Saturday 25 May 2013

Memory Lane

En route between Brixton and Greenwich, dropped in on Dibden House, Southampton Way, SE5.  What a classy joint.  Student digs, all those years ago, and still standing...

Something of a contrast to the new place...

and a few minutes to spare at Chelsea Flower Show this week, too..
Found my sewing box;  found myself darning my winter wool slippers.  Reckon I'm comfortably at home.  Still surrounded by packing boxes, but they'll gradually empty..

Tuesday 21 May 2013

In time, photos..

.. for now, unpacking, bumbling back & forth between Staines & Windlesham.. and today, Chelsea Flower Show.  When I get internetted-up at the new place, you'll hear much more.

New improved Thyroxin prescription yesterday, for underperforming thyroid - instant re-instatement of (a) sense of humour & (b) perspective.  Sigh.


Thursday 16 May 2013

It didn't rain :)

My four north London containers now reside in leafy Surrey.  The rain held off until the removals men were lifting the plants off the van.

Some rooms look bigger, others smaller than I'd remembered. Only one is painted an eye-watering blue.  Discovered a few minor breakages as I began unpacking, nothing to cry over.  Juggling unpacking with daily life in Staines for now.  It'll take a while..  No internet yet - but the landline is up and running..  The previous owners were a bit Heath Robinson with some of their home improvements.. we have time to figure it all out..

One neighbour has already delivered a "Welcome" card, via her very lovely 6yr old son.

The sun came out briefly and reassuringly late afternoon, lending shade to the patio and plenty of sun across the lawn.  Must get one of those soil testing kits.


Tuesday 14 May 2013

Keys?

Completing on purchase today & collecting keys, sometime after noon.  Cleaning kit at the ready, if I can get in [visions of estate agent fighting with the lock the first time we viewed it].  My removals men and heavy rain now forecast for tomorrow.


Saturday 11 May 2013

To Richmond for a fridge..

.. picking up a second-hand interim fridge today, which can linger in M's boot until I pick up the new house keys on Tues.  We know the sellers are taking everything with a plug on it - washing machine, dishwasher etc, but I can't help speculating .. will they take the curtains, lightbulbs, switches, every last loo roll?  It's been known..

Still dealing with leftover bills from the old house.  Setting up services for the new..

Clear sky forecast for moving day!

Monday 6 May 2013

Peace and quiet

It's been a warm, welcome, wonderful weekend, with plenty of rest, and only one night's sleep lost to deranged panic.  Tomorrow & the week ahead - plenty to sort out for the new house.

Riverside picnic on the lawn between the house and the river in Staines today.  Sufficient time in hand for Catherine to make daisy chains, and us all to take turns in the hammock.  Others have conscientiously gardened.  I made appreciative noises, and read instead.  Thoroughly relished slowing down after last week's madness.

Tiger has slept all day, only waking to move between beds.


Friday 3 May 2013

Exchanged!

Exchanged at 5pm today; to complete on Tue 14th [Jonah & Vivi's birthday].  Provisionally booked removers to bring stuff out of store on Wed 15th.

Phew.

:)

(final?) torture

Grand Avenue, Camberley 5 beds, Camberley, near shops & train & 55k cheaper than the Windlesham house.  No more torturing self with the 'not to be'.

Took M&C to see the last Camberley house last night - lovely place, in almost every respect, but bang on main road, not an easy journey back to school.  Meanwhile, the owners of the Windlesham house have finally come up with the evidence of doing a tree survey that our solicitor needed, to reassure himself/us that it was safe to buy their house.  Everything is in place to exchange today.

Sitting here beyond exhausted [cat disrupting sleep every night - not used to being locked in], reading the Windlesham Parish magazine [35p at all participating newsagents, ie one plus the Post Office], trying to remind myself why I liked the village in the first place.  Sat with M last night, scared of this huge commitment. His suggestion - drive back to Windlesham this morning;  ignore the phone; reassure yourself before exchanging on 2 oakwood road, windlesham.

We could be living there in 10 days from now, removers permitting.


Thursday 2 May 2013

Any thoughts? Camberley

If it all falls through - how about this - went to see it yesterday.  Only downsides:  road noise; kitchen window overlooks brick wall; room currently used as dining area v dark.  But:  masses of space, oozing character, 2 mins from train station & town centre [yes, Judy, I know it's Camberley - but it's walkeable to House of Fraser & supermarkets..]

