Moving

My day started a little earlier than I intended! We got the Pickfords quote the other day and it seemed very high and not quite as competitive as I had hoped. So I decided to get some other quotes which is generally a good idea anyway. So this week I have three other companies coming in to do quotes – one on Monday, one today and one tomorrow. Today’s appointment was booked for 12 noon, so imagine my surprise when he showed up at 9.30! Anyway, I can’t be sure that in the chaos that is my life at the moment, I didn’t write down the wrong time. And he was the perfect gentleman. I was still in my pyjamas and he offered to wait in his car until I was more suitably attired!

I have to say, at the moment, the customer is definitely king. I would like to think that was due to improved standards in customer care and service over the years and good training, but I think that whilst that’s true, there’s also a little bit of a scrabble for your business at the moment. We are very much in the minority buying a house (as well as getting in professional movers – when things are tight, it’s one of the first costs to get cut. People try and save money by moving themselves.) Either way, I am very impressed with the good service from 3 out of 4 of the movers and after tomorrow’s visit, maybe 4 out of 4.

I finally finished my job application last night. I took so long to do it. I would literally open up the application and then go on the internet, or walk the dogs, or watch some TV. But eventually there was nowhere to hide, not if I wanted to meet the deadline and so I finally got a move on. I think I’m a little fatigued when it comes to applications. I’m not approaching them with the same zest and zeal that I was six weeks ago! Let’s hope I get this job and I can have a break ;0)

We heard yesterday that we might even complete before the 12th and this morning the final part of the mortgage was approved. From what I can gather (and feel free to comment if I’m wrong) there are 3 parts to the mortgage process where things can go wrong and potentially you can fail to get a mortgage.

1. Mortgage in principle: this is obviously not binding and you can do it before or after finding a place. You go to a bank or broker and they take your details and agree in principle to give you a mortgage.
2. This is formalised after your offer has been accepted. This is the point where they want the ins and outs of your life since forever and where a lot of mortgages can fail if they uncover bad or undisclosed credit history. This stage is a big deal and once this has been done, it’s unlikely – not impossible, but unlikely you will have any further problems.
3. The mortgage is approved by the underwriters. Between stages 2 and 3 you might be asked for some more details – maybe bank statements etc. But once you’ve got past stage 3, you’ve got a mortgage baby! Then the mortgage confirmation goes to your solicitor who can close the deal.

We have passed stage 3! So from the solicitor and mortgage people thinking that completing on the 12th was very tight and maybe not possible, they are now saying it might happen even earlier! Good stuff, eh?

We were chatting in bed last night that despite how stress-free this process has been (in relation to how stressful it could have been), we’re still stressed! Don’t underestimate how draining buying a house can be.

Finally if you want a recommendation for a broker (and I would always choose a broker over going straight to a bank or building society) then London & Country are brilliant. A broker will search for the best deals on your behalf and they shouldn’t charge you for this service – they charge the mortgage provider. We’ve been very impressed with the efficiency and customer service at L & C.

Anyway, enough of all that, I may not have a job application to do today, but I do have a million other things to do!

These chickens are sent to try us...

We had a break-in this morning. A fox went for the chickens and we almost lost one. And it was my fault. I forgot to shut the lid of the run. I heard a strange noise and shot out of bed just before 6 this morning. I was half asleep but I knew something was very wrong. I could hear the dogs growling, whining and pacing as well. I raced to the kitchen and let Pluto and Bess out and sure enough, there was a fox in the garden and the dogs went for him – Bess even tried to get over the fence after it. A chicken shot past me and I grabbed a torch and went out into the garden. My heart was racing and I was dreading finding a bloody carcass or a trail of feathers, but luckily the other two were still in the hen house looking traumatised and then I remembered that the third chicken had run past. I went alongside the house shining my torch and eventually I heard very soft, very frightened noises and there was Tabitha hiding under some tarpaulin. I picked her up very gently and put her back in the run and this time closed the lid. I wanted to cuddle her but thought it was better she was back with the other girls who I’m sure are far more effective at comforting one of their own than I ever will be...

That wasn’t the end of the story. The bastard fox tried again about half an hour later and again we all rushed out; the dogs to chase the fox, my partner and I to protect the girls. They were fine and so we all traipsed in and back to bed – muddy footprints (dog and human) all over the flat – and this time we got to stay there until the alarm went off to get up.

