Well, here I am in another place - I'm renting a flat in Hove - very near to where I was living until one week ago. By golly it was a bit of a sweat moving after nearly 13 years, and I was in a practically comatose state immediately afterwards.
Packing up and leaving was the most difficult part - as I knew it would be. Even now it's all a blur.
And I'm pretty sure that half of the stuff I decided to keep will be redundant when it finally comes out of storage. This all part of the process though, because some of the decisions were too hard to make on the spot. I know it's daft, and it's mostly only pieces of furniture, but they were all chosen with care and love, and have shared our lives for many years - like old friends really.
Anyway, it has all gone off in the van and into a shipping container for 3 months, while the work is going on at my 'new' house. The removers were great, worked very hard and were mostly cheerful. I just hope that everything emerges intact in the end.
I have done very little except fall asleep during the last week - a result of the emotional upheaval and stress I'm sure. Little by little it is improving and I'm able to stay awake for longer, which sounds as though I'm in recovery doesn't it?
I'm still the practical one though, and have a file with plans, design ideas, notes and quotes, all ready to go for the refurbishment. It's as if I'm two people at the moment - one efficient and on the ball, and the other adrift in limbo. I know who has to win, so I'll just keep on fighting the sleeping sickness...
My chosen builders have everything under control; we are meeting tomorrow to go over the plans and they are going to start clearing out the house completely. The old kitchen has already gone to a new home. courtesy of my trusty old handyman, Dave, and there is only some disgustingly dirty carpet, old curtains and poles, radiators and old pipework left to go. I went over to have a look today, and can't wait to see it gutted and ready to go.
So there we are, or here I am - it feels strange but not necessarily bad, Time to move on,
Showing posts with label Builders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Builders. Show all posts
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Stressed-Out City
Not my best day so far - it started with feeling sick with apprehension when I got up, but not with any particular reason. I soon learned though, when my Solicitor rang me to say that the person I'm buying from had apparently received "an independent cash offer" from person unknown and that if I can't exchange by this Friday they may sell to this "person". Then I really felt sick! So the rest of today has been filled with phone calls. panic and a feeling of stressed out helplessness. I must say that this vendor behaved similarly when I first offered on the house, threatening to sell to someone else if I didn't stump up an extra 10 thousand. At that time, I agreed because that actually brought the house price up to the asking price, and I felt it was really worth the money. This time, however, I'm not feeling so generous - and not that any extra money has been mentioned anyway. It has just totally wobbled me after such a long time and when we are so close to Exchange. I think we have avoided disaster, and everyone has actually spoken to everyone else today, which has hopefully sorted it out. Fingers crossed.
I've been totally submerged in negotiations with builders, plumbers, electricians and removers over the last couple of weeks, and of course it's all going to cost more than I had hoped originally - how could I be so naive as to imagine that total refurbishment could be cheap, or even reasonable? No wonder the builders, plumbers, electricians etc are all so charming, helpful and amenable - they're all earning a bloody fortune! Not that I'm complaining, I've got to the stage where I just want to get on with it, at (almost) any price.
Family news: the children had a visit from their Father who, as you may remember, has been living in New Zealand for the past nearly 20 years. He is now married to wifie number 4, 25 years his junior, and has prostate cancer. I guess he came over to see the new babies, since it's unlikely that either Son or Daughter would be able to make the journey there (or afford it). And maybe he senses that his time is limited - I don't know, and as I wasn't planning to see him I couldn't ask. Anyway I think the visit was pretty much as expected - he brought presents for everyone and still managed to rub a few people up the wrong way; that is a particular talent of his which doesn't seem to have faded with time.
I'm going up to London tomorrow to help Son and his partner with the baby for a couple of days.
Lovely - I'm going on the train and coming back with them in the car on Saturday. I had forgotten it's the Bank Holiday, so just hope the traffic won't be too bad... I hope that when I catch up with you again there will have been proper progress in my property saga.
Have a lovely weekend, I'm looking forward to some sunshine.
I've been totally submerged in negotiations with builders, plumbers, electricians and removers over the last couple of weeks, and of course it's all going to cost more than I had hoped originally - how could I be so naive as to imagine that total refurbishment could be cheap, or even reasonable? No wonder the builders, plumbers, electricians etc are all so charming, helpful and amenable - they're all earning a bloody fortune! Not that I'm complaining, I've got to the stage where I just want to get on with it, at (almost) any price.
Family news: the children had a visit from their Father who, as you may remember, has been living in New Zealand for the past nearly 20 years. He is now married to wifie number 4, 25 years his junior, and has prostate cancer. I guess he came over to see the new babies, since it's unlikely that either Son or Daughter would be able to make the journey there (or afford it). And maybe he senses that his time is limited - I don't know, and as I wasn't planning to see him I couldn't ask. Anyway I think the visit was pretty much as expected - he brought presents for everyone and still managed to rub a few people up the wrong way; that is a particular talent of his which doesn't seem to have faded with time.
I'm going up to London tomorrow to help Son and his partner with the baby for a couple of days.
