Help calm me, house buying and selling stress. Part 3

Doing those forms was very worrying, I think I was too truthfull ie said how extra sockets were added to the garage by a qualified electrician but I did not know who as my husband organised it. I should have kept quiet about that, it cost me more money to pay for the indemnity.

Franbern enjoy the next few days as much as you can

Its pouring again but I suppose is fairly typical of february, the extra warmth last year was more unusual. I cannot believe that I got 2 big loads dry on the line yesterday. I am the only one with a concreted in whirly thing, the 2 neighbours never put one in and both dry washing indoors. I can see their racks through their windows

So I managed to build the 2 vegtrugs, it was difficult at times because I had to use very long screws that cut through metal, I bought the aluminium ones as they will last forever. I did the final assembly outside and have waited a couple of days while jiggling with positions on the patio, they are very large and black, will never disappear and will be far too heavy to move when filled. I have decided the final position, parallel to the house at 90 degrees to the garage, in the middle of that s facing side. They will get sun all day to around 4.30. Altogether it is 2m x 76cm and waist height. I made sure I left space for my sheets to blow and to get my barrow past.

I love the plotting and planning aspect. 10 bags of compost stashed, perlite stashed, water gel ordered and seeds ready. I succumbed and ordered 6 x blight resistant tomato plants, 3 x losetto and 3 mountain magic and nasturtium seeds for a different taller stand. I do think I will be self sufficient this year, salad and veg and tomatoes almost until winter. Fruit starting next year

I am wittering again, will be packing for crafting day tomorrow. I hope you all have a nice day

Enjoy your trip Franbern, sorry the main aim of it was cancelled but I hope you have a lovely time. I hope you can completely avoid anyone coughing/sneezing, that poor woman released from quarantine apparently has developed it again - seems the strain could be mutating already.

I've finished doing 'forms' for the night, I don't want to make mistakes so will take up to the station to complee tomorrow when I can find my cheque book - which I haven't used for years - and all the other supporting documentation. I can't remember where my will is held, I'm looking forward to looking it up!

Off to find my piece of cake and watch more of the Crown, night night x

Do remember well how frightening it was to do all those forms. Reading them out loud does help at lot. Take each question, section slowly. Separately, and out loud, they often make sense. I brought the whole package down here to WSM and sat with my daughter at her dining table to complete them. Actually, they were not too involved, but that large envelope with all those forms and questions in it did look very intimidating.
Am attending local Gransnet meet-up tomorrow, then will need to pack as I am off to London for five days early Saturday morning.

How exciting Franbern, if it's already been done up I'd love to live there, ha ha!

Just popped in to say I was disciplined and have heaved all my heavy ornaments out of my garden, into my car, and now into the cottage garage. The buddha head was almost too heavy to lift, what a lump, I had to roll it. Luckily he still has an intact nose.

Came back in to find my solicitor has sent me all the paperwork so I've just done the Sale Client Questionnaire. I need to to back to the house for the deeds and some other info - I bought my router and printer down today so I hopefully will have a secure TalkTalk connection by the 5th March. On this BT 'hotspot' still, can't tether with my giff gaff contract. Heart feels all fluttery doing these forms, I still read without understanding as I'm so anxious, just reading out loud helps.

Thanks for the volunteer info Gramaretto, my house was just too cold to invite people, would have been great in the summer. My roofer still hasn't been in touch, my friend has recommended someone, but I know my roofer is sypathetic to old buildings so I'll wait.

Off to do the printer and see if it can pick up this signal so I can print a form I need!

Shandy, just turned on Escape tothe Country to see today people being shown around a converted sation propety in Northumberland (with an annexe)

It really isn't so long Shandy and then you can plan a holiday and do some serious househunting.
I was thinking why not ask the nosey neighbours if they would help lift the ornaments to take for safekeeping to your new place, seeing as your toe is broken?. Cheeky but they are cheeky too.

We waved goodbye to our lovely French helper this morning. A beautiful snowy sparkly morning. We are sad to lose him but glad he is getting on with his life. I recommend hosting volunteers to help with heavy jobs and to lift your spirits. the site we use is:

www.helpx.net/

We have a girl booked in for a few weeks in March. I hope she'll be able to help get the flat into good shape to let out. I must advertise it soon.

I've just paid the roof bill, the plumber and the electrician too. It must be the end of the month! The roofer found 16 problems to fix on the roof and it's all done now. We are very pleased. No more leaks.

Morning everyone, really hard frost again here but no snow. Next door's noises woke me up, I wonder what they are scraping along the skirting board.

I've only got the heating on 3-10 pm at the station and am a bit worried, might have to set it for early morning too. My late husband always did it, I'm not sure sure how to do it, more very small print instructions!

