Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year. ?

Thanks Franbern, I'm sitting on the bed watching Netflix and listening to the drumming of water coming in, we've got rain again!

To add to my misery the handbrake on my car isn't holding completely. I'm nervous to leave it on the sloping drive just in gear, so I've got to park on the road until I can get it sorted.

I checked the customer portal again this morning and I'd missed a message saying 'settlement should be in your bank in five days' - so doubtful I'll see it this side of Christmas. I will transfer it all to one of my empty savings accounts so I can see where it is all going.

So sorry about your Dad's things, what cheeky neighbours. When my Mum died my SIL invited my Dad, and my aunt and uncle to 'choose' what they'd like from my Mum's things. My aunt chose two dragon ornaments (my Mum was welsh) - apparently saying she'd be giving one away as a thank you gift!

My dog's paw seems to be improving but it is hurting him, it's such a big wound. He did go in the sea a few times this morning, hopefully the sea water will progress his healing.

Morrisons are doing special chocolate orange ice cream - two jammed into the tiny freezer here!

Glad you no longer have to see the damaged roof and that it has all be taken away. Forget about the gate post, just get a new one at a future. Has the money come through from the Insurance company yet? Do ring fence i t carefully. You can guarantee that when you do get the building work and purchase new carpet/furniture, etc. it will cost more than you expected.

When my Dad died, I sorted out much in his flat, put aside a few things that I thought I might use - but needed someone with a van to pick!!!!these up. Then left a note for his neighbours to take anything left. I did leave the items I wanted carefully separate and marked - but when I went back a couple of days later, they had all gone also.

Hope doggies paw is improving and you have a goodly supply of chocolate ice cream.

Morning all, I was woken up at 8 am by crashing and banging outside - the rubbish collection people were here. Just two slight looking men, but they bashed and bent the roof until it was in manageable pieces and it's gone, along with the sofa and carpet - and unfortunately the gate panel, which fell off the other day and I thought I'd put it safely out of the way

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and healthy New Year, I'll be glad to see the back of this one!

Cheers!

Thanks midgey, I might get a bottle of Baileys now you've mentioned it, I keep giving it away as gifts! I do have a very sweet tooth - evidenced by the loss of my wisdom teeth!

Not water beetles unfortunately Franbern, the wood boring type that my horrible buyer drove me crackers over as I knew mine were long dead.

As for my cash settlement, I've just been back onto the portal and I had to edit the bank details, they were wrong on the sofa and carpet settlement page. When I accepted that payment it seemed to trigger the larger roof payment, I hadn't been given the option of entering my payment details on that. Fingers crossed entering my details on the one worked for both and it will arrive in my account in the next 48 hours.

Sorry your plans have to change Franbern, I really didn't expect this Christmas to be affected. I felt so sorry Christmas 2019 for the people stuck in their rooms on the cruise liner. Thanks for the LFT reminder, I must do one before I meet my son at the beach with a winter picnic. I'm wracking my brains on what to take to eat and have only got as far as tomato soup and his favourite 'french fancies'! Doesn't like mince pies or christmas cake. If it's freezing we can sit in the car with the windows open.

My surveyor popped round to see if he could make the roof completely watertight today, but as it is such a large hole the water pools on the plastic like a marquee, I think I'll just have to continue bailing the room out. The drying machine man is coming tomorrow to take it away, now I've accepted the cash I'll have to make my own arrangements before the ceiling can be rebuilt.

Wish I had something fun to tell you all!

Shandy hope the payment arrives safely in your account, and then can arrange for the work to commence in the New Year. Think the six grand for the wet/dry rot is a little breathtaking. BUT, once done you will have a very long guarantee for that work. I did a few months temporary work for such a company typing up the reports and quotes - but that was well over fifty years ago. Did you mention beetles? Would that be water beetles (horrible big black ones). The first house we purchased when we married had these. Turned out that the whole row of houses had (back in Victorian times) been built over a local stream and had no foundations. These were horrific to see, BUT we were told carried absolutely no risk whatsoever to us. When we moved, some big strong furniture removal men almost had hysterics and the refused to touch a cabinet when some of these ran out off it as went to move it!!!!

Think my Xmas Day/Boxing Day plans may be changed. My youngest g.son in that family has just tested positive. Not very ill, but miserable and sorry for himself. So, probably I will not be able to spend the two days in the house with him. For several years I have had the fancy to spend Christmas Day by myself at home, think that will happen this year. Family are planning to save the Christmas meal until New Years Day.

Via the NHS App I dutifully ordered some LTF tests as I had been with this g.son over last weekend. Received my Order Code and went to collect these only to be told by Pharmacy they have none in stock, nor any idea as to when they will receive further supplies!!!! Appears as if lots of people are doing these tests once or twice a day regardless that they do not have any symptoms, nor have been in contact with someone who is positive. So none left for those people who may really need to do these tests.