Lovely - I'm going on the train and coming back with them in the car on Saturday. I had forgotten it's the Bank Holiday, so just hope the traffic won't be too bad... I hope that when I catch up with you again there will have been proper progress in my property saga.
Have a lovely weekend, I'm looking forward to some sunshine.
Friday, April 17, 2015
Nobody Panic...
Honestly, I'm beginning to feel a bit like a rabbit frozen in the headlights where this move is concerned. It's just that I have to get my head around not only moving, but getting rid of so much of the 'stuff' that I have gathered around me over the last twenty years or so. Then there's the fact that I will have to completely gut and refurbish the new place, which will take roughly two months, during which time I will have to rent somewhere short term. If all of this sounds stressful, it is supposed to be but I feel strangely calm most of the time - just unable to actually do anything.
I should be planning it all, on the computer probably, and I am getting together a lot of pictures which I'm saving in my "Moving Folder". Typically for me, I can easily visualize what it will look like when it's finished; I can see the kitchen, the sitting room, the bedrooms, the bathrooms and even
the garden as they will be when finished, it's just the getting there which eludes me! I have now seen three builders, all different, and all very helpful in their different ways - they can all apparently do what I want and seem competent enough. But I have heard so many horror stories about builders that I'm naturally cautious and, frankly, terrified of choosing the wrong one. My best option would seem to be the one who is actually working on another house in the same development at the moment. I have been watching their progress over the last couple of weeks and their work looks good. Fingers crossed, they could be the ones...
I don't want to add any pressure to Son's life either, since he has only just emerged from wrestling with his builders, who were basically a "gang" of Polish men who were often drunk on the job, often not even on the job, and finally left their new house in an unfinished and dodgy state. All I want is for him to come down in a van (with a friend) and take some of my stuff away. They already have one of my lovely rugs in their sitting room, and it works well on their new oak floor. I just wish they had room for more. And if only Daughter could take a few things! But that is just wishful thinking as their flat (a large, three-bedroom job) is already stuffed to the gills with their things, and even when they move I don't think they'll want much of mine.
Anyway, I'm just whingeing really. We obviously have lofts and attics for the sole purpose of storing things we will never look at again.. and particularly our children's things. Mine contains children's books (still boxed from my move 12 years ago), black sacks full of old stuffed toys,
a half-size snooker table, a travel cot, a rear shelf from an old Renault 5, suitcases full of summer or winter clothes, bubble-wrapped pictures...well you get the picture, and I swear I won't do it again..
I know I'm going to have to store some things, like the table from my Dad and the elm chest and probably the beautiful C18th corner cupboard, but now I'll have a garage, a dry, solid brick-built garage, in which to store them for a while. Ho Hum...
Oh and just before I go, here's something I heard on the radio this morning: "What is Dark Matter?
It's called Dark Matter because it doesn't give out any light." Basically, it's the dark stuff in between the stars. Isn't that wonderful?
I should be planning it all, on the computer probably, and I am getting together a lot of pictures which I'm saving in my "Moving Folder". Typically for me, I can easily visualize what it will look like when it's finished; I can see the kitchen, the sitting room, the bedrooms, the bathrooms and even
the garden as they will be when finished, it's just the getting there which eludes me! I have now seen three builders, all different, and all very helpful in their different ways - they can all apparently do what I want and seem competent enough. But I have heard so many horror stories about builders that I'm naturally cautious and, frankly, terrified of choosing the wrong one. My best option would seem to be the one who is actually working on another house in the same development at the moment. I have been watching their progress over the last couple of weeks and their work looks good. Fingers crossed, they could be the ones...
I don't want to add any pressure to Son's life either, since he has only just emerged from wrestling with his builders, who were basically a "gang" of Polish men who were often drunk on the job, often not even on the job, and finally left their new house in an unfinished and dodgy state. All I want is for him to come down in a van (with a friend) and take some of my stuff away. They already have one of my lovely rugs in their sitting room, and it works well on their new oak floor. I just wish they had room for more. And if only Daughter could take a few things! But that is just wishful thinking as their flat (a large, three-bedroom job) is already stuffed to the gills with their things, and even when they move I don't think they'll want much of mine.
Anyway, I'm just whingeing really. We obviously have lofts and attics for the sole purpose of storing things we will never look at again.. and particularly our children's things. Mine contains children's books (still boxed from my move 12 years ago), black sacks full of old stuffed toys,
a half-size snooker table, a travel cot, a rear shelf from an old Renault 5, suitcases full of summer or winter clothes, bubble-wrapped pictures...well you get the picture, and I swear I won't do it again..
I know I'm going to have to store some things, like the table from my Dad and the elm chest and probably the beautiful C18th corner cupboard, but now I'll have a garage, a dry, solid brick-built garage, in which to store them for a while. Ho Hum...
Oh and just before I go, here's something I heard on the radio this morning: "What is Dark Matter?
It's called Dark Matter because it doesn't give out any light." Basically, it's the dark stuff in between the stars. Isn't that wonderful?
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