Fresh start with new EA

Beautiful house - hope all goes well for you

Thank you all for your lovely comments about the house, I am sorry I can't invite you all for tea!

I really appreciate all of your help during this difficult time.

It's really raining here and the cast iron gutter I paid £250 to have fixed is leaking Listed buildings!!

After much thought, I have chosen the 'offers over' marketing strategy and signed up with the new EA today. Horrible big list of questions to accompany the contract, I did circle 'Don't know' a few times. Hopefully I haven't got Japanese Knotweed!

The EA has assured me that the sales team will be instructed to say that I will not take offers below this price.
I am desperate to leave here before the winter, and the advantage of listing it at this price is that I will come up in more searches.

I still need to see my previous EA with flowers and a card, I'm going on Friday. I feel sorry they worked so hard without a good ending, and it is so nice of her not to charge me a withdrawal fee either. The new EA said if their buyer comes back, they will send him to her and she will deal with the sale.

Off to eat a lovely curry cooked by my super jet lagged daughter! xx

ahh yes of course. Makes sense, the offers over 400 as 400 would be a limit for some and they would not look at say 425 on RM. Enjoy the meal, you sound a tad more relaxed tonight

How fast do the trains go by? Are they very noisy? Enjoy your curry.

Hi Craftyone, thanks, I do feel more relaxed. They have stated in the description that the house needs renovation so I feel much better. I'm going to offer a precis of the survey to anyone really interested, just take extract relevant paragraphs and have it available in the house.

I'm not going near the annexe with this rain, we had a cowboy fix the roof in 2010 and I know it'll be leaking onto the conveniently placed towel tonight. I did invite someone for a quote and just for the single storey roof he said £25K. Found out afterwards this person has also done shoddy work for many local people and they've had to have the work redone. I have another highly recommended roofer coming to quote for both in the next few weeks, so I can give prospective buyers an accurate idea.

Hi loopyloo, we are on the live East Coast Main Line, fast trains run between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. Trains going south outside my kitchen window haven't reached full speed when they pass us as they've just left Alnmouth station, probably 100 mph. Coming from the north on the opposite track, the max speed is 125 mph. Both directions are noisy for about 20 seconds, and whistle as a warning for the level crossing. The chartered steam trains like the Flying Scotsman/Tornado are slower and very steamy! Only time they go past slowly is snow or leaves/overhead cable failure. It took about a week to get used to them, now I miss them when they stop due to problems. I used to have a friend in Richmond, Surrey, who lived near Richmond Station - that was extremely noisy! I think electrification has reduced the noise a lot.
We used to live near Heathrow on the flight path and had to stop talking when Concorde went over, I prefer the odd train! My son's first word was 'airprain'!

Curry was great, my daughter and I don't eat meat or fish and often have 'veg' curry. She has introduced me to an Indian cheese called 'paneer' - when we went to India we didn't have a chance to try it. Have been a bit worried about my 'fibre' intake after getting my 'bowel testing kit' as a surprise birthday gift on my 60ieth (! what a horrible experience for the lab technicians) I do recommend the brown rice with quinoa, seems far less chewy and dense when it's mixed.

So quiet day tomorrow, lucky I've got two coats, trying to dry today's and it's still very wet. Taking my daughter to the doc for her pill, beach with the dog, then taking her for her counselling session. Glad my son is also going now, it's difficult with Father's Day looming on Sunday.

Putting my ear plugs in for bed, can't bear that blocked gurgling gutter and plinky plonky chimney! Please stop raining!

Night night xx

I knew everything was going too well!

I've just had a letter from Network Rail - from 21 July to 18 October they are renewing the track most weekends from 2200 to 0600. Luckily not viewing times but my dog goes crackers when the men (sorry, I've never seen a lady although I'm sure there are some!) , I'll have to lock him in my bedroom and wear earplugs!

EA think I can go live tomorrow - I'm taking flowers and a card into my old EA and collecting the keys to hand on immediately.

Wish my daughter was here for a bit longer.

Hello all, hope you are having a good Friday.

I've just been to say goodbye to my EA, I took them a box of chox each and a florist bouquet in a box, with a card. I did take my cheque book and said I would like to reimburse her expenses, but she refused. We had a lovely chat and she hugged me when I left.