M & I would each have an office, plus a yoga room above the garage, plus bedrooms for guests...

And it's cheaper.  Owned by retired military types, preceded by surveyor, so hopefully he hasn't done anything weird with his extensions...

? Camberley

Awaiting solicitor's advice on current property before decision..

Trying to stay calmer than yesterday, which was a far, far from calm day - pulled from pillar to post by this crazy process.  Milly commanded me to get on my yoga mat at about 6pm, a headstand did the trick.  Can't think about much else while trying to balance upside down.

Wednesday 1 May 2013

Busy and very happy

After the patient removing men had gone, I shared the fridge contents with my lovely neighbours, gave them one last hug and dropped the door key with the estate agents.  I took photos of the corner shops, and enjoyed coffee and cake in blinding sunshine at the garden centre while awaiting M, charging up to meet me from Gatwick.

Two solicitors, one to sort the legalities of any future purchase, another to explain the planning woes of No 2, and why it may be more trouble than it's worth.  It's the other side's move now.

A long, rush hour drive back to Staines, dinner out, happy.

Plenty to do today - not least sniffing around some alternative properties..


Tuesday 30 April 2013

A little more waiting..

Lovely, reassuring Rogers Removals have packed my belongings into 4 containers & gone.  Now I'm just waiting for a phone call to say I've completed.

An empty house is a very peaceful place :)

Goodbye No. 44

Calm final yoga practice in an entirely empty room.

Bought hoover brush online to replace one erroneously sent to storage.  Trust that won't be the first of too many like purchases.

Boys due for final packing right now.  They aim to be done at lunch time.  I should have a few mins to eat my lunch up at Ally Pally.

M at work in Gatwick & needs to turn himself around pronto so we can see solicitor this afternoon to sort the pre-nup-without-the-nup paperwork. It would be great if we could sign contracts on new house at the same time - but solicitor silent on that one for now.

Thank you everyone for being there.

Lovely weather for it.


Monday 29 April 2013

Knackered

A strangely calm day, watching professionals pack my home away, leaving a few essentials behind.  It was dismantling the desk that finished me off.  Can't access business brain without it.

Knackered myself untangling potted climbers from walls and fences.  Oz says leave the last ivy, whose roots have grown under the concrete.  She's right, but I've already hacked the poor thing about, it's not a pretty souvenir to leave behind..though as my gardening equipment is all on a van, I may as well.

Good thing Mr W has somewhere to live, as we're in limbo re: purchase.  Feels really weird here without Tiger.  I have a bed, sofa, microwave, tv and emergency food rations.  It feels like a strange variant on being under house arrest.  I'm only here because we're seeing the solicitor 4 miles away tomorrow, and the boys haven't quite done packing, or I'd be gone.  It is time the walrus said...




Packing up!

Packers here right now.

Seller's hysterical estate agent has actually got the day off.  All I can say is "Good!"

Sunday 28 April 2013

Action stations, or thereabouts

Just back home without cat [delivered to Staines, where I had a very pleasant lunch and tea out, with a very lovely M, with whom I may or may not be about to buy a very lovely house, legal wrangling permitting].  This place still looks like home, but doesn't feel like one without a cat.

Restful, enjoyable weekend in good company, without a single phone call re: purchase.  Neighbours and Jane & co here for a drink and a gossip yesterday.  Final night out at the knitting bar with M, followed by celebratory kebab - I never do quite get around to cooking for him.  God only knows what he thinks of me by now.

Parking blocked out for removals van by kindly neighbours with gardening bags.

All I need do now is eat, decide what's going to store, what's going to Staines, catch up with my lovely sister, and hopefully get a decent night's sleep before all hell breaks out on the phone again tomorrow.

Saturday 27 April 2013

Oddly calm..

..with a remarkably tidy house.  Not sure anyone would realise I was moving.  M is bringing containers over for my clothes; have identified bits & pieces that can go temporarily to his place.  That's it really.

Directing packing men on Monday, hopefully done & dusted in time for our afternoon appointment with solicitor.  Seller's estate agent blissfully quiet today.

Still need to unfurl a few potted climbing plants from fences, but it's quite breezy out there.  It can wait.

Have hoovered.  Am ironing.  How's that for a priority?  Guests & M to distract me this afternoon. Good.


Friday 26 April 2013

No progress

.. just a lot of legal back and forth, with estate agent and me in the middle.  I like to think we're inching forward.  The sellers are getting fed up.

