Help calm me. House buying and selling stress *Part 10*

Merry Christmas Bungalowblues we look forward to having you back in 2023, meanwhile have a very good Christmas.

Good to hear from you Bungalowblues. Will look forward to hearing a lot more from you in the new year. Do hope the life-changing events are nothing too terrible.

Not sure about your new name. Are you really feeling 'blue' about your bungalow???

I hope you all have as good a new year as is possible. This time of year is very hard for many, personally I take it as a meditative time of inward reflection when I think about the three people that I have lost. I don`t enjoy this time of year but I need to look upon it as the quiet time before new growth and new energy

Bungalowblues, never forget that we here to help and support in whatever way we can and would love to welcome you back, when you are ready

So the icy time was hard going, both financially and being safe outside. I cancelled some trips out last weekend when ds and his oh were staying here. My intuition made me toss and turn at 2am that morning so I bit the bullet and told them that trips were off, they 100% agreed with me. The hardest part was getting the courage to cancel

My patio has non slip slabs but one morning the rain on them had frozen quickly and the slabs became shiny, like sheet ice. The roads must have been like that.

Wanted to wish you all best Christmas you can have and hopefully 2023 will be a good year for you all. 🎅🌲🥂

Good wishes to you all for Christmas and the coming year.

Just to pass on Seasonal greetings to all on here, and my best wishes for a healthy and peaceful 2023.

I am not a 'chrissmassy' person. I loved it all back when my large family were small. Also, my parents celebrated their wedding anniverary on 25th December (when they got married in 1928, it was a day my Dad could have off work without losing pay!!). So my memories of the 70's and early 80's are of a great day, then on Boxing day would go over to BiL and Sil for further celebrations and food from places like M&S etc.

After my Mums death in 1984, I had to work hard to be celebratory, but did manage it whilst children were around. But these days, I find it difficult - dislike winter with a passion, - and my celebrations really are around end of March, beginning of April.

I go to my local daughter's house for xmas day and traditional meal, then next week will go up to London (by train) to eldest daughter for a few days to see friends, and family there. I will admit to be quite pleased when it is all over, tinsel taken down, and lights packed away.

I am already bored with the fact that all my groups have closed until January, my flat is tidy and clean and I am struggling to find anything interesting to watch on tv..

I have been very good - a parcel from one of my children arrived on Monday - and I have left it still wrapped in the spare bedroom and will open it tomorrow morning. Not been so good with regards to chocolates, and cakes - but Heigh Ho - sometime my normally pretty strict diet has to be relaxed and this is a good a time as any!!!!

My own feeling is that 2023 is going to be a difficult year. Far too many families are already serious having problems with regard to food and heat and mortgages/rent etc. Sadly, it is going to get a lot worse. ' A decent days pay for a decent days work seems to to be a thing from the past.' Far too many people are having to work so many hours unpaid just to be able to keep on top of their work, yet reeiving pay at 2010 rates. I give my heartfelt support to all those being forced into striking to try to get 2022 rates of pay.

I am also very aware that, at my age, I have no idea how many (if any) more Christmas's I may be seeing or how many of those sending me greetings will be doing so in the future. So, I do try to live my life as if each month may be my last. Each day I wake up is a bonus.

I am very fortunate, all my five Adult Children seem to be okay in regard to their health, their careers and their families. I live in my lovely flat with such very pleasant people around me. As I do not smoke, have a pet, run a car, or go on expensive holidays I have a Micawber-like pleasure in spending less than I receive in.

So, I repeat my wishes for a healthy and peaceful 2023 and heartfelt hopes that those on here in the process of selling & biying property may have a successful outcome.

Off today to London. Been trying to check if my two trains are running and on time. Not very successfully yet, but looks as if all should be okay.

I am always much happier once all the 25th Dec celebrations are over (not A Scrooge), just do not really enjoy it and think far too much about how many people find this time of the year the MOST difficult to get through.

Had a lovely, long telephone chat with my youngest daughter a couple of days ago. The one who moved, yet again. I am so pleased as this seems to have been very successful (despite some problems with the house like not being able to run CH and hot water at same time!!!). It has been several years since she sounded so happy and relaxed. Her daughters are now in walking distance of their schools, giving her back ten hours a week which she used to have to take them to and fro. I am so pleased for her, the boiler and kitchen etc. will be sorted out in due course. She has finally moved into somewhere she feels is 'home'. This is interesting, as all her previous moves have all been to new builds, whilst this house is a 1990's build.