I walked across the road (I know, I went a roundabout way to do it!) and took the keys to the new EA. The house went live on RightMove yesterday, and the first viewing request came through this morning for 27 June.

My daughter leaves for London at 9 am tomorrow, and I'm going to spend the weekend cleaning!

I really hope it sells this time. Here in Scotland the custom is still for "Offers over" although plenty of people prefer fixed price. We bought this house which was offers over for a lower offer once we worked out how much we'd need to spend on it. 40yrs later we are still spending on it! I think ours was the only offer.
Previously we had lost several houses by being outbid when offers closed.

Thank you for the good wishes Grammaretto, I have high hopes and am keeping everything crossed the lower price will attract a buyer quickly and I can be out by winter.

I've only just had the Aga put back on and now it's been a few months without the central heating on, I can see it's using 200 litres a month so around £100. When the heating is back on in the winter I'll be using about 600 litres a month ie £300. I have to buy wood on top of that at £75 per dumpy bag, and normally get through 4 bags plus Homebase fire logs. I'm trying to put some money away this month but my pension just isn't stretching. I need to have a big budget rethink, sorted some clothes out to sell on ebay today

Just wanted to say good luck with the new EA. I've just looked at the listing on Rightmove and it looks wonderful. Hope you get lots of interest.

Thank you GrandmaKT, I am pleased so many people think it looks good.

Someone has already asked for a viewing on Monday 27 June - but that's a Thursday, and they are not responding now so the EA thinks it might be this Monday 17 June.

I've just seen my daughter off for three weeks and feel so tired, but must start cleaning this morning, weeding later. I think I might have sleep apnea - the kids say I snore like a train so perhaps I wake in the night a lot. Wake up feeling as tired as when I went to bed.

Right Henry, where are you!

xx

First viewing with the new EA today.

I spent all weekend cleaning and made a huge effort to do a 'sparkle' clean (I'm pinching Craftyone's description here!) ready for my 11 am viewing this morning. I put a lot of elbow grease into polishing the granite worktops, was quite puffed out, I must do more exercise!

I got back from walking my dog at 9.30 am to my neighbour in my drive - to tell me he was expecting a tree surgeon any minute and he'd have to park in my drive. I felt quite annoyed, he does have my phone number and could have let me know over the weekend.

The viewing agent came at 10.30 am for a tour with me and I left him at 11.01 am - no sign of viewer.

The viewing agent rang at 11.18 am - the viewer had emailed to say she'd driven past this morning, and might submit an offer. She wasn't coming to the viewing.

Honestly, who does that! Feeling fed up I missed the Alnmouth Arts Festival because I stayed in to clean.

Hi Mosaic, sorry to hear of your experiences this morning. As you say, who does that? I really hope that you get some more viewings soon so you can move on with your life. You're absolutely doing all you can here - it only needs one person, that's all - who will fall in love with your beautiful and unique house.

To top it off, the gardener didn't turn up. I sent him a text and he wrote back to say he did come, but thought I'd got someone else as he saw a lad with a leaf blower in my drive! It was the neighbour's tree surgeon clearing the mess from the tree branches they'd cut. As though I'd do that without giving him notice, why would he think I could behave so badly? I've been very nice!

A mad day, I need to write it off.

Oh, what a frustrating day for you! Very strange that the viewer didn't turn up. Who does things like that???

Horrible pointless day for you.

Just to say, smiley, that we have bought without a viewing! The EA pictures show the inside, we were more concerned about the land attached.

Congratulations lynx, I hope you and very happy in your new home! Several of my friends have bought without a viewing too, who knows, I might join you!

I am going to take a huge step back and try to stop being so anxious, I am finding it hard doing this on my own.

come on here mosaics every time you start to feel anxious or start churning stuff in your head. A problem shared etc. We all feel your pain

How nice of you craftyone. I do feel very muddled and panicky at the moment, still trying to detach myself from my emotions attached to the house as I do love it. Couldn't sleep last night, and to add to my misery I've got an ingrowing toenail again! When I was five someone at school ran over my big toe with the big 'toy train' - I've suffered intermittently my whole life. I do have a very nice chiropodist who visits but haven't got £40 until next pension.