Neighbours & Michael here for drinks tomorrow.

So much packing, cleaning ahead.  No energy left.  It will all happen somehow.

Thursday 25 April 2013

What a business..

.. searches are back in... and now the buyers' solicitors need to answer our solicitors' queries before we can sign contracts.  Every time the ball lands in their court, I breathe out, every time it lands firmly with our side, I become somewhat frantic.

Was overnight in Staines collecting/delivering one small child plus Barbie bicycle to school.  Back home now minimising stuff for storage.

Took advice from very pleasant garden centre man - he'd gamble on digging out my 14 year old Cornus Kousa China Girl, centre piece of my front garden, wrapping its roots in hessian, keeping it soggy until replanting.  Or should I leave it behind, rather than risk watching it slowly die, unable to cope with the upset?  My buyers are OK with me taking it.

Here's a youtube link - Cornus Kousa  - sorry about the Pierce Brosnan ad, but I couldn't find an adequate photo ..

Hopefully, no more than a week in storage.  Hopefully.

Did I show you this?  They never did measure or photograph indoors... Farewell, my house

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Voodoo dolls?

Someone, somewhere is sticking little pins into my effigy.

The vendors are ready and waiting to exchange, they've done everything they can to meet my completion date of Tue 30th... and we're still waiting for the searches to come back on their house, so we're not ready in the least.  The searches may yet turn up tomorrow, we could sign paperwork tomorrow, but we'll never, ever get the bank/solicitor to do their side of the deal in time for Tue 30th.  Maybe end of next week?  With a few days living in limbo, with a very considerate man who is doing his bit...


Tuesday 23 April 2013

Tue 30th?

Estate agents still gunning for us to complete on purchase next Tuesday, same day I move out of this place.  My solicitor is saying 'not possible' - he hasn't even got our searches back from the local authority.

They'll have to fight it out between themselves.  I need lunch.  Plenty to sort here.  I need to get away from phone & laptop.

Monday 22 April 2013

Windlesham pubs

The Half Moon, a mile away.  Him indoors will want to try the scallops.

The Windmill Pub, already tested with Judy.  Thumbs up. 1.6m walking route.

Surrey Cricketers, about 3 mins walk.  Sandwich lunches only, really.

The Bee, 1.5miles.  I must have driven straight past that one.  Need to check the food menu.

The Brickmakers lays claim to an eclectic wine list.  0.8 miles.

The Sun, opposite the Post Office.

And the nearest tkmaxx is 6 miles away in Woking.  All is well with the world.


 


Sunday 21 April 2013

Time to go

The sun is out, there is a comforting hum of lawnmowers.  I was on the brink of sitting out and enjoying it - sorting stuff can wait.  Then the bass beat from down the road started up.

Time to live in the countryside.

Friday 19 April 2013

One down, one to go

Finally - the exchange on my sale has gone through.  I'm moving out on Tues 30th April.  Where to is to be confirmed.

A little r&r is in order.  The sun is due out this weekend & I will enjoy it.

Is it time to order annual seeds for the next garden?



Not entirely helpful advice

Someone who shall remain nameless (but I'm buying a house with him) unsimplified my packing no end by saying "just bring everything you wouldn't want to lose in a fire at the storage place".

Lovely little explore of Windlesham with Judy yesterday.  The Windmill proved excellent for lunch, though the nearest pub to the houses was a sandwiches-only deal.  Four more pubs to check out in the village..
The postman was very friendly.  The Post Office sells cotton reels & takes in dry cleaning; the corner shop mends shoes; there's a tea & cake shop.; the pharmacy has reassuringly late hours; the village magazine is excellent value at 35p, and the country market is on the first Saturday of every month...  I'm torn between loving all of this and going not an inch further until these wretched exchanges go through.

Still waiting.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Pragmatism

Having given myself nightmares with the uncertainty of it all - am going to focus on packing up by 30th April; will move to Staines whatever state the exchange/completion dates are in.  I'm there three quarters of the time anyway, and it will mean I have one less set of 'to do' lists to worry about.

Aiming to start that project on Friday a.m.  10 days to pack up 22 years of stuff.  What could be simpler?

Monday 15 April 2013

Enough research for one night..

Facilities nearest Windlesham...

Nearest police station - Woking (6 miles); 13 crimes reported in February, 18 outcomes [clearly some very active bobbies here].  Mostly car crimes.

