Keeping up with the Jonesy

ScattySkewbald

Happy new year Jonesy! Sounds like 2015 is going to be an exciting one for you x

Jonesy88

Thank you! Hopefully things will go smoothly.

This weekend was a bit spendy. We had a meeting with the solicitors to sign and review everything, and we have even set a provisional exchange/completion date of the 16th!! Yikes! We could be homeowners this time next week! Anyway this means the deposit/fees/stamp duty are now due so i've started to transfer the funds across (although I'm being as MSE as possible by transferring it over 3 days so i can stay under the faster payment limits and avoid charges).

I also splashed out on some new clothes: £18 on a pretty tunic top, £12 on a lovely spotty dress in the Dotty P's sale (perfect for a wedding i have in the summer) and £7 on some matching deep red/purple heels also in the sale. So total clothes spends for 2015: £37. My aim is to keep my annual spends below £200 but we shall see, as long as i'm not being wasteful or silly I don't mind too much.

killerpeaty

Ahh Jonesy! That's so exciting! Ahh!

Have a look at the range for a fridge freezer, the last time I looked they did have some freezers at least.

SO happy for you! AHh

Jonesy88

Oooo will do, we're currently going with AO for a washing machine and fridge-freezer (just basic ones approx £200 each). Ideally I'd like a new kitchen in 4/5 years time with built in appliances so I don't want to spend lots when they will be replaced in the relative near future. Saying that though, I don't want something that will blow up after 2 years.

I should also be getting a pay increase this month (fingers crossed). I'm toying with throwing it all at doing the house up or building up the emergency fund. Hmm, I'll probably put something away for a rainy day but I suppose it all depends on how much of a raise I get. I shall be thoroughly cheesed off if it's only £500 pa! We shall see though, meetings are going ahead in the next few weeks....

ScattySkewbald

Exciting times Jonesy - hope the move goes well

Jonesy88

As of Friday we are once again homeowners!! :j

This was our timeline:

10/11/14 - Viewed the property. Updated DIP to reflect amount.
11/11/14 - Offer made and accepted.
12/11/14 - Instructed solicitors.
14/11/14 - 1st appointment with HSBC.
18/11/14 - Memorandum of Sale sent.
25/11/14 - Mortgage approval given - Yay!
29/11/14 - 2nd appointment with HSBC. Signed for the mortgage.
01/12/14 - Paid the valuation fees
08/12/14 - Survey carried out.
10/12/14 - Notification from HSBC to say the mortgage valuation had been accepted.
11/12/14 - Homebuyers survey received and forwarded on to solicitor.
21/12/14 - Energy Report comes back with a problem, solicitor writes to HSBC.
31/12/14 - HSBC confirm valuation is unaffected (phew!)
09/01/15 - Meeting with solicitor to sign and review vendors responses to questions.
11/01/15 - Final viewing of house.
15/01/15 - Contracts Exchanged.
16/01/15 - Completion!

Completion day was so stressful. We received a call from the solicitors at 12 to say everything was done and we could pick up the keys. Around 1 o'clock we popped to the ea who was surprised to see us as the Mr we are buying from (Mr and Mrs have split up) had rang in the last 20 mins saying nothing had happened yet and he would drop the keys in between 2 and 3. We picked up the set of keys Mrs had dropped in and said to the ea Mr should just drop the keys through the letter box of the property when he was done, as despite us completing he was still moving "1 last load". We tried to be reasonable so didn't visit the property until about 3.15 (after the time he'd given the ea for dropping the keys in), as we pulled into the street we saw him driving away in a van and his friend in a van also departing.

We opened the front door, indeed the key was posted through. But the house STANK. It was the fridge (which Mr was meant to have taken), or more specifically the rotten, decaying food inside. Lovely! There was also a lot of car cleaning chemicals in the garage, 3 bins full of rubbish, a carpet, a water butt, a bike, a bench, table, chairs and a cement mixer!

We rang the ea to check if he was coming back for the items but she said it was a legal issue, not for her to get involved in. We explained we didn't care enough to get solicitors involved, we just wanted to know if he was coming back. She said she would ring/ leave a message for him but we didn't hear from her the rest of Friday or Saturday. Funnily enough the cement mixer was picked up by 3.30 by the Mr's friend so we presume that's all they wanted.

The rubbish, rotting food and the disgusting fridge has gone to the tip, the other items will be kept in the garage for a month in case he contacts us. I've got my eye on sprucing up the bench/patio set and the bike will go on ebay! Locks have all been changed.

Oh the joys of moving house! Still it's ours now

On the MSE front the credit card is taking a battering - becuase our 1st mortgage payment will be different to the others I don't want to risk not having enough in the account. DD's are in the process of being set up but the requested amounts might be different than my budget, so, to be safe all house related spends are on the CC. When figures are confirmed it will be paid off (or atleast a significant chunk). I'll update numbers on my usual 1st of the month post and hopefully I'll have a clearer view then too.

Yay new house!

ScattySkewbald

Fantastic news Jonesy!!!! Exciting times x x x

Jonesy88

Hello February - a lovely short month

Last month was a big month for us - we moved house! :j

Lots of financial upheaval and the credit card is seriously taking a battering. Nothing frivolous - just a new carpet, new window, paint, new locks, general diy bits etc. We have more or less finished doing up the kitchen, bathroom, 3rd bedroom and smaller living room, just need a blind for the bedroom and sofa/chairs for the living room. Once bought, we will take stock of our financial situation and live in the house using those rooms. We're not in a great rush to do everything so would seem silly to get into more debt when we don't have time constraints.

The credit card in currently at £1250 and i expect it to rise to £2800 ish with the sofas. The living room funishings could go on a finance deal but i'm relunctant to go down the finance route - although repayments are significantly less, the debt is "hanging around" for a lot longer. Ideally we would clear the balance within 3 months and so incur minimal interest. Not strictly MSE but easier for me to control.

In other news, I got my payrise nothing stunning but very much appreciated.

Jan goals:

• [STRIKE]Complete house purchase.[/STRIKE] ✓
• [STRIKE]Pay soliticors fees and stamp duty.[/STRIKE] ✓
• [STRIKE]Buy a fridge-freezer and washer (the last of the "essentials" we will need)[/STRIKE]. ✓
• Get under 13st, and go to the gym - sort of, exactly 13st but no gym (too busy with the house surprisingly enough).

Feb goals:

• Move into house properly, buy blinds and sofas.
• Get CC balance and work out a plan.
• Get under 12st 7.

Scores on the Doors:

• OH Car Loan: £600/£3000 (20%)
• Credit Card: £1250
• Emergency Fund (ISA): £205 (20%)
• Savings: £21
• Baby Fund: £0

HarrysMummy

Just found your diary and read through the majority.

How exciting, a new house. I'll subscribe and keep popping in if you don't mind. You seemt o have got so far in such a short space of time. Very motivating!!

Jonesy88

Aww thanks for dropping by HarrysMummy (and Scatty too!)

I actually feel like time has slowed down a bit! I have so many plans I want to get underway but can't . 2015 is definitely the year we want to ttc but we'll need about £3k to support my mat leave. Before saving for this can start the house needs to be almost there, credit card paid, OHs loan paid and emergency fund built. Arghh, the baby fund just seems like such a long way off.

However, I don't want to dwell on the negative. Instead I'll focus on making a plan for the cc and emergency fund. That should give me a date to work towards and give me a target as well as something to look forward to.

In the words of Arnie.... I'll be back... (But with lists and figures lol)