The cat has tried to get up the chimney in the night, the box is folded downwards, glad it worked.

Have a nice shopping trip Whiff, I've not had my normal wander around the charity shops since my toe, just Tesco for food and I can nearly always park outside.

Hope your dog's check up is OK Ellianne, as no extractions for my cat luckily no check up required. I do feel so stressed when I have to catch her and she miaows piteously all the way. I asked the vet about her tooth decay, and he said it is part of the natural aging process, sadly feral cats don't suffer it because they normally don't survive to such a good age. Apparently people down in the village have had their cats poisoned according to the facebook newsdesk, so very cruel.

The auction seems like a very long way off at the moment but the company has been and their sign is now in an odd place in the garden.

My best friend is off to Mauritius on Sunday, I can't wait for it all to be over and to go somewhere for a change of scenery.

I'm taking the car down to collect the ornaments after my dog's beach walk, I'm glad you agreed the neighbour's behaviour was inappropriate. Apparently they don't buy anything new and recycle and upcycle wherever possible which I do admire, but I will tread carefully with them in future.

Have a good day all.

Yes Whiff, no problem catching the dog fir his check up today. He is always ready and waiting for an outing.
Keep warm and dry everyone.

I'm not scaremongering here but the problem with creosoted sleepers is that scientists say they are carcinogenic and toxic. They may cause cancer. I believe there was an EU directive about 10 years ago. We had them in our garden and in hot weather they used to glisten and ooze slightly. I used to cover them with a thick towel when the grandchildren played on them.
That said, I assume new wood treatment no longer has the toxic ingredient these days.

Shandy57 cheeky neighbours. Have you considered trying to sell the sleepers? My son says people go mad for them to make raised beds as they are hard wearing. Have you got a reclamation yard any where near you as that's the sort of thing they sell. They may buy them off you.

You are sounding so much more upbeat in your posts. No matter what happens you are taking it more in your stride. Hope your toe is feeling better.

I don't have pets by a friend has 3 cats did have 5 but 1 decided he didn't want to live with her last year and now lives at a local factory. She takes him food daily . One died in the autumn she had liver problems but was also 18 . She has had to cancel a lot of vet appointments because she can't catch them . Dogs seem so much easier to look after than cats.

Franbern that was lovely to have that surprise gift. Nice to know you are so well liked.

A friend of mine works in Shrewsbury on Wednesday's so she had an unexpected day off yesterday. Has no idea what damage the building she works in has sustained.

Winds have finally died down here so am popping out shopping today on the bus. Hope no one is flooded or snowed in.

I can understand your neighbours not wanting the sleepers if they're creosote Shandy, but that was a cheek to assume they could list your ornaments to have even if they were offering to buy them. I would stick to your guns and say the ornaments mean too much to you to part with them.

Evening all.

Lovely your friend sent you a gift Franbern, I often listen to Radio 4 Gardener's question time and it's amazing what can be grown on a balcony. I can't remember if you directly face the sea, ie west? Better than facing east like me. Enjoy, nothing nicer than picking and eating your own cherry tomatoes!

Whiff I like your suggestion of food and tickles, I'll suggest it to the viewing agent! Congratulations on your prize, I haven't won anything for a very long time, but as they say, you have to be in it to win it. The daffodils here at Warkworth Castle are always a sign that spring has sprung, many people photograph them.

Ellianne I'm relieved your dog didn't need as much work as anticipated, and the bill was lower. I'm sorry you had to rebook your ferry, we had to as well but only to the IOW. As I got the basket out our cat disappeared under the floorboards, we were having the kitchen renovated. Only thing that would bring her out was kippers, yuk!

I'm back with my puss cat who is walking very timidly around the cottage as though she's never seen it before. No extractions and ONLY £148, thank heavens I still have some savings. Silly me forgot to buy a Feliway cat refill in readiness for moving here but I put it in earlier today, I hope it helps her. Unfortunately still five days of antibiotics and the anxious watching to check she eats it all up before giving her the rest of her food. When I met my late husband we lived in south ealing in a tiny upstairs flat. We didn't have a garden but I was in the bathroom one day and a cat appeared from behind the toilet - there was a huge hole which led to the flat roof below. We ended up adopting a colony of five cats, and guess what, they all got ringworm. Remembering this I won't complain about giving my one puss tablets, that was a nightmare!

I've just come on to say that I offered my new neighbours my sleepers a few days ago, I think I have six long and four short, and paid a lot for them.