Nearest swimming pool - either a luxury day at Pennyhill Park Hotel (3.8 miles) or find an excuse to use one at C's school (2.9 miles), clearly it's the sort of area where, if you want one, you build one.  Or you go 7 miles into Bracknell
Nearest train station - Sunningdale 3 miles (47-50 mins direct to Waterloo/Vauxhall);  or Bagshot (same).

Nearest cinema - Bracknell (7.8 miles) or Woking  (6 miles), or Camberley (7 miles).

Look, this is all very boring.  Windlesham is home to Brian May (rock legend, Queen, if you're so inclined);  Sarah, Duchess of York (definitely never going to be Queen);  and Glen Hoddle, England footie manager.

The village has a pram race every Boxing Day.  Beat that.  And a post office and a shop.  That'll have to do.


Go slow

Having 'sold' my house in January, it's boring waiting for it to be over.  It hinges on my buyers' outstanding mortgage offer - I chased my estate agent, he chased the buyers, their building society and their mortgage broker.  Still hoping to move on 30th April.

Meanwhile, our destination's sellers' mortgage valuation on the property they're going to [did you follow that?] won't happen until the 22nd, so the likelihood of turning that chain around by the 30th is looking increasingly unlikely.  Their estate agent said she wished all her buyers were as sanguine as I sounded - well, plenty worse happens in this world.

I've spent a lovely overnight in Bexhill-on-sea, where the sun shone brightly, with my Gardening Girls, who've asked all manner of questions about Windlesham, to which answer I have none.  Girls, I'll get back to you.. Enjoying the New Forest now, for a little r&r with M&C.

Saturday 13 April 2013

Waiting

Didn't exchange on my sale - shall just have to wait.

Thursday 11 April 2013

Let the packing commence

Working my way through an awful lot of redundant paperwork.

Books?  No.  This time, I will not get rid of any books.

Our mortgage offer has been formally issued.  Still not exchanged on either property, though.

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Suspended animation, cont'd

All sides are promising me exchange of contracts this Friday 12th April.

In the meantime, I really don't know where I live.  Just bought two bags of groceries in Muswell Hill, having almost bought them in Staines, and now they're sitting in my Bounds Green kitchen where I can't quite be bothered to unpack them.

The sun has come out.  I will sit in it.  I can't plant anything.  I will give everything a bucket of water, that will feel better.


Tuesday 9 April 2013

Limbo, chapter 99

My buyers still haven't exchanged contracts - blame falling squarely on their building society.

Lots of phone calls yesterday - solicitors pointing fingers at each other for slowing the chain down - are three links enough to make a chain?  It's only me, our destination property, and the wreck they're determined to refurbish.  If it gets much slower though, we won't be moving in on April 30th.

Bit previous of me to book the removals people, wasn't it?  Just can't help the odd moment of optimism..




Monday 8 April 2013

Reassuring survey

All good - only recommendations were to sweep leaves from gutters & put an airbrick behind the fireplace. Mind you, he did list the house as 4-beds not 5, so either he had an alarmingly quick look around, or Bedroom 5 is only adequate for a small gnome.  I'll phone him.

M bought a red, 2 metre tall, angle poise floor lamp yesterday, very Pixar. A first treat for the house we don't even own yet.  It's sitting on a side table at the moment, looking entirely ridiculous, but making us both smile.



Tuesday 2 April 2013

Inching along

My buyers didn't exchange - but only due to some technical hitch with their mortgage documentation.  Meanwhile, they've sent me a very charming email via the estate agent asking which brand of kitchen units I've got, as they'd like to order more of the same ..

Financial chap this morning; mortgage product chosen.

Glorious sunshine; three varieties of strawberry plants purchased.  Off for a walk before it fades.

Saturday 30 March 2013

Memorable Thursday

I taught my last class at 9am, then rushed home to clean the house from top to bottom lest my buyers see anything to unnerve them while coming over to measure up for curtains at 1pm.  They should have signed their side of the exchange document somewhere along the way - I'll have to wait until after the Bank Holiday weekend to hear whether they did.

Back to work for a late lunch, distributed the contents of my desk, handed over a last few projects, clocked off at 5 then spent an epic 7 hours in the pub saying farewell to colleagues I've known for a decade, with Michael there to take plenty of flak.    And a very rough pub it was, former students teetering around on 6 inch heels, trying to capture the attention of seasoned drinkers at the pool table.  Our preferred location had been held up by armed robbers and was closed for police forensics.

