To buy or not to buy?

Well it’s good to be home with my straw, grit, pellets and other chicken essentials. Even though I make it sound like I’ve been away for weeks – a lot has happened in two days! (And I took the opportunity of being in Cornwall to stock up on chicken supplies without paying a premium like you might in a London garden centre).

I drove down to Plymouth on Friday, traffic was kind (yes, you heard right) and I made really good time. I stopped at Bridgewater services (Somerset) - what a dump that place is. (But if you gotta go, you gotta go!) I got an over-priced under-tasty burger and then headed off. I saw a 4x4 pulling a Kukri trailer. It caught my eye because it was a big promotional show-type trailer and Kukri do rugby stuff. As I went past written in big white letters on the side of the trailer were the words, this trailer is alarmed when unattended. Does that mean someone has to stay with it all the time? Bless. In the trailer’s defence I’d be a bit alarmed if I was left in a car park on my own all night... but you don’t think of vehicles having anxiety separation...

I was staying with friends in Plymouth whom I have learnt are regular readers of my blog. So thank you for your fantastic hospitality, it was lovely to see you, and A I hope you’re feeling better ;0)

Despite a night of red wine and beer I was up at sparrow fart the next morning, eager to start the day and after bacon rolls that’s exactly what I did. I headed first to the village where the house is up for auction to take some photos and walk around – it’s very pretty and friendly. Then I stopped off at St Kew farm shop to get ‘essentials’ like Cornish brie, nettle beer, veg and scones! And then to Bude where I sat on the beach for an hour on the phone to my partner. Then it was time to go and see the house!

I might as well cut to the chase, its lovely! It’s everything we want. But is it at the right time? And this is why I’m up at sparrow fart again today despite 7 hours of driving yesterday, because I can’t sleep. It needs a lot of work, but a lot of that work is cosmetic and could be done whilst you’re living there. The biggest job is the roof needs re-doing. The garden is fantastic but massively overgrown, but with the one of the Plymouth friend’s (a professional gardener) offering time, expertise and equipment, we could have it whipped into shape in no time. I’m not sure what the pheasants that live there would make of that...

There’s been lots of interest and the agent is fairly sure that whilst we could make an offer, the owners do want it to go to auction. She also thinks it will go above the guide price and I think she’s right. The two bedrooms are big, and the living room is too, and it looks out onto the garden. It really is a special place. Will we be buying it? I honestly don’t know, but I can’t tell you that if we can do it, we will.

I drove home very thoughtful, glad to be going home to see my partner (and the menagerie), but sad to be leaving a place that makes me so happy. I saw a car with a bumper sticker that said; yes I’m a witch, deal with it! That made me laugh.