Help calm me. House buying and selling stress

Ellianne this is a local company but they aren' t visiting to give quotes because of Covid. I would've expected a questionnaire because a lot of the stuff shown on Rightmove isn't here anymore, some has been replaced and a lot can't be seen.
We haven't had the moving date confirmed yet, so will have to wait until Monday.

Fingers crossed. Good luck.

Life is so complicated for you all. It should be simple, really the government must do something about the whole system. I do wish you all good luck through the mire and hope that the sun will shine on you all soon.
Spice I hope you are coming to the end of the boxes.

https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202102/medium-759899-20210218-152925-005-2.jpg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202102/medium-842320-20210219-144650.jpg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202102/medium-284935-20210219-144732-1.jpg%3C/span%3E

I am not good at taking pictures, so these do not really doit justice, but will give some idea as to what I have had done

Very nice Franbern and sunny too!

Very smart!

Lovely floor Franbern.

Lovely Franbern, I might copy you when I move!

Your floor looks lovely Franbern.

I wrote a very long post re our experiences yesterday but it did not send as I’m using the net through my phone and it doesn’t seem to like doing some things. I cannot access my emails and various other things

The abridged version is the move sent well although I cannot find some of my clothes - undies and tops. Hopefully they will turn up as I empty boxes. Washing machine is working so I ‘ll get by. Weather 36 yesterday today hot again and very humid.
The not so good news is that hubby is in hospital. On Thursday night his defibrillator started playing up. He rang the cardiologist who told him to go and see him mid afternoon. H saw the movers load the truck and sent them on to the. New place where I was and went to see the cardiologist. Upshot is that the defibrillator is failing and needs replacing. He was admitted go hospital for monitoring until ghat can be done. Initially they said Wednesday but it now looks like it will be tomorrow.

So, what was supposed to be the first night in our new home it was me by myself.

Oh Spice, my heart goes out to you. After all the trials and tribulations of the past year with your double move, this should have been a really happy time - and now it is not. All out best wishes, are speeding to you that hubbie will be back in your new home within as short a time as possible, and that you will then both be able to relax properly and enjoy it all.

Big hugs Spice ?

Sorry that you have had to deal with a sick OH in the middle of all this. Hope he gets his p soon and will be back to full health.

I hope your DH is better soon Spice.

Spice - proof of how stressful moving can be, surely! Hope your DH is treated quickly and can share the joy of the new home with you. Absolutely awful timing. My DH broke his leg just after we moved and spent six weeks tethered to the sitting room while the builders ripped out the kitchen, took down walls and ceilings and replaced floors whilst I scuttled round the outside of the house to the temporary kitchen in the utility room. Hope you have an easier time.

Marydoll and young Iris have my sympathy and hope both feel better in a day or two. I have another day with nothing much to look forward to but at least we aren’t ill. Grateful for small mercies and all that, and am enjoying the more upbeat posts, especially grandmafrench and sheepandcattle.

PS - lovely floor, Franbern. You must be delighted.

Thank you all for your good wishes. The good thing is hubby has no adverse experiences and feels well. Son thinks he just doesn’t like moving so opted out. Of course that is tongue in cheek. Son #2 and daughter in law and our two grandsons have been wonderful they came over at very short notice yesterday and got the kitchen sorted out. He set the tv and various other things and collected his father’s car from the hospital. They were back this morning with lunch and a beautiful bunch of flowers to unpack more boxes and clear the boxes etc so the place looks fairly normal and he set up the internet so I’m back online. Their reward today was a few hours in the pool. It was lovely to have a nice relaxing day after the stress of the last few months.. Son #1 is coming tomorrow to help out.
Oh and I have found the missing boxes.

Hubby will be operated on tomorrow and should be home on Monday.

Thinking of you Spice and hope that everything goes well for you both.

Thinking of you Spice, best wishes for your husband's op and full recovery, I hope this new defib lasts a lot longer.