M helped me home with four huge bouquets, bottles, cards, gifts..... Friday passed in a bit of a mist.  Eventually made my way to Staines where I'm settling for the first half of the Easter break.  Plenty of child-orientated projects ahead, plus some practical house stuff when offices re-open on Tuesday.  As I loaded the car up the sun came out, some neighbours were having a stand-up row in the middle of the street, and I wasn't sorry to leave.

Today has started with heart-shaped eggs on toast for three of us without tv, a triumph.  And now a little peace and quiet on my yoga mat while the others go shopping.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Chasing...

.. surveyors..
.. writing handover notes at work..
.. trying to calm the cat [he prefers Staines - gets attention there; gets me either at work or on the laptop here]

Saturday 23 March 2013

Spring

It's officially Spring.  Yesterday was M's birthday.  Catherine made him a 'Birthday Boy - 51 today!' badge which he had to wear out to dinner.  "Have you got a new job yet?", children don't shilly shally around, do they?  Well, no.  But at least there'll be more time to apply for one after this one ends on Thursday.

I think I can persuade M not to bother with Legoland today, what with the snow.  We can complete some paperwork for the solicitor instead.


Wednesday 20 March 2013

Good news, redoubled

My buyers' solicitors have ceased their quibbling - they'll exchange 28th March, to complete on 30th April.

The sellers of 2 Oakwood have found a new home, with tenants who are leaving on 20th April.  They'll exchange on 22nd April, also to complete on 30th April.

It is time, I do believe, for a hackneyed phrase...

How about "Don't count your chickens"?  or "There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip"?

Jolly happy, though.  Would love to move straight from here to there without storing my universe in crates inbetween.

Monday 18 March 2013

Onward and Upward

... Camden High School for Girls' motto - always preferred it to my school's 'Serve and Obey' - pretty wretched life ahead if I took that one literally, I always thought.

I find myself following the Windlesham property's owners' movements like some demented stalker... Apparently they went for a second viewing on a property that they're very keen on today, which only has tenants, no chain.  Good.  Let's hope they buy it, then we can buy theirs.

Meanwhile my buyers' solicitor has endeavoured to make them nervous about a damp patch smaller than my hand, and a gutter that wasn't inspected by their surveyor.  Luckily, my buyers are made of stronger stuff and are determined to go ahead regardless.

And in other news..

It was really, really nice not visiting properties all weekend.  M kept teasing, saying I've been prescribed Prozac, not Thyroxin, but honestly!  It was just Thyroxin!  And I'm really, really happy because I'm not knackered the entire time.

I think there's a mouse.  Tiger's too old and arthritic to do anything about it.  He lived alongside two guinea pigs last week - just gave them a little look and a desultory sniff then went back to sleep.

Saturday 16 March 2013

Hell's teeth ...

.. unless the owners of 2 Oakwood find somewhere to go, or are coaxed by their estate agent to sell to us and rent somewhere, we're stuck, looking all over again.  And there I was, gaily deleting all the "for sale"  emails, thinking "One less thing to worry about".

Well, at least we have a budget, mortgage offer, and a clear list of priorities.  Looking becomes progressively easier with experience, if tiring and relentless....  Thoroughly appreciating a peaceful weekend not looking right now.

Tuesday 12 March 2013

Loose ends

.. slowly but surely being tied together.. solicitors, mortgage man, estate agents, all talking to one another...

Our offer was keenly accepted on Oakwood Rd, Windlesham.  Its owners are desperately trying to find somewhere to go, having been gazumped on their dream home.  They don't want to lose us, we don't want to lose their house. So, we're going ahead with it.  There may be a short intermission between selling mine and moving in there.

Met my solicitor for the first time this morning to sign Exchange document for my place.

Monday 11 March 2013

?

Our offer's been accepted!  But [BIG but] they've been gazumped - how long do we wait for them to find a new property?  You can all stop following now, this process will clearly drag on for far too long for me to keep it sounding interesting.  Or we can look at really unexciting, available property next weekend instead..

And now, back to work to print all manner of documents that only exist online, so I can prove I exist to the solicitor tomorrow - exchange day.  Printer melted down while printing sale documents, and I thought "how nice, I shan't need another, I can use M's".  Got ahead of yourself there, didn't you?

Thursday 7 March 2013

Offers..

We've offered on 2 Oakwood Road, Windlesham... and ..this link shows the garden..