I was a bit upset, and know I shouldn't have been, because the EA didn't phone with more explanation until Tuesday when she'd phoned the drive by for feedback. I think I wrote on here somewhere else that the person told the EA that her offer, if she did decide to put one forward, would be £350K. How people can knock £50K off an asking price so casually without even seeing the house is beyond me. I have to learn to take it in my stride, and ride the storm.

I do so appreciate everyone's support on here.

I am off to post my son's birthday card, I can't believe he's 26 on Saturday. I did enjoy doing things with my children when they were babies, I am looking forward to being a grandmother one day.

Have a good day, I'm off to the beach with my very patient sheltie.

Mosaicwarts, I totally understand how you have so many different feelings regarding moving. With me, I really love the house I am in, and love being in London. My move will be a jump into the dark, in some ways, as I have never lived outside of London.
So, I have many conflicting emotions, when it appears as if all is going well with sale and purchase, then I have near panic attacks at the thought of moving far away and into a flat, however - when things go wrong, buyers drip out etc. I just cannot wait to make that move.
Feel that whatever happens, I am going to feel great regrets for what did NOT happen. So daft really...
Would love to have both options at least for a year, but that is obviously not at all possible.

my buyer turned out to have no empathy with the house, she is not living there full time and is not going by trial and error re the complex eco workings. That leaves my dear sweet neighbours there in limbo, we leant heavily on each other ever since the day we moved in but I had to stop myself feeling any sort of regret, have to get used to calling my new house home, the more I do that the easier it will be

I sit in my recliner and often `see` a moving whisp out of the left corner of my eye, by a window. At first I thought it was just a passing bird but I believe it is more than that, someone who knew me very well, who gave me a lifetime of support and who passed on. I think I will do what I did in my other house, use a spray called palo santo, it is used for cleansing/spiritual/healing I used it in the other house, had to ask the house to let me go, to release me. I will use it today, to ask this new house to accept me, to become my nest

Franbern, I wish you every happiness in your new flat, and it's marvellous that you have a knowledge of the area, as well as having a lovely daughter there! Is it a ground floor flat?

I moved up here at the age of 42, twenty years ago from Twickenham and do miss it still. Northumberland is a fantastic place- sandy beaches, no air pollution, clear roads, crime rate is negligible, people are absolutely lovely. Not sure why I don't like it as I know I should, but I have an overwhelming feeling of boredom and want more than it can offer. My daughter went to Leeds Uni and said a lot of her 'town' friends have never seen a live barn owl - we have one that lives in our coal bunker. She feels it's a privilege to have lived here and if she won the lottery, she'd buy our house and keep it in the family. Steve just died too soon

How lovely craftyone, I'll get some of the spray next week, I've lost touch with my spiritual side.

I do however, believe Steve is a chaffinch at the golf club. It doesn't matter where I park, this little bird comes right down to my feet as soon as I step out of the car.

Off to the garden now, have a gigantic pile of huge sycamore tree branches to break up and dispose of. Pond is also choked and the water lilies are trying to get through, so off I go!

Mosaicwarts, do not want to put a dappener on things, but my house was marketed originally as Offer in Excess of£450,000. Several offers - none of them in excess of that amount, not even at that amount. Then when it returned to the market, just had as straight £450,000 - again all offers were between 425,000 and 435,000. People these days just take the figure listed as the top amount and always start lower than that.
I did when putting offer in on the flat I hope to buy.
Be prepared to go down a little, as I have said, work out exactly what you will need to buy yourself your next home and work backwards from that.

I've just received the RightMove viewing figures - 2,420 people have looked at the ad over the past seven days. Compared to 6000 in nine months on Zoopla, I am pleased.

Second nice thing that happened is my lost 'acquaintance' popped in - and apparently has popped in several times and my car has been there but I've not answered the door?

Bad thing that has happened is that Network Rail vegetation workers have been throwing the branches they've cut from my fir trees any old how into my garden. They were line side branches, so they've deliberately chucked them over. The man I knew who used to do it now works in a signal box. I haven't been up to that area for three years, it was so bad. I was determined to clear it, and have made great progress. More prickly fun tomorrow, why do bramble prickles hurt so much!