How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

GreyQueen

Someone else got it. Never mind, with over 20,000 on the Freecycle group I knew it was a long shot and I really do have nowhere to keep it. Was considering under the bed....:rotfl:

schoolhouse

Oh vespar, I so feel for you. We have just had the structural survey report on a place we want and it is not good. New roof,render and timber frame are all major issues:(. So,we are back to looking..again. Had our mortgage approved yesterday too. All that money on surveys,mortgage and solicitors so far..just !!!!!!,gone.

On a positive,it is a lovely day and the boys have been playing out. We have a home and we are healthy and happy. Just need to make some cake and then it will all be better:p.

OrkneyStar

mardatha wrote: »

Announcement - I have a crocus !! Whoohoo its spring ! Sun is even shining!
My god, the shock. Have bought some seed tatties but not going in until April.

We have snowdrops and crocuses (crocii ? ) in our garden and we live in the northern isles....brrrrrr.

mardatha

Yea tons of snowdrops out too. Maybe Scotland will get a spring, one day! It gives you hope LOL!

vesper

schoolhouse wrote: »

Oh vespar, I so feel for you. We have just had the structural survey report on a place we want and it is not good. New roof,render and timber frame are all major issues:(. So,we are back to looking..again. Had our mortgage approved yesterday too. All that money on surveys,mortgage and solicitors so far..just !!!!!!,gone.

On a positive,it is a lovely day and the boys have been playing out. We have a home and we are healthy and happy. Just need to make some cake and then it will all be better:p.

I know, we have spent years saving up, and it feels terrible to see the amount go down again, on nothingness.

OH and me decided to swap a few bits of furniture around today. Glad I wasn't the one that had to lug the heavy desk unit up the stairs. Starting to regret my Aunts offer of a load of glass bowls (trifle bowls etc) that she offered me the other week. I am not sure when I would ever make a trifle except at xmas (I can't stand the stuff) but you never know when something like that would come in. Oh well it's too late they have gone to the charity shop.

Just going to have a look through the fridge to see what we can have for tea. I know that it must involve chicken, but can't get any inspiration and don't really fancy pie or stirfry.

OH is bumbling around upstairs, but he has finally fixed my desktop computer which I use for work. It's only been broken over a year!!! oh well he's expanded it all for me and put a second hard drive in it from his pile of spare parts (he used to do up laptops and desktops).

Hardup_Hester

MaLarkin, hubby was told today that although the housing market is carp the rental market is going through the roof & that Barrett Homes announced today that they will be building just for the rental market for the forseeable future.

Hubby worked half day today so I went to get him & spent some of my vouchers, we came home & he's spent the afternoon in the garden prepping the strawberry tower & planting peas.
Hugs Hester

fedupfreda

Evening folks :wave:

The strange yellow ball in the sky has been spotted around these parts, too. Accompanied by 3 hens who were enjoying a good scratch around, since the fences have been mended. In fact, today has been quite (dare I say it) springlike. :j

But I will not hold my breath. I have a magnolia tree in the front garden. Every time it flowers, we get a late frost - just as the petals have opened.:mad:

I don't mind though - all the petals on the floor look like a wedding to me!:D

Catch you later
Freda x

mrswive

Vesper: re lack of inspiration chickenwise, I'm sure everyone else in the world knows about this (we've only very recently acquired broadband) but just in case you haven't come across it, it might be worth trying the BBC website. If you scroll down to 'Food', there's a recipe finder; just put in an ingredient and it comes up with tons of recipes. I've just discovered this and today made spicy chicken thighs with emergency biriani. I adapted it a bit to use what I had in. The chicken was delish, the rice was a bit wet and needed a bit more flavour added to it but overall, not bad at all and more interesting than my usual. I've got quite a few chicken thighs in the freezer (Waitrose reduced) and will definitely be trying a few more recipes.
It's been lovely and springlike here on the south coast today which is guaranteed to lift the spirits!

gailey_2

Afternoon guys.

