June 2010, 80 payments to go............

julliff

Hi tootallulah

I have read all of your diary - you are doing really well, I hope you don't mind me posting.

Is there much of a market for vintage stuff? I have a wardrobe choc full of vintage clothes which I am thinking of selling (well, some of it). I still love it, but I wont get into it again! Will probably sell the 50's stuff, but I am not ready to part with the 40's stuff yet.

Also, what make of steam mop have you got? I would really like one of these if they are any good.

X

tootallulah

Hi Juliff, the market for genuine vintage is massive and the best prices tend to be on Ebay unless you have a stall at one of the big vintage fairs like Goodwood. Mad Men has made 50s and 60s stuff extremely desirable. I will look out my steam mop tonight and see what make it is. Off to work now to beat the tube strike...........

tootallulah

Poppy £5, coffee £2, sandwich £3.85 (because I left mine at home grrrrrrrrr). Rather an expensive day due to forgetfulness and war, but one cannot begrudge a poppy. Back to eating my way through the freezer which is leading to some lovely meals and some that are still unidentifiable as I eat. I am off to see my house tomorrow, very excited.

museumworker

How is the house looking?

tootallulah

Well the house is a massive building site BUT all the big, hidden work is done, except for the windows. The electrics are finished, the heating is done, the kitchen old walls are gone and the new walls are in, the bathroom has been made into two rooms, all of the drainage is moved and I have a new back door.

Next is the tiling of the kitchen floor and the bathrooms which should be done in the next week. I went to IKEA and chose the kitchen "plain and simple white" I also bought a fridge, freezer and dishwasher which were all a good price and having bought such an expensive cooker everything else needs to be bargain basement.

The big worry is the windows, they are all untouched from 1874 and completely rotten. Everywhere where the work is being done I am having re-made double glazed sashes but they are an horrendous prize. It has also made me very aware that they all need doing and that cannot be afforded in this phase. I do think I will be going into 2011 with a mortgage of £175k rather than £170k but except for the cooker everything else is inexpensive as this is not my forever home.

I am in daily contact with Ebay about setting up my seller account the need is GREAT.

cha97michelle

Glad you had a lovely time in SF. The work sounds painfully expensive, but sometimes you just need to bite the bullet don't you and just do it before it leads to something that costs more.

tootallulah

Have put every single thing that needs putting away, or sorting out, in a big pile on the bed - theory, can't go to sleep until it is all put away.

Now off to clean, hoover and dust, happy days.

[Deleted User]

good luck with the cleaning/sorting- I like your theory! I adopted a similar one whilst trying to declutter by making the bedroom impossible to get into until I tidied! :rotfl:

san fan sounds wonderful!

good luck on the house stuff, good all the expensive stuff is (almost) done ...we too have windows that are gonna need replacing in the next year or so - but figure once theyre done energy costs may go down as itll keep the heat in better!

tootallulah

Bathroom and hall beautiful clean, tidy and de-cluttered I am thinking of just living in there. Bedroom is still a dump but I'll get onto that later. Staying in tonight and going to a bonfire party tomorrow which will be fun. Freezer surprise of a tomato nature for tea.

tootallulah

NSD yesterday, I am still tidying and cleaning...............

This flat takes too much looking after mostly because I only clean properly about once a month, I NEED a cleaner but that won't be happening this side of Christmas. I leave for work at 7 a.m and I am never back before 7 p.m, time is really short and when my house is done I will also be away 3 week-ends out of four, I will be living in a slum.

Still got no heating but I have been recommended a plumber to ring tomorrow so that will be good, though probably expensive.

I have had a long chat with the builders and I need to decide whether to just do everything and have £180k mortgage or to not do the remaining windows and take the risk. I can pay £2k plus interest every month so by next Christmas I would be back where I started this September. I will never save the required £10k-£12k but I will be OK paying off the mortgage, I am leaning towards everything done and a huge mortgage. I will live in the house for the next five to seven years so I will get the benefit of the spending. Decisions, decisions.