Evening all, feeling very pleased with myself. It is true that it's always worst thinking about something you don't want to do. It only took me three hours to sort the garage out, it's now ready for the removal men. Kitchen in the cottage looks like a bomb's hit it, but that's for tomorrow

Not so pleased to find out my aunt's marvellous neighbour not only does her shopping and takes her bins out, but also does her washing - my aunt has never told me this. I'm not going to let my aunt know she's told me, apparently it's only when my aunt's washing machine is 'on the blink' - but I know she only bought the machine three years ago, I think she can't lift washing anymore. I feel sad she hasn't been truthful about being able to cope. She has looked at the retirement flats this afternoon but still doesn't understand she cannot look at them until she has her own property on the market, and hopefully, a firm offer. It's bad timing!

Shandy do ensure that your aunt understands that she will need to be sure she has money put aside to pay the maintenance charge, which is usually quite large at any proper retirement properties. This cost can NEVER been any part of any benefit claim. so you and she need to ensure that she has enough money put away to cover that cost for maybe the next ten or more years.
On the subject of washing - most retirement blocks have a communal washroom with washing machine and tumble dryers in them. However, she would need to be able to take her own washing to those and use those machines - unless she also intends having a carer come in to do those sort of jobs for her.
She probably does need a full assessment of her needs at the moment and for the foreseeable future. Is her house likely to sell for enough for her to purchase one of these flats? and have a goodly sum put away for the maintenance charges? Just be careful that you do not find yourself having this sort of long-term responsibility for her.

Thanks Franbern, because I'm fuzzy headed at the moment with my move, I haven't asked her enough questions. So hard doing it on the phone only, wish I could go down there.

When my Mum died, I've tried to make sure I've always been there for her as they were very close, but I am still a bit shocked her neighbour has been doing her washing. Her neighbours' parents are in their late 80's and she has all their washing to do as well, plus her Dad had a fall recently and is very poorly, she's been staying with them and I think this has spurred my aunt into action. The maintenance charge for the block she likes is £322 per quarter, the ground rent is £25 per quarter, she said she can afford it - but I have offered to help her. We need to have further conversations, for the moment I've tasked her to get three estate agents round to give her a valuation.

Wow!! much cheaper on IoW then. Is this the sort of retirement home where they have the communal lounge and a House manager 9-5 Mon-Friday? Usually known as 'sheltered housing'? The 1-bed ones down here (not the most expensive housing area) are more than twice the maintenance charge you quoted.

She seems set on this particular block, which has a communal lounge, laundry room, and a manager - not sure of his/her hours as it's not listed, the particulars are very sketchy. The flat for sale that I rang about, in my opinion, is horrible. The kitchen is in the corner by the front door, it is boxed off from the room by an arched doorway cut out of the fake wall. No windows. It's top floor and the bedroom window seems to have the eaves overhanging it - but as she is so short, I think she'd still be able to see out. The other block that she looked at had much higher ground rent at £290 every six months, and a whopping £2800 service charge every six months. She can't decide anything until she finds out what her flat is worth. I wish she'd done this after my move, I'm feeling a bit stressed with my own affairs at the moment. And now my cat has got a sore eye, so vets on Monday too!

Shandy, that second block does sound to be to the other extreme of price. I would have thought on the IoW those sort of sheltered accommodation flats would be around two and half grand a year maintenance, plus land rent. I looked at a few, but found them all very small, tiny kitchenettes - seem to assume that anyone in such place does not really do more than make a cup of tea and slice of toast. They are usually hedged around with all sorts of rules and regulations and have to obtain permission to carry out any work on the flat - if permitted usually only able to use certain tradespeople. Does the one she is looking at have a balcony for her - and is there a garden there?

I would concentrate on your own move at present - point out to her that you are in the process of that and will need at least three months to settle in. In any case, it is likely to take her a good time to get present house on the market and any sort of offer on it. Offer to visit her (assuming it is permitted then) during the early summer, and then take her around to look retirement properties etc. and discuss any work that would be required on her present house to make it more sellable.
Getting so close now for your move, and you will have enough stress relating to that to deal with.

I took nearly seven weeks for me to pack everything up in my Living room and Hallway ready for furniture to be moved around for the laying of my new floor -on Thursday my family moved all the furniture back into position - I will complete the unpacking today - much more fun unpacking than packing up!!!!