Shandy, hope doggie paw heals well and you manage to have a good Xmas and have brought in a good supply of chocolate ice-cream.

Oh Shandy, fingers crossed for your payment. Do hope you can have a good Christmas even if you are marooned in one room, hope you have lots of chocolate to hand and a little liquid refreshment!

Back from the vets about an hour ago, luckily nothing in his foot, just a horrid interdigital cyst again poor dog. Got home and put the gel on with the gloves as recommended, gave him half of the anti biotic in his much loved normally sneaked cat food, and then put the sock back on.

I've lost my mind, I've just realised the sock is on the wrong foot, poor dog!

I've been too-ing and fro-ing on the insurance website as the settlement offer still isn't showing. I sent another message and it seems there is an IT glitch, but I will be paid today. What do you bet I'm not!

Morning all, woken up at 7 am by a text from my neighbour who went into a home yesterday, with a photo of her 'room'! I can relate as I'm also in a 'room'! I will be stocking up on chocolate for Christmas Day!

Thanks for all your good wishes, I do feel better once I've shared.

I had the quote for the wet/dry to and unbelievably, 'beetles' yesterday - £5K plus VAT for two rooms. As well as a letter from HMRC but luckily I only owe them £1.70.

Thanks Josianne it's going to be stressful with only one vet on, I'm so lucky I got in. He was a good boy with my cut off reindeer sock on last night, but did lick it a little this morning when I removed it. Also lucky the vet is one Jazz likes, someone he doesn't like transferred there earlier last year.

Have a good day everyone

Good luck at the vets today Shandy with your dog's paw.

shandy, is it possible to make yourself cosy over the `long` christmas break? Give youself a few treats and hunker down in what appears to be your only comfortable room. Put side lights on in there to make a nice ambience, if you can

Try not to worry, I think you are running on stress hormones right now. It will come right in the end and one day you will be content.

What are you doing for Christmas Shandy? I hope you will be somewhere warm, comfortable and dry.
My thoughts are with you and I wish you all the very best for the new year.

Hope everyone has nearly finished 'getting ready' for Saturday, and hope your plans haven't had to change too much. My vets issued a Facebook announcement that they had lost a lot of staff through infection, I couldn't believe it this morning when I saw my dog had licked his paw raw, another interdigital cyst. Very luckily I am able to see someone tomorrow.

I've just had a very stressful time talking to the Complex Claims handler about the quote I submitted earlier today. The bungalow has awful reception and I'm often on quite crackly Wifi calling and I can't hear, but I think I got the main points. He finally said he would agree the quote - without the VAT. If the builder does charge me VAT I can submit the bill to them and they will pay it - once they've 'checked it'.

As a warning to others, they will not pay for my surveyor's services, so I've got to pay him over £1K myself, but I'd have been lost without his help, especially with peeling the wet plaster from the ceiling.

Drying machine should be going on Wednesday with the intimidating Scottish surveyor (I couldn't hear him properly and when he left he said he might be back - then leaned forward into my face and said 'or it might be someone that 'spoke English'. I understood him perfectly well, just couldn't always hear him), and now the quote has been accepted, work might be able to start early in the New Year. I'm so looking forward to watching tv again! Without being dripped on, hopefully!

Good luck to everyone on tenterhooks this week, I hope you get the news you are waiting for.

karmalady! Lovely to hear from you again, really lovely. I’m sure I speak for many on this thread when I say you have been sorely missed

Hope you enjoyed your hot chocolate Shandy and well done trying to stay calm to help your dog & cat, bless them. x

Hello Franbern, I am sorry this new variant is here, I didn't expect it so soon, it is going to disrupt so many people's plans. I've got a tension headache tonight, so won't write much, but my surveyor is crunching numbers with an associate so I'll have some sort of quote to upload next week

I've been trying to be very calm around my pets so as not to frighten them, my dog is 13 and my cat is 16 in January. It is only water after all, not lava, I've got to learn to cope with it when it is happening without fear

Hi Shandy, yes my diary has suddenly cleared, as all the groups I was to attend over the next 7-10 days have suddenly been cancelled. Not quite sure of the point of the three vaccinations I (and all those in these groups) have all had, if we are now back in isolation!!

I have made the decision NOT to go the Bristol theatre next week for pantomime. Booked, originally, right back in 2019, it is not the same panto. we then booked for as the (then) star is no longer permitted in it. I do not particularly like panto, and agreed to this very soon after I moved. Do not feel inclined to sit through it now when most of auditorium will be filled with children (matinee performance).

