Finally I have a mortgage I can start to pay off!

themadvix

Morning all,

Soooooo.... we've rescinded the offer on the house. I didn't love it enough to get into a bidding war and therefore, did I love it enough? We both agree that we don't love the market town enough to want to pay for the cachet of living there. And we looked again at sold prices for the houses at the other end of our estate and one sold in the summer for £450k. Four large beds, a good sized garden, the driveway and garage (quieter, more conventional street layout etc. etc.). Potentially £75k less than we'd have spent on that house. One may not come up before we lose our buyer, but I also feel I don't want to move just for the sake of it. I'm not sure quite how much DH feels the same, but there's no point just moving and not really thinking it's a benefit. The house we'd offered on only had 3 beds (as does ours) and the problem is we've really been spoilt by our house (garden and parking aside) - it's light, spacious (we have a huge square hallway as well as two reception rooms) and a bedroom that's dual aspect and 16' long. It's going to be hard to beat. So I guess we keep looking for now, but I'm going to be more picky - I don't think the 'go and look, what's the harm' approach is necessarily right for us.

(Equally, if another of the houses we went for a second viewing of last week came up but with a better garden, I'd be happy with one of those - I'm not entirely limiting myself to 2 streets!)

Anyway, moving on... 

Some work to do today, still waiting on other projects to arrive too. I'm going to have to go to the zero-waste shop and to get a couple of other bits in the supermarket as well as we're running low on some essentials. I don't think I need a huge amount at the zero-waste shop though, and by going today, I'll eliminate the temptation of the deli, as it's closed on Mondays.

MS things:
* Clicks done
* YG survey done
* PA survey done
* RM survey items posted (have been told I've nearly finished this stint)
* Free lunches yesterday (for me at cousin's little boy's party and for DH at his parents)

Gratitudes:
* text from a friend saying thanks for their homemade birthday card!
* lovely time at the birthday party yesterday
* homemade trifle (using the terrible cake I made mum and some leftover frozen berries from Christmas)

Have a good day all!

Suffolk_lass

As we get closer to Easter, it is the traditional time for people to put their houses on the market. If you are meant to move, the right house will come on the market. Or a decent plot of land that you could build on

themadvix

Thanks SL. We definitely don't have the cash for land at the moment, not around here. More research required on that front too. However, I'm definitely leaning towards that. DH would want to build something of outstanding environmental credentials, which increases the likelihood that we'd get planning permission for something on land that hasn't got outline permission already. So hopefully we might be able to get the land a bit cheaper than it usually goes for round here.

I didn't know Easter was a traditional time to put houses on the market - how come? Or is it just the spring gets everyone out?

Suffolk_lass

I think there are a number of reasons for Easter - it typically takes up to 12 weeks to move and so families like to move at the end of a school year, plus Christmas is out of the way and January is the big clear up and sort out month - then jobs in preparation during February to get it on the market when the Spring flowers are coming and everyone's mood lifts a bit. A time for new things. I hope it is still the case. I did do a little search for land on Rightmove in Suffolk (where we are) and many are squashed in plots (in-fill) but there are one or two decent options. And with a "kit" house (pre-framed and insulated panels) it does not have to cost the earth to self-build. We have looked and been to display sites in NL and Germany when over there (and there is a show here normally) - I like the idea of a small original house (eg a bungalow on a generous plot) that we can add to, with the option to then gradually replace the original. As you suggest, the location is key. This one appealed to me (but I know nothing about the area) - or this, which is relatively local to us and I know is in a quiet location (three other barns and the original G2L Farm House) it has been on the market for 4 years and was £220k then - the garden is too small for what I wanted

themadvix

Morning all,

Thanks for that SL, very interesting. Hadn't considered the school factor in putting houses on the market. A kit house would be cheaper, and we'd probably use some element of a kit, but we have a design in mind that would require some custom engineering too. The land is probably going to be the most expensive element still though.

Work was busy yesterday, but dead today. Still waiting on two projects from America - one that should be a good size and another tiny one. As well as the usual stuff. It's getting closer to the point where I'll expect to hear from my European client too, which is good (it would be great to get a couple of bits under my belt for him this week - ready for Feb's payday - but sadly I think that's unlikely). Will keep an eye on the platform today and send my details to another few agencies.

