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Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

(995 Posts)
BlueBalou Wed 29-Sept-21 18:56:28

We’re definitely planning to move and putting our house on the market. It’s taken 7 months to sell my parents house, I sincerely hope ours goes quicker.
Am dreading the process but needs must.

Greta8 Wed 29-Sept-21 17:21:45

marymary62 - congratulations on getting an offer accepted on a house you like - no mean feat at the moment in this mad market. How lovely to be nearer your family - it will definitely be worth it I'm sure.

We achieved this about two years ago - not a massive geographical move, about sixty miles or so to be nearer our daughter. Like Franbern and Shandy I'm so happy in our new home - it was worth the uncertainty and hard work to achieve it. I'm late 60's and my husband is a bit younger and we're so glad we didn't leave it any longer - we sold a lovely period cottage with an extremely large garden in the country and bought a modern four bed detached house with a small garden in the centre of a village and about half an hour from a major city. We, however, are still in the country. I count my blessings every day - we spend so much time with our family now, and we look after our little grandson two days a week. We chose the house carefully and I'm relieved that it seems so much more under control than our old place - not to mention that it is so light!!!!

It's a stressful process at times - anyone who says different is being disingenuous, but being able to chat here will definitely help you get advice and also support from the friendly people on this thread.

Hope it all goes well for you!

marymary62 Wed 29-Sept-21 16:30:33

Hi - after some stressful bids on properties that we lost we had an offer accepted and are now totally stressing that we have bid over the top! We chose a bad time to move from North to further South as prices are so much higher and (competition keen ) but we feared that if we left it any longer we’d be priced out. Been dithering for a while about moving nearer family and I only got DH persuaded this year ......
Anyway apart from freaking out about the cost of our new house (which needs work to make it beautiful but is at least habitable !) what wonderful messages of support do you all have ?

Whiff Tue 28-Sept-21 06:05:26

After all the stress and worry of moving . I am very glad I did. I got my identity back. It was great meeting people who got to know me not all the labels we come with.

When we marry and have children we become linked to those roles. Don't get me wrong I would give anything to have my husband alive and well again . And be with the other half of me. I would be whole again . But can't.

Before I moved I would never do all the things I have done since moving. My house and gardens where to big.

I love my bungalow and my new life. One of the joys of moving is choosing how I wanted my bungalow to be . I hadn't decorated etc since before my husband died in 2004.

I have surprised myself with my choices . I went with an open mind to choose my kitchen etc. Was surprised at the vast choice of everything. I picked colours I never thought I would like but love everything choice I have made.

The only thing at my old house I had joined was an exercise class. Here I go to exercise class,craft group and U3A.

I have found I am a gardener and brought a greenhouse and grew some vegetables and strawberries. Painted my fence never painted one before took me 4 days but I did it .

My life is so full and time flies by. I have never slept so well and the health care here is excellent.

So all the stress and tears moving was well worth it.

Glad to see all the movers are happy in their new homes and are making them theirs .

Hope all those still in the process exchange and complete soon. ?

Shandy57 Mon 27-Sept-21 12:47:46

I'm glad you are so happy Franbern, my move has been a success too. I wish we'd always lived in the village, I think my kids would have had a different childhood experience. I definitely don't miss the fear of poachers being in the fields behind the station, the lights used to wake me up, police never arrived in time to catch them at it.

You've reminded me I need to empty my pots, will do when it stops raining. Unfortunately I think I've lost the acer, thousands of aphids suddenly appeared on the rim of the big pot.

Enjoy choosing your carpets, I haven't chosen any for twenty years smile

Franbern Mon 27-Sept-21 11:48:12

When I represented one of the groups at the U3A open day last Friday, I realised how many people I had got to know in my new home-town, despite lockdowns.

So very happy here. That move, despite all the dreadful stresses was one of the very best things I have ever done.

Spent some of yesterday trying to sort out the patio pots on my balcony, to get them ready for the putting in the spring bulbs. I have a nice mixture of faux and real plants there, often have to take a minute to think which is which.

Today, having been to Sainsbury's have an appointment this afternoon with my flooring people to make final decision on carpet I want put down in my own bedroom and the vinyl for the secnd bedroom.

Shandy57 Sun 26-Sept-21 09:48:25

Glad you have condensation outside where it should be Pittcity! I'll start a window fund and save up for them to be done, the spotlight transformer replacement was £400 I didn't expect to spend.

