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.

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.

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.

?

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?

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.

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).

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.