Just feel fortunate I do not live in USofA. That dreadful bomb cyclone!!!

Happy New Year to everyone on this thread.

Thank you Oopsadaisy.
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda Everyone.

Happy new year everyone. Hope it will be a good one for you all.

Happy New Year everyone. Hope 2023 is kind to everyone.
I dont post very often but
this thread helped me get through the stress of house selling n buying in 2022.

I have been watching the winter freeze 1963 on youtube and what a stoic lot we were. Many of us getting dressed for bed with a solitary hot water bottle and ex army coats on top. We never missed a day of school and trudged through snow drifts over ice, in shoes as none of us had boots

Community spirit was full-on and everyone cleared the pavement in front of their house, although many a time it was so treacherous that it was safer to walk on the road in the thick snow

The icicles that hung like daggers and how we were warned not to walk underneath them. That one fire in the living room

So this new year, I will avoid news as much as possible, just a minimal glance once a day. It has been much worse in the past, no money, no fuel, no electric, no boots and not much food as every bit had to be pickaxed out of the ground.

Happy new year to all of you

Sadly, Karmalady it was not so much stoicism as having no alternative that got us through that. I can well remember that winter of 1963-64, but I was young and healthy and working in London. School days were lost, as were working days, thousands of farm animals starved, thousands of the old and vulnerable died.

It seems horrific to me that sixty years on from then, we are still having people in UK dying from the cold and so many people, including children going hungry.

just trying to 'bump' this thread up. For so long it was always at top.
Would be great to hear from Bungalowblues, please!! So many of us are quite concerned about her, and she is not accepting any messages on here.
I am attending a hearing today, regarding a licensed premises opposite our flats which has caused a lot of problems over the past 18 monhts. Police and environmental department opposed this licence, and our Tenants Association also did. The licence holder has given a lot of promises for improved behavior, and this will be part of the discussion at the official hearing this morning.
I am so pleased that all my different groups have now returned to normal meetings. Keeps me active and busy with something to do most days.
My energy supplier (EDF), surprised me yesterday morning by sending someone to read my meters. I know that I was due to do this early next months and had planned to do so myself on 31st January - as that is when my current lovely 'fixed rate' expires. Have not had someone come to do it for nearly three years. However, each time I send in my readings they tell me that it does not appear accurate (it is I am very careful with this). What they mean is that I am using less energhy than they think I should be!!!!! Suppose this is why they sent their own peron to read them this time.

Before anyone makes a comment about getting a smart
meter and cutting out the reading - I would love to do so, but because the gas meter is in the kitchen of my flat, and the leccie meter is in a cupboard on the communcal landing for our floor, those meters are too far apart for a smart meter to be able to be installed.
Hope everyone here is keeping well, so many nasty coughs, etc around.

Happy New Year to everyone. Yes the big freeze of 63, we lived on a hill at that time and cars would get stuck frying to drive up. My DF and I would go out and help, putting matts under the wheels to give them some grip.
And I was told off by a furious teacher for wearing Wellington boots to school.

Happy New Year everyone, I hope everyone is well and warm. I hope to be back soon to join in the fun!

Bungalowblues, if it is YOU please come back on to talk through things or send a message. (Or head this way again for a proper GN meet up).
🧁 🍰 ☕️
It has taken me nearly 4 years after my house purchase on this thread to finally get round to the new kitchen. Three weeks of upheaval starts on Tuesday with the delivery of all the boxes. I must re read Franbern's and Whiff's dos and dont's I bookmarked somewhere.
To any newcomers, second timers joiners etc, this is an invaluable supportive thread from start to finish.
Happy New Year.

Joseanne Good Luck with youir new kitchen fitting. Yes, it is an upheaval, but so worth it in the end,. I still find myself standing at my kitchen door admiring my lovely kitchen. And, because I designed it to be suitable for me, it is so easy to work in with everything so simple for me to get to. Really pleased I had this done.