Actually, I am spending far too much time, trying to catch up on lots of tv recordings I have. I know that my xmas pressie from my children/g.children is a replacement Humax PVR - which will be great, as mine is now pretty elderly - however, there is no way of transferring the recordings I have on my existing ones to the new one. So, I am happier using that afternoon watching my classic Holby City and Casualty recordings, in the comfort and safety of my own home.

Shandy, do take your time and read that report and listing of your insurance claim very carefully. Okay, have it checked by your surveyor, but good for you to know what is (and is not) going to be included.

After the dreadful water damage I mentioned in an earlier post from an overflowing water tank in the loft, I can remember one day sitting there as they came in and started to tear up the laminate in my very large kitchen/diner. Now, I knew that this had not been in the best condition prior to this flood, but it had not been included in the work schedule. When I tried to stop them doing this, I was brushed aside with them saying it was obvious this needed replacing (which it did - but not due to any water damage). Because I was subsequently able to prove that it was down to them in taking it all up, even when I had tried to stop them, I eventually received a separate cash settlement to enable me to have new flooring fitted in there. Had I not known, and not tried to stop them, then they would have just said it was my fault they had taken it up and no money from the insurance claim would have been received to cover its replacement.

It is amazing how much we can manage to move around by ourselves, I was in my early 60's, when the large house I then lived in had loads being done to it, new windows, re-wiring, etc. The main front bedroom had been used by my daughter and her partner for storing umpteen boxes ready for their move from their flat to a house. Then my builders had to get in there, take up the carpet, etc for re-wiring and I spent one whole evening and most of the night moving those heavy boxes, (books, records, etc), totally by myself, into another bedroom - and subsequently back again. Daughter and partner too 'busy' on other matters!!!! Do feel that I make my own best insurance assessor/broker!!!

How is your elderly dog coping with this problem in your home??

It's quite funny that I was concerned about the condensation on the bay windows in the front bedroom and bought a dehumidifier, don't think it would have done much good with wet rot!

The damp reading on the surveyor's machine was 96 in the back bedroom I've been sleeping in up until the roof flying off! I've had a runny nose every morning for months.

I've decided not to do anything until the lounge roof is replaced and I can use it as a big store room. The thought of all the lifting and moving stuff is daunting but you did it for your decorating, I can do it! I've got so lazy in lockdown.

The insurers have just sent the 'scope of works', all gobblydegook to me, I've forwarded it to my surveyor.

I'm going to the Co-op tomorrow to buy some chocolate ice cream, I need a treat, I've got a clear diary for a change.

Kissngate, congratulations on completing on your new home. I'm sure you will soon be settled in.
Karmalady, it's good to hear from you again and glad all is well.
Shandy, sorry things are still so bad. Everyone here is thinking of you.

Thanks for the welcomes, big wave from me

ok shandy,the surveyor is not at fault then as he would not have been able to lift carpets etc. In that case he is going above and beyond and is being very kind and supportive. I was hoping that you had had a full structural survey which would have picked up those dreadful hidden defects but the clock cannot be turned back so the meantra has to be `how to fix it`. You have a good postive attitude and will come out the other side

Can I suggest that you have some damp experts out to do a damp assessment. Obviously there is water below the property, could be a blocked drain or lack of damp proof membrane. Perhaps you have a drain underneath the property and maybe a blockage in that is the cause, whatever the causation it needs to be addressed before repairs

The potential for mould this winter also concerns me shandy and I would consider putting precious things into storage

I did have a full L3 RCIS survey

I've just been told I have wet rot in the whole of the front bedroom floorboards, and some kind of water problem that is affecting the other front bedroom, and back bedroom. Not good!

kissngate you can go LPG, but it is more expensive. I had oil and there is normally an oil club the village use, ask your new neighbours if they know of one. I had a 2000 Boulter Cambray oil boiler, was still going strong when I left the station, but I did have to buy a new oil pump. The baffles had also started to deteriorate but the trades here do keep older boilers, they think they are far superior to the newer ones. Good luck

karmalady so nice to hear from you and read that you are continuing with your many hobbies. Little did we know in 2019 what was round the corner! Look at how your thread has grown!

Thanks everyone for good wishes.
Fran - you are right about being deflated we've been under so much stress for months and it's taken its toll. We did know about boiler and was told it worked fine. However we didn't ask a service engineer to check it out and found out today the owners knew it needed replacing a long time ago as it was constantly breaking down. It's a big cumbersome thing in a cupboard in kitchen so will get it replaced ASAP. However it's oil fired so not straight forward as no gas main nearby (semi rural). If we can have hot water over Xmas and buy electric fire for lounge it will keep us going. Also got an electric throw to snuggle under so will keep warm somehow.
Recommendations for oil boilers anyone?

Karmalady tried to PM you but you aren't accepting messages . It's been 2 years and 4 months since I moved. You kept me sane when everything was going wrong. Thank you for that.