I've just bumped into them, and they said they'd been up to my garden. They refused the sleepers as they think they may be creosoted - but they'd like my ornaments, and listed them off to me very enthusiastically. I was rather taken aback and said I hadn't thought about them as many were gifts from dear friends, but I'd let them know. I wasn't offering them my ornaments, plus I now realise I need to go and gather them all and bring them to the garage here as they could be pinched. Quite heavy and most are on the upper platform, urgh, my toe still isn't up to any weight lifting. I've also got an expensive metal rain chain. I've had to leave the gates open for the scrap man to collect the piano frame so will force myself to do it tomorrow. Neighbours, who'd have 'em! ha ha only joking but I will think carefully before offering anyone something for nothing again.

One more dog walk and I can put my pjs on and watch more of the Crown on Netflix, I'm really enjoying it.

Have a nice evening

Cats ?! Wouldn't be without them though.

Don't get me started on naughty cats missing appointments. Our boy went missing on the morning we were due to move to France. We had to cancel the ferry booking and re schedule for the following day! He must have known something was going on! And 5 years later on the day we were returning to the UK to live another of our cats had somehow ingested or lost his chip and had to wait another 6 months in a French cattery for clearance!?

Our cats always used to have to go to the vets for dental extraction etc. Our current one has absolutely no problem with his teeth at all. The vets also congratulate us on his weight (he's a very big lad but no fat at all). He's fed on Royal Canin Maine Coon food plus water. Our previous cats had soft cat food and Whiskas cat milk which seemed to just dissolve poor YumYum's teeth.
Vet visits are no fun. I symaphise with Shandy57 in trying to catch her puss. I've had to cancel appointments before now as a cat we once had just disappeared every time the cat basket came out of the cupboard.

Aw Franbern that's lovely that a member of your old gransnet group sent you a gift. I hope your new friendship group is going strong. And well done Whiff winning a competition. We will want photos of the daffodil cushions.
Hope your cat will be ok Shandy. Our dog had two extractions yesterday and is back to normal today although on pain killers for 48 hours. The bill came in at £690 so was less than we expected.
Sunny but windy here.

Shandy57 glad the electrician came. Hope you cat is ok when you pick her up later. Nothing you can do with grumpy people. She was probably having a bad day and lady showing her round was an easy target. Grumpy little children are easy to deal with food or tickles work well.

Just had a nice surprise in the post. I enter a lot of giveaways in my cross stitch magazines and I have won one. Don't usually win anything. Its from Heritage crafts a Karen Carter design daffodil landscape. Don't usually do things for myself but love giving things I make as presents to family and friends. Making 3 cushions for my grandsons Easter present.

The sun is out here after hail ,sleet and heavy rain. Normally the weather doesn't bother me but after getting blown over 2 weeks ago haven't been out under my own steam because of the high winds. Hopefully the winds will be ok and I'll be out on the bus.

Morning all, hope you are all well and the weather is kind in your area.

I hardly slept with the worry of catching my very timid cat this morning but luckily she was on the bed when I woke, so I scooped her up and into the cat basket which I'd hidden in the wicker basket next to the bed. Felt awful doing it! Very hard frost here in the night so had to spend 15 minutes scraping the windows and then set off, lucky I was early as my normal route was flooded and I had to go around the frosty country lanes. Dropped her off and the temperature had crept up to 1 degree, and the sun came out, dog had a marvellous time at the beach.

Have just had a phone call with 'feedback' from the young lady that took the viewers around on Saturday. One person was very grumpy and said 'she was glad to get in at last'. It is interesting when you hear things like this, I was always willing to do viewings and even allowed people to come on a Sunday, I suspect she was not at all flexible in her viewing requirements.

The electrician rang while I was at the vets so I rushed back to see him, he has disconnected and removed the extractor fan electric parts, I now have a nice round hole in the window, covered in brown packing tape Looks awful but will hopefully stop the snow when it comes. I've told the viewing agent I have contacted the glazier.

Off to drive my daughter's car to keep the battery going, keep your fingers crossed it starts!

Have a good day

Did mean to add that I arranged a viewing of the flat just a couple of weeks before the move, as I really did need to some final measurements so that when the move took place I knew exactly where to have my furniture put - also helped me decide on what NOT to bring with, I had a complete plan of each room showing where everything would go - useful as my daughter here picked up the keys on removal day and a lot of the furniture was already in place by the time I arrived.
I did make the offer to me EA for s similar arrangement for my purchasers during those last few weeks, but they never took me up on that. Can understand the need for that -