At the station I used to have to run round each morning and used a whole roll of kitchen towel on the single glazed window condensation, it was so wet. No mould I can see so I can live with a bit of steam for a while smile Talking of mould the seller said she'd 'overwatered a plant' in the bedroom and had damaged the carpet - then my cat's bed went mouldy. Looks like the capped chimney is a problem too, but that can wait!

Pittcity Sun 26-Sept-21 09:26:27

We had a few double glazing panels replaced when we moved in. Some had blown so badly that there was mould growing between the panes.
The new panes are so much more efficient as we have condensation on the outside today. I googled it and it's a good thing!

Shandy57 Sun 26-Sept-21 09:19:29

Morning all, early for me!

Fed up because I pulled the lounge curtains and both of the big extension windows are steamed up inside, so the double glazing has blown. I'm never going to get to New Zealand at this rate!

Hope everyone trying to meet the stamp duty deadline gets there, fingers crossed for you. My friend has given up and come off the market again, she'd had enough of the estate agent sending unsuitable viewers.

Josianne Fri 24-Sept-21 18:35:51

This one is pretty and still blooming after a slow start. A David Austin one called Rachel.

Whiff Fri 24-Sept-21 18:27:35

Spice glad you have continued the thread.

Gertrude Jekyll rose by David Austin is a beautiful pink and smells heavenly and long flowering. Thomas a Becket is red and has large flowers not scented but also long flowering . It's by David Austin. Will treat myself to another rose next year. As I brought Gertrude my first year here and Thomas this year.

Going with my daughter to Grayson Perry's art club exhibition in Manchester on Sunday. She got the tickets months ago time flies so fast since I moved.

Since moving my life has never been so busy. Took 2 years to the bungalow and garden as I want. Wednesday go to exercise class, Thursday my craft group has started again and Friday at my daughter's. Second Monday in the month U3A talk.

Selling my house and moving was very stressful but well worth it. I love it here. Never had such kind neighbours .

Hopefully the ones who are still in the process of moving do so soon.

Josianne Fri 24-Sept-21 15:28:42

Yes, Shandy, I have put in an order for some David Austin rambling roses to cover the new fence and trellis. Then a real nod to my life in France with beds of lavender.
(Fond memories of that house hunting morning we spent on the seafront. Another time, now covid is less if a worry, come to my place).

Shandy57 Fri 24-Sept-21 15:24:44

Thank you Spice101!

I'm glad to be able to come on and say I've just had all 17 spotlights replaced with LED transformers, and the heat/smoke alarms replaced with something that won't 'pip' at me in the middle of the night smile

Glad things are still progressing for you Pittcity, the months fly don't they. I have given up trying to choose a colour for the lounge/kitchen and am going to wait for it to 'appear' in my mind's eye.

Lovely to think of you designing your garden Josianne, once the structure is in you can enjoy your plant finding. I have a penchant for roses. Is that what I mean, I know you know your francais! smile I just can't resist smelling them in everyone's garden at the moment, they are all so different.

Josianne Fri 24-Sept-21 15:12:19

Well done Spice101 for continuing the threads full of interesting and emotional stories. Thank you.
Our from scratch garden project is nearing completion and we have had great fun choosing slabs, pebbles, fencing etc. Then we will get a second flurry of activity in the spring with the planting.
Good luck to everyone on here, I enjoy reading about the journeys.

Dottygran59 Fri 24-Sept-21 15:06:11

Oh Spice, thank you for keeping the thread going. I'm not moving - you lot have put me off for life lol - but love to hear of all your adventures

loopyloo Fri 24-Sept-21 15:02:57

Yes me too. How is everyone? I am still sorting out after our last move in November. Boxes and boxes still to clear.
What fun.

midgey Fri 24-Sept-21 14:02:34

So pleased this thread is to continue, heavily invested in so many people on here.

Pittcity Fri 24-Sept-21 13:57:49

Just saving this new thread. Still going through "New home" stress 6 months after moving. We have the outside sorted apart for one more coat of paint. We can now move inside with the next set of workmen not due until November.

Spice101 Fri 24-Sept-21 13:42:05

Welcome to thread # 9

Unfortunately the link has not shown as a click and go so I'll post the long form here.

www.gransnet.com/forums/house_and_home/1291248-Help-calm-me-House-buying-and-selling-stress?msgid=28940161

Spice101 Fri 24-Sept-21 13:39:33

Link to first 8 threads

tinyurl.com/4883ywjs

Thread #9