I'm exchanging on mine next Tuesday.

Shouldn't hold my breath, or project too far.  But I have started thinking about coat hooks for the boot room..

Tiger is watching over my shoulder as I type.  He's a comfortable weekend commuter, but I need protective gloves to help wrench him out from under his favourite armchair at 5am each Monday to get back up here for work...  not for much longer, have started writing handover notes.


Tuesday 5 March 2013

Steadily forwards

No news on the buying front. I'd gladly go with my favoured one in Oakwood Road.  M is holding out for details of something not quite yet on the market with which an agent has tantalised him, same area.

But selling looking good:  ready to exchange early next week.

And I officially have an underactive thyroid, which would go some way to explain why I've been rather knackered lately, and have used my yoga mat for precious little other than a nice snooze since November.  Feel instantly better now I have a diagnosis (& a prescription).

Saturday 2 March 2013

Promising?

Saw three today..

1 - overpriced, overstuffed, parking nightmare, no wonder it's been on the market 2 years..

2 - homage to Dallas, knocked up quick mid-80's, kept waiting for Sue Ellen to shoot JR over the balcony, neighbours had personalised number plates, huge rooms, but plastic floors, paper walls, rickety banisters.  You could chuck money at it for years, and it would still not be a solid house.

3 - Oakwood Road, Windlesham.  Our second viewing.  Space for everyone, including visitors.  Much more solidly built.  Better value.  Dare I say it, affordable?  Stone's throw from village Post Office and six pubs.  3 miles from Catherine's next school.  Lovely walking area.  In a small development, with plenty of other families around.  Miles from water, yes, so Michael will have to buy a strip of land to moor elsewhere - good compromise.  There's storage in the garage for a canoe or two.  Yoga space for me.  Room for someone's Wii etc.  Huge kitchen.  Separate utility room.  Bland garden ripe for a little work.  Chain turns out to not be as sticky as the agent described last week.  I think we should talk a little more and just go for it.

Tiger's settled into Staines for the weekend.  I'm better rested the moment I'm away from work, where everything is melting down.  Heaven only knows what I'll do next, but it'll be good to take a break from there.

Friday 1 March 2013

Surveyors & moving men

My buyers' surveyor has been - did a quick mortgage valuation, didn't finish his tea, and amazed me by  using a proper tape measure not a gadget.

Lovely Rogers Removals who moved me here 22 years ago, just quoted to move me out again.  And Milly, they've much improved the insurance arrangements since then..

7 Graham Road, Windlesham - available to move in!

You're allowed to be bored by now.  This blog is helping me keep all my thoughts/links in one place, not that I achieve that with the greatest of accuracy.

Curses.  More cover teaching calls.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Can't win them all..

.. no interview for me, alas.

Removals men coming to quote on Friday as well as my buyers' surveyor.

Michael sent me this .. maybe a little far outside Camberley, but beautiful?

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Windlesham, cont'd

I'm still keen on this one - spacious, family-friendly & affordable, but it's in a nasty chain.  So we might just look at not so pretty - but still in Windlesham.

Meanwhile, work is hell, and it's hard to believe I'll be leaving there in a month.  Multiple staff absences, imminent exam season, potential Ofsted visit..

Hopefully, an interview in Windsor next Tues for job in Education & Training for the council.  Less money, who knows...  maybe less stress??

Surveyor booked in for my place this Friday.

Tiger has taken to howling at the moon.


Saturday 23 February 2013

Spacious of Windlesham

.. plenty of walking paths, near the school, it's at the very end of a cul de sac, with a short short cut to the village with essential shops & PO.  Sufficiently within budget that we'd be able to shop at Waitrose in Sunningdale, and I could relax and enjoy a 4 day week [assuming someone will kindly give me a job].  If they won't, I could take over the recently closed Dr's/physiotherapy premises in Windlesham and go broke running a yoga centre [not really].

Here's the link - Windlesham again?

Must have seen 4? 5? others.  We'd all blown a gasket by the very end...  Tiny access roads, building sites on main roads, very friendly owners who won't leave you alone to look.. and (yet) another overpriced waterside dream.  Well, waterside dreams are out for now, unless they are (a) finished &; (b) a total bargain.  Give me space and comfort.

Finished & uploaded job app last night..

Friday 22 February 2013

3 properties tomorrow..

