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.