Obviously, you will need to set up somewhere else to cook, etc. I used my dining table, all well covered, and put on there microwave kettle, single electric hob, toaster, egg boiler. Purchased that small single hob for £15, then lent io eldest daughter when she had her kitchen done and it is now on loan to youngest daughter who hopes tog et hers done soon.

You will need somewhere to get water and for washing up. Just the matter of camping out for two or three weeks. What sort of colour scheme have you gone for? Are you having lots of drawers and/or pull out areas i nside cupboards.? Do let us have some pictures when finished.

Bungalowblues we really do want to hear from you. Tried to send you a pm, but it was refused.

We were completely successful in our bid regarding the problem nightclub opposite our flats. Police report was very damning, and Landlords Solicitor did put forward many promised and changes for the future. We asked for Midnight closing over all nights and got this from this hearing. It is likely to re-open towards the end of this year as some sort of restuarant. We are more than happy with that. We have a lovely Thai restuarant next door to us, and opposite (two doors along from this building) is a Japanese one. Never any problems whatsoever from either of them. Would be good to have a third one. We were also able to talk to the Landlord and re-build friendly terms with him.

Thank you Franbern. I took your advice and that of others on here to future proof the new kitchen so I have chosen mainly pull-out drawers around the base to avoid having to crawl into low cupboards. I'm not good with those cage things, I always seem to snap them off the hinges. Simplicity as you said.

I have spent this last week emptying the old kitchen. My daft DH had made a hole in the floor tiles under a cupboard to see where they ended, and we now have a little visitor or two making their way round all the units. 🐁 🐭 I even bought a rescue cat to solve this, but he appears to be rubbish at the job. 🐈‍⬛️ So today I have been blocking up any entrances. Tomorrow I will spend taking off the old white IKEA doors as a niece wants them for her kitchen. The colour I have chosen -no surprise- Parisian Blue- with Art Deco touches.

I don't want to monopolise the thread, but I will return as and when with updates.

Joseanne it was in October 2019 when I had my kitchen fitted. Can't believe it was that long ago. Love it as much as when I had it fitted. How I lived for 30 years without a dishwasher I will never know. I love my inducted hob if you are having one make sure it has crosses not circles. Crosses you can put any size pan on any of the hobs but if it circles has to be the same size pan as the circle. Boils in matter of couple of mins goes straight down as soon as you choose a lower number.

Mind you I love everything I have had done here. It feels like I always have lived here and couldn't have better neighbours and friends .

I live my life to the full no longer exist.

Having a new kitchen is a lot of upheaval and mess but we'll worth it . Enjoy your new kitchen Joseanne and all the lovely food you will cook .

Happy New Year everyone and thank you for all the hints and good advice I've found in past threads. I've been busy decluttering and getting our house ready for sale - we're both really tired but glad to be well prepared.

Next week brings our estate agent to measure up/do the paperwork and then his photographer another day. We're hoping for a sunny day for the photos - everything always looks more cheerful!

It's lovely to read about those of you who have made good moves and are now able to enjoy life. Such a kind and supportive thread.

Jackaranda - best wishes for your coming up journey. There will be ups and downs, hopes and disappointments, but just persevere and - hopefully, by the end of the year you may settled into your new home.

I remember in 2019 you being very quick off the mark to get your lovely new kitchen installed Whiff so you have already enjoyed 3 years' worth. I think you cracked on with other jobs too, well done! We dawdled a bit for the first year or two, especially when DD2 and family unexpectedly moved down here from London, but we managed to get a new bathroom installed, a re design of the front garden, new interior doors and patios. We have had a few false starts with the kitchen but now it is all systems go. My hob will be gas, though I do like induction hobs too.
Good luck Jackaranda, I hope it all goes well.

Thank you Franbern and Joseanne

Just a pop-in from me, all is well, garden is frozen solid, including all those expensive drought and heat-loving plants. Water butts still intact and am very glad that I 2/3 emptied and put a floating ball inside

House is lovely and warm, at a cost and I am liking the big french doors that let the sun in during winter. I am keeping busy with indoor hobbies.

To all those worrying about our disappeared friend. Don`t, she is currently active on mse forums, seems to be in good health and is preparing for a far-away holiday.