Lovely waterfront, Wraysbury

Sensibly priced but floodable, Wraysbury

The builders haven't finished yet, Windlesham

Time for an application form & dinner.


A break

Still at one remove in the New Forest, which is a wonderful, welcome thing.

Someone else has put an offer in on the fantasy Edwardian pile, so perhaps that step-too-far has been taken out of our hands, and perhaps no bad thing, sad as I am to see it go.  It would have worked with a family of elves to do all the hard work*, of which there was a lifetime's worth.

Meanwhile the reasonably priced waterside property is far more vulnerable to flooding, but we'll have a look all the same.  Time for me to do more inland research and locate a bit of Berkshire with a sense of community that isn't on a motorway, nor next to a theme park or a race course.  We'll get there.

Today, job app to finish and Guildford to get to without flattening the Sat Nav battery.

* which in my case I have not got, to paraphrase Henry Reed, here he is if you have the time..

http://www.solearabiantree.net/namingofparts/namingofparts.html

Wednesday 20 February 2013

How about?

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/27992380?tmad=c&tmcampid=35&utm_campaign=buy-alert&utm_content=contact-type-listing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert

A lot less space, but a lot less money, decorating and heating, still on the water at Wraysbury?

A little strategic googling found a potential job in Ed & Training for Windsor Council, a pay cut, and the job app has to be in by the end of Friday, but I've spoken to someone there who said I had a chance..

Nice afternoon being marched around the New Forest by a very happy child.


Still looking..

Well, no instant job alas, but a useful chat with a possible employer, who sounded spookily like my current employer, working with identical challenges.  What was that self-help book called again?  "Wherever you go, there you are".  So:  even if they do restructure & happen to create a job I could do - do I want it?  Ho hum.  And the only instant work available, and way to get to know the place & let them get to know me would be hourly paid teaching work, of a type and salary so junior, I've never done it in my whole working life.  Oh boy.

Away with M&C in the New Forest now.  Got here thanks to Satnav finally stuck firmly to the right bit of windscreen, the right way up, and remarkably useful.   I'm well fed, well slept, and the decidedly unattractive looking haemorrhage in my right eye has finally melted away [optician said that's what you get for coughing too dramatically].  A welcome break indeed.

So, today I feel inclined to living somewhere smaller, cheaper and much, much easier to maintain.  Even though (M especially &) I've invested substantial volumes of time and energy in that Edwardian fantasy, complete with memorising 80 page local conservation report - I can tell you where to find the nearest bat, hedgehog and birds galore....

Nobody needs this much info.  Time for my breaksfast.  xx me

 .


Monday 18 February 2013

Moving along..

Phone interview set for tomorrow, just have to get the satnav working and find the New Forest for a short half-term break first.

'Wreck It Ralph' with Catherine today, plus some Easter card making in a hobby shop and [I'm clearly a total pushover] McDonald's.

Sale of my place moving along - it finally has printed property details, not that it needs them now it's been bought, "lovingly maintained", I like that phrase.

Skype definitely works, as Oz and Ilene can testify.. you do get me in headphones, though.  I like it.

More property research needed before we commit.

me xx


Saturday 16 February 2013

Skype & other meanderings

Hello team,

Headphones/microphone kit work!  If you'd care to send me your Skype details, we can talk.

Telephone interview postponed to Monday - interviewer similarly indisposed with end-of-term-itis.

Have invested in recognisable brand of satnav, which should recognise where I live.  Shall ebay first one with a 'buyer beware' description.

Love,

me xxx

PS:  Re-visited Edwardian pile today;  reassuringly, it looked smaller.  It smelt mustier.  Tennis court so green with moss I thought it was grassed.  A lifetime of projects, but exciting ones.  Daughter of neighbouring house stuck her head out of a window to say "Have you bought it yet?... Buy that house!"

Visited a perfectly finished, aesthetically pleasing house much nearer school, but no garage, limited space.  All good research.

Thursday 14 February 2013

Only vaguely about property

I have a telephone interview lined up tomorrow for a college really not too far from my next location...

Amazon has delivered the headset that might mean I can finally Skype..though Oz says that won't cure anything.

M&I are having a second look at the dementedly huge Edwardian place this weekend.  Judy, it's like yours with bells on.  Same indestructible carpets and puzzling collection of blinds where there should be curtains.  The carpets are a good thing, because we won't be up for replacing them in this lifetime.

Already having minor spats about whose study has to have a spare bed in it.  I'll concede a folding one.