Seems that removal companies in Oz are similar to those in UK. I had three quotes for my move, all told the same details. Amazing the difference of cost between them. The largest - a major one - was the highest (this was the company that caused several people on here problems). They also charged for the dismantling and re-erecting of my double electric bed at around £700 - said it required 'a Specialist'. The local company I used made no extra charge at all for this and their men did this with no problem.
A week ago I had an email from that large company asking if I was still waiting to move. I replied to them, pointing out that (A) I had informed them that I would not be using them and (B) repeating the main reason - their high charges.
I did very largely de-clutter completely before moving, did not want to downsize from a house to a flat with loads of stuff. Have still had to take some stuff to charity shops - but this has been either items that I deliberately brought with to use for an interim period, or some items that I had intended not to bring (eg: the mirror on the wall in my old en-suite), which the movers took down and packed.
Have needed to buy new furniture for my flat, all of which I had planned in advance. The kitchen has been my biggest challenge as I had a very long galley kitchen in the house, with loads of cupboards and drawers and have a small kitchen in the flat = but it has all worked out well and will discourage me from having what my children used to call 'my siege mentality' for food, both cans and freezer. Have found, much to my astonishment, that I can manage with a small under-counter freezer.
I must make a comment on the kindness of people on Gransnet. Yesterday I received a lovely present (a book on balcony and patio gardening) from a lady who I used to see at the Gransnet meetups in Wanstead. Such thoughtfullness, kindness and generosity.

Thanks Whiff I will bear your expertise in mind. The Developers have long since abandoned any responsibility. The houses were built 20 years ago.

I too think the purchasers must wait SueH but I guess you choose your battles. Health is definitely the priority here.
I would go with the local company too.
Our tenants move out on Saturday. They don't get the key to their new house until then so have no chance to go around early.
We haven't let it yet but have told DD isn't needing the space here until the end of March so they have had a stay of execution!!
I am longing for everyone to be settled, especially Shandy

SueH49 removal firms seem as much a mine field in Australia as here. Hope your husband is feeling a bit better. I'm with you your purchaser has a cheek sending people round. It's not long before it's their's anyway. Why all the rush now it's not as if the deal isn't done. Decluttering is never ending. The more I did the more there seem to be done. But suddenly I looked around and it was done. As I have said before wasn't until I had unpacked all the boxes here that I had to declutter again. Realised I hadn't been as strict as I thought I was in the first place. Found I love living with less things. Only brought new things for here that I really need

Grammaretto as it the fault of who built the housing estate they should be the ones to fix it. Does the spring belong to anyone ? Do think some people are unreasonable. Sending solicitor letters seems extreme. Surely when the people brought the house the spring would have shown up on the searches even though you say it goes through your garden. At my old house my neighbours ivy grew through the fence onto my side. I didn't complain just put weed killer over it all that solved the problem at little cost. Glad you had a good time in St Andrews.

Hope no one gets snowed it as they keep on forecasting a snow bomb.

An interesting few days. We have had three removal companies quote our move. The difference in quotes - both money wise and detail have been marked. One company - a big well known firm - basically said we estimate 2 trucks plus 5 men at an hourly rate of $520 plus this and plus that - allow about $7000 plus we will charge you for any boxes you keep. Another pretty much listed every item that needs moving and the third simply gave us a price, split between the transport and the cost of having them pack everything.

One company built in insurance, second added $660 to the quote and the other would charge $24 per $1000 of cover which would equate to about $2500.

The cost varied by about $3500 between the highest and the lowest quote.

I spoke to our insurance company and they will cover us for loss, damage or theft under our existing Contents Insurance so we really do not need extra cover let alone $2500+ worth.

Some decisions to be made but we will probably accept the local company which just happens to be the cheapest. They have been around for many years and are I believe quite reliable.

The purchaser of our property, in spite of being told there would be no access has sent people around today. According to the Estate Agent it is written into our Contract of Sale that they would have access given reasonable (24 hour notice) I don't believe this as it is not in our copy. In any case there was no notice given today, people just turned up. Unfortunately DH and I are at odds regarding this. He doesn't see any issue with giving access where as I, probably perversely, do.

More decluttering today. surely it must have some impact soon. I must have taken 20 big bags of "stuff" to the op shops and so much more either given away, sold or binned.

Yes apparently Jane10
The water, from an ancient spring, runs down the hill which is our garden land and used to flow into the river but since a housing estate was built on the land between ours and the river, the water became a "problem" .
Any drains which the developers provided have long since blocked and the most affected neighbour gets very cross and sends first the Council officials round to us, who provided him with sandbags and looked helpless and confused, followed by a lawyer's letter, followed by someone from the lawyer.
I think the current situation is someone (not me) will build a trench and somewhere for the water to go. All has gone rather quiet so I hope a solution is being found.

We had thought about tapping and bottling the spring water as in Peckham Spring and have even had it tested. We drink it sometimes but always boil it first.

It was another neighbour who complained about the ivy on the mutual wall. We have paid a tree surgeon to cut back the ivy so it's no longer doing any damage.

I had a lovely day out in St Andrews, thanks. I hope to see you next time.

Good heavens Grammaretto! Are you expected to redirect the stream?! Enjoy the Tail End. I'm off to the dentists soon.