Not sure if its pregnancy or just done too much.

grey queen-got my slowcooker argos sale few weeks back for £6.29 but not had chance to use yet.
sometimes see them at carboots and that starts up soon normally easter time

welsh camper-nearest home bargains is newport . I do know newport well as used to live newport and cardiff plus dad lives there and hubby works there.Ended up getting cheap plastic draws for her craft stuff from asda living ascant stand the mess.

I have a housing issue mentioned before.

tennancy up renewal but we asked for 2years and landlord keeps giving us 1year so he can up the rent each year!
we wanted to stay another 2 but hes said 1 again.
letting agents who manage property on his behalf wanted to charge 72quid admin fee every time we renewal.

Told hubby to sort it but of course left to me so went to office today with contract stating my frustrations.
managers waivered the 72quid admin fee:Das can see why I feel unhappy as hes upped the rent by 20pounds a month and charging us 72quid so he can do it.

Listed couple of issues.
previously rent only gone up 10quid a month each year over last 6years.
agents says he intends to up it next year but have no idea how much?:(

Told agents we had intended to stay for leasts 2years but only signed 1year contract.
Alsothat house bit on smallside for us and if rent was upped considerably we would have to reconsider as could get bigger houses, better decorated for same money.

Only thing this property has going for it convieniance of location,we knew landlord was seeing this as long term and wasent going to sell up plus we thourght our good history with him reliable tennats always pay on time ect.

But last year we spent 500quid on his property as put down new floor tiles in bathroom and kitchen they were faulty when we moved in but he refused to sort it as cosmetic,was nitemare to clean and was listed at every inspection.
Our hallway /lounge had cheap thin creamcarpetwhich dident survive the 2kids we rug doctored it so much it bubbled andl ooked beyond repair so were placed with laminate ourselves and that cost 200quid. we repainted all the rooms in white or magnolia.
put in newtowell rail,toiliet roll holder and shelving in bathroom.

After all that its still not perfect but we tried to make it our home.
done alotof workto front and backgarden over the years.

The ovens crap.the kitchens falling apart dated and needs replacing.
The avacado bathroom suite is quite grubby and dated never looks as clean as white.carpets upstairs cheap and nasty.
Fixed lighting in lounge is very ugly and dated,patio doors keep dropping and fire wel lheater needs replacing.
All this would have to be done I guess to market it to new tennants.

hubby picked this house without me seeing as rental moved so fast we were incompetition with another couple but they refused to smoke outside the house.Prior to us moving in house was vacant for 4months.
I remember when I first saw it was very dissapointed with kitchen,bathroom and dated decor but I loved the location.
Its 3bedlate 1980sbuild 3rd rooms a box 2nd a very small double and our rooms biggest.

But the thourght of moving with 3kids fills me with dread.
ideally would need to drive as that gives us more options as have to get my girls to localschools and nursury.

Plus to secure another private rental would have to put down grand deposit and 2months rent before we got money back of this place.
so talking best part of 2-3grand just tomove.
we not in position to get social housing or buy so stuck in private rental trap but dont like idea of landlord taking advantage of us when everythings going up this year.

Told agents did not want dangerous sign outside front giving them free advertising that last year I ripped it down.
They must think im right whiney moo maybe its the hormones.

Asked landlord about dog again expect he say no but if we cant buyfor sevralyears feelbad for depriving kids as council tennants can have pets.
Agents said some landlords say no kids asIargued kids much worse than pets and any damage we would sort or pay extra deposit.

Kitchens tiny and have 1reception if we had 2 would be better as hubby hates to see toys.

More bad news reminded themhavent had inspection in over a year feel free to come round see what we done to better his property.
Last inspection was local office staff. But they subcontracted backtothat awfulcompany with snobby woman whohates kids.
basically she comes round with dictaphone is really rude and notes down every slightest thing like

kids clutter in lounge.
tennants repainted without permision-same flipping colour.
ceiling wrong colour in hallway-landlord did it himself.
chipped tiles in kitchen and grubby-like that when we moved in.
lino bubbled in bathroom-landlord knew that as he did it.