And on a wholly irrational level, it turns out the last family who lived there for 30 happy years went by the names of Barnett & Iris, surname Levy.  I feel almost duty-bound to reclaim the place.  I've been a little distracted on Google lately..

- I've found a photo of young Barnett, aged 15, in his school Athletics team before he made good and left Tottenham.
- There are records of copper being delivered to the wharf where the house now stands from the 13th century.
- One of the houses on the island opposite is called Toad Hall.
- I will spare you.. I could go on.. but work and a heavy cold have interfered with my enthusiasm.

None of this is even slightly relevant to home buying, is it?

Toodle pip.

Monday 11 February 2013

Reality check?

Perhaps we need to live somewhere much, much smaller, and much, much cheaper.

M says I worry too much.

Onward.

Sunday 10 February 2013

Wraysbury, Berkshire?

An interesting Saturday afternoon .. Wraysbury is 3.5 miles back to the shops I know in Staines;  1.5 miles to the railway station - 47mins from Waterloo; 20 miles from Judy; 50 miles from Milly; England's 2nd longest village at 7 miles from end to end, with a village hall, Post Office, newsagent, village store, under a mile to the pub .. a drive, but a straightforward one, to school for Catherine.. a stone's throw from Windsor Great Park..and most excitedly - I know how to get there from the M25 without getting lost!!

Alas, a yoga teacher's wages won't pay the upkeep on either of these, so I'll just have to get a half-way sensible job.  Gone are my dreams of baking cakes for the Women's Institute and doing the garden.

(1) Wharf Road:  Edwardian, glorious, with enough space to play hide and seek indoors.  Catherine's already played with two friendly neighbouring girls.. High enough ceilings for chandeliers.  Dreadful photos - it is so, so much better in real life.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/27385877?search_identifier=c8792dac8a5f06495f8736c84506746c

or

(2) Kingswood Creek: the (very much) smaller, eco-friendly, easy to hoover, suntrap with limited headheight in the bedrooms [rafter conversions]  Yes, Judy, I can hear you from here.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/17409944?search_identifier=9b7254f7d10f0ac3f82d624a51cd0a3e

Both are away from the main Thames thoroughfare, so M could launch a boat easily enough, but the houses aren't overwhelmed or directly overlooked by passing river traffic.

Both in straightforward non-chains.  Could move into either and tart them up bit by bit.. We were awake at 5am working out who would get which study..

I will report in :)

Monday 4 February 2013

It's a long way to go..

Choosing a new home is far, far from easy.  It's a "No" to all seen so far.

Nobody should live in Bracknell.

Builders should talk to their wives before chucking money at kitchens.

There was a beautiful garden in the middle of nowhere with 100ft trees, that would have needed vast amounts of time and money chucking at the house, and it was still outside .... Bracknell.

And there was a holiday chalet on the river with a mooring that belonged to its neighbour and no mains water or gas.  Nice river.

Why would anyone live in a really, really nice house right next to a main road?  The seller left a tv on in every room to distract us.  It didn't work.

Well, at least we agreed that none were quite right.  Busy week ahead & more research next weekend.

Must do something about slow puncture, satnav that's still in its box, getting new spectacles, and finding a new job.

Toodlepip.

Wednesday 30 January 2013

New berth?

4 viewings lined up for Saturday.  One is an absolute dream, with a mooring, a Juliet balcony covered in Wisteria, in the sort of village where Midsomer Murders was filmed, but a really stupid school run -  just say no, right?


Tuesday 29 January 2013

Sold!

At 2% off the asking price. 

Instructed solicitors.  Gosh, rather a lot of paperwork, isn't there?




First, sell one house

Friday - £11 of  long-lasting spring blooms from Associated Dairies strewn about the place.  Boxed howling cat up & spirited him away from preposterously clean home for the weekend.

Saturday - one classic pair of Haringey wimmin health workers brought round by infant in winklepickers.    Oh so perfect for my street.  If only my dear friend the psychodynamic psychotherapist directly opposite had not finally removed her punchy 'Save the NHS from even more cuts' placard from the window, the wimmin might have put in an even better offer.

Monday - they made a generous offer, 9am.  I was wholly oblivious [thank you Virgin mobile] until my agent called the landline 10 hours later.

Tuesday - he'll try to nudge them up a few quid.  He's very happy;  hadn't even had time to measure the garden or print up my details.  This is all looking so simple, isn't it?  Hm.