental search is mainly to establish if the land is contaminated.

They have a new search available now to see if HS2 will affect your property - I'd definitely pay for that if I was buying anywhere near the route.

Shandy you paid for the searches so ask for the full report. And check your solicitor hasn't held any other documents back that you should have.

Thanks - I've finally found my file, and I don't have the actual searches, my solicitor has just summarised the results in his letter to me. There is no mention of an Environmental search. I'll email him tomorrow.

Yes, I have all the searches for my flats - radon (fine), This does tell me that I am in a 'flood area'. Mind you, so did the one on my house back in 2003. In fact think there are few places in England which are not Flood areas at present!!!

Mind you if sea levels rise as predicted, then the whole of WsM will be under water by the end of the century!!! Long, long after I will be long gone.

I am amazed at what Solicitors seem to want to know. Our block of flats have two roads, one each side, which are unadopted. They have been 'in situ' for a long time, before there was any real building here. I have documents from way back (early 19th century), showing them as a right of way - but some Solicitors do get worried about these. The right of way has NEVER EVER been questioned, at any time, by anyone. Then, of course, they then question that there are no maps of water pipes, etc. and I often have to point out to them, that of course there are not....as local authority maps do not show anything under private roads. Solicitors know this, but often their conveyancing clerks do not.

Still, providing all this information to them just helps our Management Committee get some money in our bank account.!!!

These are the main searches

www.coseyhomes.co.uk/news/searches-buying-house/

shandy yes, I have my searches in a file. They picked up on low radon risk and I was assured that there was a radon membrane beneath the house. This development is built on a quarry, hence my footings are 12 feet deep. I saw them build footings on another property, they had to dig down to solid rock

Shandy you should have had your searches on your bungalow when you had the contents etc documents. I had one that had been done by Groundsure which showed it had passed on contaminated land,flood risk ,ground stability , radon etc. Had loads of documents about the bungalow . Including HM land registry map of my property.

karmalady I meant to ask, do we get our searches? I've got my purchase paperwork buried under lots of boxes. I don't remember seeing the results of the searches for my purchase, only the searches for my sale.

Sorry it's so tiny, not sure what I've done but I'm heading for Morrisons!

There is a great petrol prices app I've been using,

www.petrolprices.com/

Such a difference in price between our local garages.

I see that fuel has gone up again, now £100 to fill up a family car. Makes me very glad that I was fortunate and lucky, in making the right choice, to be within walking/cycling/public transport distance of everything essential and also within walking distance of rural. I am popping in to see dd and family tomorrow after school, just a short visit to deliver some more downsized things that she wanted. Trying to keep car journeys down, while I come to terms with increased everything

Do you remember the Home Boyers Packs, that were trialled back in the 1990's? A very expensive trial for house sellers. Shandy's comment about having a survey done for would-be purchasers reminded me of this.

How extensive (and expensive) would you want that survey to be? As it is the one that you had, Shandy, totally failed to pick up such important item as Dry Rot, etc. As I said, the only time I had one - back in 2003 - it was totally useless as it seemed to spend more paper with disclaimers and apart from telling me that I was not to permit any trees to be planted nearby(!), and there could be a future problem as some air holes had been covered by fancy step outside the patio doors (which I could see perfectly well myself and had noted), it was not worth the paper it was written on.

Mind you, I will not be around when this flat is sold!!! That will be after my demise. All I can (and am) doing is ensuring that every piece of paper\certificate relating to any work I have done here is kept with my deeds.

Glorious weather here this weekend, coldish in morning (and at night), but during the day windows have been opened including Patio Doors and warm sunshine streaming into my Living Room through these. Wonderful!!!!

Glad you street coffee morning went well, Shandy, hope they can continue as DEF have long needed / and continues to need so much support for their work in war stricken areas like Syria, Lebanon, Palestine. If there anything good can come out of this tragedy in Ukraine it is, maybe, to make people in UK more aware of these war crimes continuing, in so many countries, too many of them with British supplied bombs raining down on peoples homes.

Evening all, I hope you've enjoyed this sunny Saturday.

Thank you for the link karmalady - not my exact area, but very interesting that there is an 'unnamed burn'. There are so many in the area - especially the one that floods and cuts me off from the main town when we've had very heavy rain.

I am determined to find out about the wet under the bungalow one way or another. I helped at a coffee morning/street party up the road, same side as me, this morning and when they bought the house the owner had installed a huge 'drain' in the garden. They didn't like it as it was ugly and removed it - their grass is now permanently wet. We made an amazing amount of money for DEC. It was nice being with people doing something positive.

I agree that the house selling procedure in England needs to change, it's almost like an auction nowadays with all this gazumping going on. There are several upset people on MSE. I don't know why the Scottish system failed when they trialled it here.

If I ever do sell this bungalow, I would have a survey done and allow viewers to read it. I did have a survey done at the station for my own use and knew what needed to be done, but it wouldn't have cost as much as the buyer's surveyor had quoted.

That was in australia