The1st reports seemed so awful in print got very upset and had a go at agents.
last time she came round without appointment sent her packing.
Thourght seen last of her but now she may be comingback.:eek:
told agents I have particular issues with this person.
last time office woman came round she thourght it was fine.

feel bit sick and stressed thinking about it all.
wehere for 1more year which no doubt will fly by.
after that who knows.?pluscant get out of 72admin feenext year by thenprobably have gone uptoo.

Sorry to waffle just dont know what to do for best.
if we do move best start saving now.

ceridwen

GreyQueen wrote: »

I'm another spec-wearer, have been since 13, myopia and later astigmatism. I've found it very annoying over the years that some body-parts are covered under the NHS and some aren't, like EYEBALLS. I'd second advice about keeping up with your eyetests, I'm under consultant's orders to have them annually as my meds could damage my sight, fortunately I qualify for freebies and a little help towards cost of new glasses, but it still means parting with the best part of £200. Am budgetting ahead for new windows in June.

Blood ran a bit cold about the narrowly-averted gas explosion. A few years before I moved into Shoebox Towers, we had an explosion a few doors away. The nitwit got sh*tfaced drunk in another town, tried to walk home along the railway line (20 miles!) was picked up by the Police and delivered home, decided to off himself and turned on the gas oven. Then he decided he didn't feel like suicide, he felt like a fag. Boom! It was just before midnight. He blew up his silly self (neighbours got him out with only slight injuries) and destroyed his own and 5 other flats. Literally blew the side of the building out, flames up to heaven. Fire brigade got everyone out but those 6 flats had to be rebuilt and their occupants lost everything.

I feel bad that some people are so wretched that suicide seems their only viable option but it's scary living in high density housing with people who may do such dangrous things. The guy in the flat opposite mine is mentally ill but has disengaged from his support workers, has his flat crammed floor to ceiling with carp lifted from skips and is self-disconnected from the pre-payment meter (hence candles being used in there). He buys weed from another dealer neighbour and gambles what little he has, but no one can do anything. There's an incredible fire risk, the stench emanating from his home is unbelievable and, if he brings something into his flat infested with bedbugs, they'll migrate thru into his neighbour's homes. The downside to so-called care in the community......

Police have been seen around the 'hood with an Alsation, got to be one of their drug-sniffer dogs, so maybe we'll have some raids soon. One of the flats is so bad, they won't take the dogs in (needles underfoot) but Soc Services are quite happy for the druggy dad to have custody of his young son in there......Often think I'm living in a mad world and can I go back to my own planet NOW?!

Thinking on the 3 new guys who came to live with us here at the Towers in 2010; Idiot Boy, on his way to eviction, NiceLad next door, not been seen since before Xmas, probably going to he repo'd for abandonment, and MisterX, who is a drug dealer. Surely we can find nicer people somewhere?

Glasses - loadsa people recommend Glasses Direct (an Internet supplier) and they would come a sight cheaper than £200. Worth a google perchance?

Crikey - re the gas explosion and thats what could have happened to FlowerTot:eek:. A downright lucky escape that was - or we could have been minus one of our regular posters:eek:.

Re Idiot Boy - in todays papers some ******* (otherwise known as "F*ckless Tenant" decided not to pay a lot of rent due to the Council and then top it off by quoting the Human Rights Act - summat to do with peoples "right to a home". Now I'm the first to agree with peoples right to a home - but NOT when they dont blinkin' well deserve it for some reason (like not paying the rent due..). The Council is apparently unable to evict her because she has got the European Court on her side and it looks as if other Councils will have to take this into account in future:eek: in similar circumstances. When I read that I thought "Hope that isnt going to present a problem to GreyQueen - as regards Idiot Boy getting slung out on his ear". But I thought I ought to mention to bear that in mind...and will keep my fingers crossed for you that he doesnt try to "climb on the back" of that decision.

Do hope Fate smiles on you and you have the chance to escape Shoebox Towers at some point.