The chooks are very quiet this morning and may have been put off egg laying for a couple of days because of the shock. Pluto is a bit anxious, reacting to any little sound or movement. Bess however, is asleep. She tends to live in the now and the now is telling her there is absolutely no reason to be awake.

It looks like the couple who are selling the cottage want to sell some furniture including a gorgeous dining room table and chairs which we are very interested in. I’ve asked them to email me everything they want to leave (they are moving somewhere smaller) and how much. We’re very pleased about the table. It’s huge and rather grand. In the midst of information for estate agents, solicitors and our mortgage people I have taken refuge in the little things, and in my head I am planning where to put all our pictures. It’s like a safety valve – when you’re transferring huge amounts of money from one account to the next, having your financial history gone through with a fine tooth comb, trying to remember where you lived six years ago and faxing off this that and the other, it all becomes too much and so I have decided to allow a small part of me to mentally retreat and concentrate on the fluff; candles and pictures! We’re all working to an impossibly tight deadline at the moment because the couple want to move before Christmas. The good thing is so far everyone is responding magnificently and working very hard to get everything done. The bad thing is I don’t know what day it is and am constantly fretting that I’ve forgotten to do something...

Chickens and mortgages – I am a sucker for punishment!

A good mechanic and a nice piece of cake

What a domesticated weekend! We made bread, muffins, cakes and scones. Had family over for tea (and lots of cake), started on the big garden winter clear up and did some housework! I also watched a lot of rugby (see previous entries).

We also got the laptop wirelessly connected to the Internet. Ok, I say we, what I really mean is my partner. She was great and basically did all the work, including phoning our broadband provider when there were a few problems. I sat next to her making sympathetic and supporting noises. A tough job but somebody’s got to do it…

As it all kicked into life – the laptop saying, hey I can pick up the internet, the internet saying hello, I’m the internet would you like to go out sometime – a list of all the providers popped up with the prompt, which one do you want to pick? So we saw all the providers for our neighbours, and as there were 10 different choices, not just the neighbours upstairs and either side either. Their was even one that was unsecured so we could, in theory, just use the net without paying and presumably (although as you may have gathered I’m no expert) be able to see all of that persons internet files?! Naturally, we didn’t dream of doing that, well, not for long and just clicked on our provider and voila! The laptop is now truly mobile.

We were supposed to go to the cycle show and see Slighty’s Witcomb Bikes stand, but we didn’t make it in the end what with unexpected guests and a list of chores as long as your average inner tube. Apparently it went well though. They now have a 6 month waiting list. How fantastic! As I said in a text, in the sort of disposable ‘want it NOW!’ world we live in, how wonderful that people appreciate craftsmanship and quality and are prepared to wait for it.

We sent an email to a woman in Somerset who is selling land, which makes it even more imperative we see a mortgage advisor ASAP. It may come to nothing but for those of you that know me, you will appreciate I am a belt and braces sort and like having things organised and ready for when we do want to make a move…

Unfortunately I start off the week a little lame. (Even more so than usual.)Whilst clearing the garden yesterday I fell and banged my knees quite badly. I stopped work immediately, my partner ran me a bath and I rested for the rest of the afternoon – even using a crutch to take the weight off. I took painkillers and slept well and I think all that did make a huge difference although I am still sore. Ironically, tonight is my MRI scan. I have to move my legs and then they scan me as I move to see how bad the damage is. Think I might not tell them that I was carrying heavy stuff (a big no-no) and then fell on my knees because I’m a clumsy bugger.

By the way, before I sign off and throw myself into my work, I should say that I used Beekay garage in Hammersmith (near Ravenscourt tube) to get the car fixed last week. And so far I am very impressed. I am now booking the car in for a service. I liked the way they kept me informed and were so polite and friendly. When I asked for a quote for a service they told me they couldn’t give me one… I was a little perplexed, until they explained they check the car over for free and then call you and say this needs doing, this doesn’t need doing and then they give you a price and ask whether they can go ahead. In other words, they don’t do (or charge) you for work that doesn’t need doing. This seems to be both sensible and practical.

If you want reviews of garages, I think there is a website called the good garage scheme where real customers post their comments about the service and quality of work. For someone like me with no frame of reference with regards to garages or the work they do, and so who has to rely on trust, it’s really important to hear what other people think and have found using a particular garage. I’ve only used Beekay once, but I am impressed so far and will be using them again.