Category Archives: moving house

SB at nursery today, BB in chris’s care as I was on a fab course on negotiating through change. I have an almost pathological fear of conflict, so have been doing a 5 day management and lradership course. this was the last day. Although I still not a conflict girl, I think the knowledge of the processes and when to draw a line is helpful. I even ended up volunteering for the crappest role in the role play today, and enoying it. Hopefully this will help me in the non-medical part of my job in the future [as well as any potential officious LEA bods]

Also fripped on ebay by buying some german starter leappad books – alphabet and richard scarry. not expecting SB to really understand yet, but will go along with the Muzzy.
Child of our time was predictable on not questionning school. However did suggest that the twins waiting a year to gain more emotional intelligence was a good idea.

we have another viewer for our house tomorrow. Again fingers crossed, and beautifying tonight.

went ok, house fairly presentable, but garden needs a bit more attention! they were fairly non-commital, so prob not buyers, but hopefully they will leave some feedback to help with next viewing. After all, what do you say about a house??

this sun by someone who has sold their house. fingers crossed.

Apparently this is our house, not sure I recognise it…..

Our house

Please note it is has not normally (in fact ever) been in such pristine state……….

Modern barn conversion-a-like with fantastic family room – looks much better in real life. in a small village with no amenities, not even sure a bus link. road is a b road and a reasonable though not excessive noise. No place for chest freezer. Can see girsl cycling around the building happily, and garden to make veg and fruit areas, and even room for polytunnel.

victorian listed building which is gorgeous. obviously needs some upkeep work, including roof on utility, some decorating, in the next 5 or so years considering the wiring etc. still big garden, room for fruit and veg. in lovely village with shops etc. but, directly on the road [same mod busy one as barn house, and next to pub. also all that ongoing looking after.

really should be looking at houses below 400000 [what a huge wallop of money that is]

As usual, we like the things out of our budget, that we viewed in case their price dramatically dropped!!
Good day on Thurs, SB behaved impeccably, and treated to a Chinese – said ni hao to waitress after asking her what languages she spoke. unfortunately I woke up in early hours with acute gastroenteritis – hideous!! Luckilly all the rest unaffected, so Chris took out SB to househunt, and I fed BB and felt miserable. Even worse, that someone down there had invited us for dinner that evening, and had to cry off. Another little chef meal for DH and SB.
On the Sat we veiwed again the 2 favourites – about 40000 above budget – ho hum!!
sorry merry after this i was so beat we just drove home, not even a kiddicare break!

Question – do we stretch to overmax [as lenders will lend that much, just family budget is tightened to nth degree]. probs – no hols, reduce amount to spend on girls, may risk my dropping session [and therefore pay] in the future depending on interest rates etc [though could fix for 5 years]. Or get a house within budget, that we just aren’t so keen on, and hopefully time will make it a home [though this didn't happen to parents - after 30 years mum still doesn't think of it as home!]. I really don’t want to move again.
other thought, is that if i knew i could drop sessions, it would be a bit easier, as I’m sure family would prefer cheaper house and more mummy if the expensive house and more mummy were incompatable. just don’t know the future – may even get nice payrise [unlikely from this government] and then would wish had gone for broke.

question 2 – any good advice on predicting future interest rates – should we fix, cap discount or offset. I hate moving!!

will post some rightmove links to the 2 main contenders when have thought about things as bit more. the only cheaper option I like wont let us view at the moment, so don’t really know if would still be a go-er

stayed up till after 4 last night getting house photoable. [not including box room!] At that point SB woke up – luckilly went bac to sleep.
Gym this morning with helen, tots group this afternoon and chris napping! Now driving to Cambridgeshire for manic house search for 2 days. Both parents knackered and grumpy. both children full of those beans!!
As for ed – well, gym = PE, tots = socialisation and singing. Also looked at pages in usborne encyclopaedia with Helen for an hour = general science, history and all sorts!! COunting, adding and subtracting as part of cooking [though not v much!] SB counted correctly to 34 in car – was v proud!!

today dominated with moving house. have engaged services of an estate agent. A friend of mine suggested that we asked them to do a deal on commission – we are not good at haggling, but in a half hearted doomed to failure way chris tried. it worked! well, some anyway, from 1.5 to 1.35, but if we sell at 215 asking, that saves us about 300 – SO WELL DONE THAT MAN!!!

Also trying to arrange viewings at the other end. you would have thought that people whos house has been on the market would be desperate for viewings, but no! 1 off market, one having a 10 day break to tidy house [ we said as travelling over 100 miles, and staying for 2 days to view, we really don't care if it is untidy, as can see through that, but to no avail], so prob wont be buying that one.

also, which house to buy?? one is on v limit of affordability, but nice amount of land. 2 are also on limit, but on market so long, will try to haggle down to more acceptable place! 3 nicely within budget. All have some real positive feature, and some negatives. All of them are nice, and can see us happy in all of them. ho hum. I leave all my decisiveness at work.

box room gradually being tamed. loads of chris stuff in boxes for him to sort. he’s painting kitchen ceiling at moment, as photos of house being taken on wed.

nursery day for SB. BB fed, slept and smiled!