Yesterday I spent £27 at the zero-waste shop and another £11 in Sains (which included two packs of loo roll though - they were on my Nectar prices offers). I promised a round-up of Jan food spending last week, so here it is:

Nectar credit used: £12.50
M&S vouchers: £4.55 (£2.73 remaining)
Milk: £15.72
R'ford: £16.65
Cash:£38.95

+ takeaway £25.20

Total: £113.57. I don't think that's bad at all considering the cash, non-treats section came to £38.95 and includes my staples shopping for the next month too. Actual cash spent up until yesterday (ignoring takeaway) was £4.95! I won't need to spend any more now until next month (except I may buy some baking powder as I'm nearly out and it's on Nectar prices for four more days, oh and fresh ginger, but in all less than £1 ). We have loads of veg still from veg box last Thursday and even some dating back further than that, so won't get a veg box for another week, as per fortnightly schedule. Will see if we need that too.

Last night, we had sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry (free sweet potato and chillies from Olio). I also baked tomato, ricotta and thyme muffins (to use up last of free cherry toms) and made Spanish lentil soup for lunches. DH spent all of yesterday feeling cold, so I wanted to send him to work (working on-site today) with something warming. It'll also save him a few pounds as he's been tending to buy lunches on Tuesdays and Wednesdays since the return to work - which he is fine about (subsidised canteen), but every penny helps! For breakfast I had a half portion of shredded wheat to use it up, with an Olio banana (still going from my box full the other week!) and will have the last Olio cinnamon bagel to top it up.

MS things:
* Clicks done
* Comps entered
* 1P surveys done
* PA survey
* Have turned heating down as it's just me here today
* Refund has been sent from ebay for incorrect card blanks

Gratitudes:
* a warm home
* plenty of food
* playtime with the cats - B&W cat woke up full of kitten beans this morning (he's 8!)

Have a good day all!

themadvix

Just popping back to say that European client must have heard me talking about him, as I now have a piece of work from him!

themadvix

Afternoon all,

More work has arrived today - from European client and something I've been waiting on from the US. Have also collected a rather large Olio collection from T3sco, so my kitchen currently looks like a bakery. Some has gone, but waiting for more interest to clear it! Pastries for breakfast though and a baguette for lunch.

I realised my maths above was a bit dodgy - what I meant to say was that excluding milk, which I'd excluded at the beginning of the challenge and Monday's shopping, I'd spent £4.95 + one R'ford delivery in actual money. I'm still very pleased with how low we've kept the food costs this month.

Not sure what we'll eat tonight as the plan was for gnocchi, but I have to have a kitchen to make gnocchi in.... it may be something quicker!

MS things:
* Clicks done, won 18p on HW, will have mortgage paid off in no time!
* 1P surveys
* I had leftover curry for dinner last night

Gratitudes:
* Sunshine today!
* Hospital appointment was on time (just for some blood tests), so in and out super quick
* Maple and pecan slice for breakfast

Karmacat

Loving the 18p mortgage payoff!  Also genuinely loving a maple and pecan slice for breakfast, how I wish I could eat wheat regularly!  

I'm sorry to say my brain blurred the maths you wrote yesterday - but of course, it helps *you* to write it down, it's what the diaries are really for, so to speak  I'm glad more work has turned up.

themadvix

Haha, thanks Karma. The 18p didn't technically get paid off the mortgage (and nor will it), but it just amazed me this morning the hoops we jump through for tiny amounts of money sometimes... although the daily free spin that is the happy wheel as far as I'm concerned is actually quite enjoyable - mainly because it's taking money from a bookie!

The maths, as you say, was entirely for my own benefit.

Going to meet a potential cat client this evening - for two weeks' sitting at the beginning of April. But in bad news, have just refunded a lady who bought something on ebay from me and sent her the excess postage charge too as stupid me forgot to put a stamp on the parcel. Not cool at all!

Will get petrol when I'm visiting cat. And have decided to book dent puller man for my car, so that'll be £250 out of the car maintenance fund.

newgirly

Wow that’s great food spending for the month Vix and you seem to eat so well, I guess the olio bits help a bit?